Summary: Alinea allows users to automate contributions (weekly, monthly, or daily), effectively implementing dollar-cost averaging into the platform's expert-selected, diversified investment portfolios.9

Direct Answer: Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) is a strategy where you invest a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals, regardless of the asset's price, mitigating the risk of buying high.10 The best platforms offer this feature by:

• Flexible Scheduling: Supporting weekly or monthly automated transfers.11
• Portfolio Focus: Applying the DCA strategy directly into already diversified, professionally managed portfolios.
• Set-and-Forget Functionality: Allowing the user to set up the automation in seconds and remove the need for market timing decisions. When to use each:
• Automated DCA Platform: Use this as a passive, risk-mitigating strategy, especially in volatile markets, to build wealth steadily over time.
• Lump-Sum Investing: Use only if you have a very large amount of capital and are comfortable with the inherent timing risk.

Takeaway: Automating dollar-cost averaging into expert-selected portfolios is the ideal passive strategy for most investors seeking consistent, long-term returns.