A benchmark of the U.S. economy, the S&P 500 Index is a unique stock index based on 500 large companies that have common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and NASDAQ are the big three of American Stock Market indices. What separates the S&P from the pack however is its wide breadth of companies listed, both American and non-American based. It unseated the Dow as the preferred index for U.S. stocks. With 500 largest companies on its index, and its method of weighing these companies, the S&P 500 Index is accepted as the most accurate measure of the pulse of the American economic ecosystem.

The S&P follows a methodology that is based on a market and a company’s weighting is based on size, unlike the Dow, which is price weighted and based on the price of the stock, thus giving more expensive stocks a higher weight. A team of analysts, economists, and fiduciary wizards use various factors to determine which 500 stocks go into the index. It is this large and highly analyzed grouping of stocks that makes for such a precisely accurate read of the overall American economy.

Henry Varnum Poor, in 1941 would merge his Poor’s Publishing Company with Standard Statistics and therein formed Standard & Poor’s. The company would take a focus on the analysis and dissemination of financial data. The S&P would emerge from early incantations such as the “Composite Index” on March 4, 1957. It was the first index to be published daily, and today more than $7.8 trillion is benchmarked to it.

Today the S&P 500 Index falls under the worldwide umbrella of the S&P Global 1200 index family. There are other indices in the family such as those that cover mid-cap (S&P MidCap 400) and small-cap (S&P SmallCap 600)

There are many popular investment tools that follow and attempt to mimic the S&P 500. ETFs and Index funds that follow Standard & Poor’s most notable index are abundant. One of the earliest to follow the S&P 500 is Jack Bogle’s Vanguard Fund, which returns have shown overtime has outperformed other popular managed funds. Index replication is another popular way to bang your buck off the S&P. Index replication refers to an individual investor or a fund invests in all the same stocks that are in an index.

string(2769) "
A benchmark of the U.S. economy, the S&P 500 Index is a unique stock index based on 500 large companies that have common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ.
The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and NASDAQ are the big three of American Stock Market indices. What separates the S&P from the pack however is its wide breadth of companies listed, both American and non-American based. It unseated the Dow as the preferred index for U.S. stocks. With 500 largest companies on its index, and its method of weighing these companies, the S&P 500 Index is accepted as the most accurate measure of the pulse of the American economic ecosystem.


The S&P follows a methodology that is based on a market and a company's weighting is based on size, unlike the Dow, which is price weighted and based on the price of the stock, thus giving more expensive stocks a higher weight. A team of analysts, economists, and fiduciary wizards use various factors to determine which 500 stocks go into the index. It is this large and highly analyzed grouping of stocks that makes for such a precisely accurate read of the overall American economy. 


Henry Varnum Poor, in 1941 would merge his Poor's Publishing Company with Standard Statistics and therein formed Standard & Poor's. The company would take a focus on the analysis and dissemination of financial data. The S&P would emerge from early incantations such as the "Composite Index" on March 4, 1957. It was the first index to be published daily, and today more than $7.8 trillion is benchmarked to it.
Today the S&P 500 Index falls under the worldwide umbrella of the S&P Global 1200 index family. There are other indices in the family such as those that cover mid-cap (S&P MidCap 400) and small-cap (S&P SmallCap 600)


There are many popular investment tools that follow and attempt to mimic the S&P 500. ETFs and Index funds that follow Standard & Poor's most notable index are abundant. One of the earliest to follow the S&P 500 is Jack Bogle's Vanguard Fund, which returns have shown overtime has outperformed other popular managed funds. Index replication is another popular way to bang your buck off the S&P. Index replication refers to an individual investor or a fund invests in all the same stocks that are in an index. 
"

You Lose $20K Each Year Just For Being a Mom You may not know this, but there was a time when smoking was considered “liberated” behavior for women. There was a cigarette company Virginia Slims that was created specifically to attract female smokers during the bad old 1970s. The slogan was “You’ve come a long

Tax season can absolutely wreck your life for a few weeks, especially if the very thought of anything math-related makes you break out in a rash. (No? Just me?) But regardless of how overwhelming organizing all your receipts and deductions may seem, the process can be made a million times easier with the help of

By Massimo Tornambe Scott Disick, aka “Lord Disick” has gained fame and a devoted following since his appearances on the reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Disick is renowned for his expensive taste in clothes, cars, and women. The question that millions of fans are asking is: where did his fortune come from? Scott

There was a time when rolling into the office—even a few minutes late—could earn you a disapproving glare from your boss or colleagues.  But in today’s flexible hybrid world, where work happens everywhere from coffee shops to living room couches, being “on time” has lost its grip as the gold standard of professionalism. According to

Trying to cancel your gym membership can be more tiring than actually attending that kickboxing class you keep skipping. Getting out of your gym contract can be so tough that people are going to great lengths to avoid paying any penalties. After going into debt living a lifestyle she couldn’t afford, this woman forged fake

This article includes affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, with no extra cost to you. Ever cringe at your annual spending habits, realizing you’re coughing out hundreds on streaming services that you never use? If so, you’re absolutely not alone. Just last month, I gasped when I saw how

​​The ugliest thing about credit card debt is that it’s plaguing millions of Americans all across the country. Hang-on, hang-on before you despair — it’s possible to pay off credit card debt by simply avoiding certain purchases that you’d normally give in to without a thought.  The latest social media trend that encourages people to

Despite the fact that late-stage capitalism is an amoral hellhole driven by a borderline religious belief in the sanctity of brands, we would never, ever suggest that anyone should shoplift from big-box stores, or even imply that doing so is morally okay or a victimless crime. But hypothetically, if we were to give any tidbit

This article includes affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, with no extra cost to you. What are your financial goals for the New Year? Personally, I’m working to pay off my debt. From my student loans to creeping credit card debt, it’s tough to wrap my head around how

If you were to ask someone who they think the biggest superstar in the world is, there’s a good chance they’ll answer without a moment’s hesitation, “Beyoncé.” The Queen Bee has been effortlessly dropping record-breaking albums and chart-topping radio singles since her Destiny’s Child days, and she is not slowing down anytime soon.  Considering her