Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) means buying a fixed amount on a schedule, no matter the price. It removes emotion and guarantees you never buy everything at the top.
Laddering means placing several buys at lower prices in advance. If price dips, you accumulate more cheaply and your average drops.
Key takeaway
DCA smooths out timing. Laddering rewards patience with a lower average cost.
Tip. Only ladder into things you actually want to hold. A lower average on a bad asset is still a bad position.