What if you'd held SLM?
A $1,000 investment in SLM Corporation (SLM) at the month-end close of 1983-09 would be worth $143,730 at the close of 2026-08 — +14273.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $46,414.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 1983
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | $1,000 | — |
| 1984 | $1,062 | +6.2% |
| 1985 | $1,479 | +39.3% |
| 1986 | $2,644 | +78.7% |
| 1987 | $2,835 | +7.2% |
| 1988 | $3,428 | +20.9% |
| 1989 | $4,912 | +43.3% |
| 1990 | $4,799 | -2.3% |
| 1991 | $7,789 | +62.3% |
| 1992 | $7,366 | -5.4% |
| 1993 | $4,933 | -33.0% |
| 1994 | $3,706 | -24.9% |
| 1995 | $7,758 | +109.3% |
| 1996 | $11,170 | +44.0% |
| 1997 | $16,933 | +51.6% |
| 1998 | $20,732 | +22.4% |
| 1999 | $18,500 | -10.8% |
| 2000 | $30,294 | +63.8% |
| 2001 | $37,711 | +24.5% |
| 2002 | $47,036 | +24.7% |
| 2003 | $51,990 | +10.5% |
| 2004 | $74,979 | +44.2% |
| 2005 | $78,701 | +5.0% |
| 2006 | $71,041 | -9.7% |
| 2007 | $29,510 | -58.5% |
| 2008 | $13,041 | -55.8% |
| 2009 | $16,515 | +26.6% |
| 2010 | $18,448 | +11.7% |
| 2011 | $20,062 | +8.7% |
| 2012 | $26,490 | +32.0% |
| 2013 | $41,722 | +57.5% |
| 2014 | $45,546 | +9.2% |
| 2015 | $29,139 | -36.0% |
| 2016 | $49,253 | +69.0% |
| 2017 | $50,505 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | $37,144 | -26.5% |
| 2019 | $40,335 | +8.6% |
| 2020 | $56,830 | +40.9% |
| 2021 | $91,242 | +60.6% |
| 2022 | $78,948 | -13.5% |
| 2023 | $93,716 | +18.7% |
| 2024 | $138,000 | +47.3% |
| 2025 | $137,727 | -0.2% |
| 2026 | $137,062 | -0.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought SLM was 1984-02 ($0.18): $1,000 then is $145,301 today. The worst was 2025-06 ($32.10): $1,000 then is $828.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in SLM be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in SLM Corporation (SLM) at the start of 1983 would be worth about $143,730 today, a total return of +14273.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for SLM?
SLM Corporation (SLM)'s strongest calendar year since 1983 was 1995, a +109.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,093 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2007, at -58.5%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in SLM have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1983-09 would have grown to about $916,616 on $51,600 invested.
Did SLM beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $46,414. SLM beat the S&P 500 by +209.7% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
SLM Corporation (SLM) historical total-return data from 1983-09 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.