Can Canadians invest in the S&P 500?

Yes, Canadians can invest in the S&P 500 through ETFs and mutual funds that track the index.

Which is more volatile, the Dow Jones or the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 can be more volatile than the Dow Jones because it includes more companies and provides broader exposure to different sectors. However, volatility varies over time, so neither index is consistently more volatile than the other.

Is the Nasdaq different from the S&P 500 and Dow Jones?

Yes, the Nasdaq Composite is another stock market index. It tracks companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange and has a strong weighting toward technology companiees

Zoe Stabler DipFA

Senior writer

Zoe was a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She is currently a senior money writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. Zoe has a BA in English literature and a Diploma for Financial Advisers. She has several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. Zoe has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink.
Zoe has a BA in English Literature from Swansea University and a Diploma for Financial Advisers from The London Institute of Banking and Finance.

Expertise

Share dealing
Reviews and comparisons of trading platforms
Robo-advisors
Pensions
Banking

Experience

Written more than 200 investment guides, platform reviews and platform comparisons
Written 5 white papers: “Seasonal squeeze: How winter spending is set to change”, “Banking in lockdown: Is the honeymoon over for challengers?” and “ESG: Is the investing landscape changing for good?”, "Gen Reddit: Where next for the investors fed by social media?", "Guilt-edged stocks: How investors are reacting to war", "Heart vs head: Are more investors choosing passions over pounds?".
Analysed, ranked and scored major trading apps to find our best trading apps of 2020, 2021 and 2022
Analysed 212 funds to find that ethical investment funds are twice as likely to have a female manager as other funds

Education

Bachelor of Arts, English Literature | Swansea University | 2014 - 2017
CIMA Fundamentals of Business Economics | 2018
CIMA Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law | 2018
Diploma for Financial Advisers | London Institute of Banking and Finance | 2022

Featured publications

Industry insights from Zoe Stabler DipFA

We asked Zoe for her insider tips on investments and pensions.

What are your tips for first-time investors ?

Those first few trades can be a bit daunting - but it takes practice to really understand how investing works. If you were planning on running a marathon - the first step would be to get your trainers on and try running, it's exactly the same with investing! You don’t have to try with real money - loads of providers have demo or training accounts with virtual funds and no risk at all. You could start by building a portfolio - a selection of stocks you think have some potential - and invest in them with your virtual funds. Keep an eye on them over a few weeks and see how you would have done.

How much do you need in your pension pot to retire comfortably?

You spend your whole life paying into your pension, so it’s easy to think that it’s going to be a healthy sum by the time you retire, but unfortunately that might not be the case. The best thing you can do is check what’s in your pension and use your provider’s forecast and calculators to make sure you’re on track to have the retirement you want. A couple would need around £26,000 per year for a comfortable retirement, including groceries, bills, housing and insurance as well as some added luxuries like holidays abroad and eating out.