How to Buy S&P 500 in Singapore: ETFs and Index Funds

As investment platforms go digital and become more accessible, there’s growing interest in international investments like the US S&P 500 as a way to diversify and build a balanced portfolio.

The S&P 500 includes 500 of the largest and most successful companies from the US, across a broad segment of sectors like IT, finance, consumer, and communications. You can get involved by choosing either an S&P 500 ETF in Singapore or an S&P 500 index fund available in Singapore.

This guide covers how to invest in the S&P 500 from Singapore, including choosing a platform and the costs to consider before you trade. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.

Table of contents
What is the S&P 500? Top 10 companies Why invest in the S&P 500? S&P 500 funds available in Singapore? How to invest in S&P 500 Choosing an investment platform Pre-investment considerations Fees, costs and tax Ease of use and platform features Maximise returns by cutting fees with Wise

What is the S&P 500?

Before we look at how to buy S&P 500 assets in Singapore, let’s look at a more basic question: what is the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 was formerly called the Standard & Poor’s 500 and is an index of the shares of 500 of the largest and most important companies on the US market¹.

Indices like the S&P (and others you may have heard of, like the Dow Jones) are used to benchmark the health of an economy by tracking the performance of key businesses.

You can’t actually buy into an index like the S&P, but you can buy into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds that track the performance of the index. This is a commonly used tactic to create a balanced exposure to important stocks and shares in a given market.

This guide is for information only, and does not constitute advice. The value of investments can go down as well as up - get professional advice before you put your money at risk.

Top 10 companies in the S&P 500 by index weight

Here are some of the most important companies included in the S&P index, to give you an idea of the types of business you’ll find featured there.

Company²	Symbol	Industry
NVIDIA	NVDA	IT
Microsoft	MSFT	IT
Apple	AAPL	IT
Amazon	AMZN	Consumer
Meta	META	Communications
Broadcom	AVGO	IT
Alphabet (CLASS A)	GOOGL	Communications
Alphabet (CLASS C)	GOOG	Communications
Berkshire Hathaway	BRK.B	Finance
Tesla	TSLA	Consumer

*Details correct at time of research - 3rd September 2025

Why invest in the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 can be a good place to invest as the performance of this index tracks the performance of the largest businesses in the US, across all sectors. This can help you to reduce your exposure to individual companies and spread your investments across a broad base.

While investment funds can go down as well as up, tracking an index can be a way of lowering the risks involved in investing, making this a popular tactic for both new investors and seasoned investors alike.

Can I invest in the S&P 500 from Singapore?

Yes. You can buy both index funds and EFTs in Singapore that follow the performance of the S&P 500.

What S&P 500 funds can I buy in Singapore?

You can buy into one S&P ETF, which is traded on the Singapore stock exchange, or you can choose from a broad range of options if you use a broker that has access to the US market. Both of these solutions are available for Singapore investors, and which works best for you may depend on the broker you prefer to use.

Wondering which S&P 500 ETF to buy in Singapore? Here are some of the most popular S&P 500 funds available in Singapore.

ETF name	Symbol	Listed in
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust³	S27	SGX
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF⁴	VOO	NYSE
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF⁵	IVV	NYSE
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust⁶	SPY	NYSE

*Details correct at time of research - 3rd September 2025

How to invest in S&P 500 from Singapore

Investing is pretty accessible with a broad range of broker types and options, and ways to start your investment journey with fairly small amounts of money. However, as investments may fall in value, it’s really important that you understand the risks that can apply before you put any of your hard-earned cash on the line.

Do your own research before you start to invest, and get professional advice if you need to.

Once you’re comfortable with the process, pros, and cons, you’re ready to invest in the S&P 500 from Singapore. Here’s how to buy index funds in Singapore:

1. Select an investment platform, including local banks and local or international digital providers.
2. Create a brokerage account - you’ll need to get verified before you can start to trade.
3. Fund your brokerage account in SGD or USD, depending on the provider.
4. Follow the provider’s process to buy into your preferred ETF or index - check the fees that apply before you confirm.
5. Track your investment progress using the provider's digital tools - usually an app.

Choosing an investment platform

There are several different types of investment platforms available to an investor in Singapore, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. We’ll cover what to look at as you choose your preferred platform in a moment - first, here are the most common platform types you’ll come across while you research:

Local brokerage firms

More traditional brokerage firms can be standalone businesses, but are commonly under the investment division of a major bank. Using a local firm may mean you get more tailored advice for the market, including support for CPF investing. You might also be able to get face-to-face help - but you’re likely to find fees are relatively high compared to some other options.

International brokerage platforms

Many major brokers operate globally, with offices around the world and easy access to different markets. This allows them to keep up to date with the performance of different exchanges, to offer advice to investors who are interested in diversification across different geographies. There are many different options out there, so you’ll need to compare costs and service options carefully to decide which might fit.

Robo-advisors

Robo-advisors are generally platforms that can help you invest using algorithms and digital analysis tools to decide which assets and strategies might work. There are robo-advisors in the Singapore market which are digital only, and some which are offered through banks and other more traditional providers. Costs are often low, but you won’t usually get face-to-face or phone consultations with a provider like this.

What to consider before investing

Let’s work through a few pointers on other things to think about before you invest. Remember to get professional advice if you’re ever unsure about how to manage your assets and your money, to avoid unnecessary risk.

Fees and costs

Using a platform with low ongoing costs, which doesn’t charge too much for individual trades or transactions, can help you make the most of your money. The range of fees and costs involved can depend a lot on the type of provider you use and the exact assets you buy. You may need to pay a commission every time you trade, for example, and you might also run into account management fees or foreign exchange fees when you convert to and from USD.

Foreign exchange costs can end up eating into your profits if the platform you use adds a large markup to the exchange rate used when you sell your USD assets and convert the funds back to SGD to withdraw to your bank. If you’d prefer, you might find you can save money by withdrawing in USD to an account from a provider like Wise, which allows you to hold USD and convert when you’re ready with the mid-market exchange rate.

You’ll need to weigh up the full range of costs applied by any provider you might consider. Here are a few popular ones, alongside key cost considerations for buying US assets.

Platform	Commission fees	Platform fees
IBKR⁸	Tiered or flat pricing, from 0 USD/share	No added platform fee
DBS Vickers⁷	From 0.15%	None specified
Moomoo⁹	No commission	0.99 USD/ order
Tiger Brokers¹⁰	Prime accounts from 0.005 USD/share	Prime accounts from 0.005 USD/share

*Details correct at time of research - 3rd September 2025

Tax considerations

There's a 30% dividend withholding tax on US stocks owned by foreign persons, which is retained by the platform and paid to the US government¹¹. Generally, your platform will deduct this tax once a dividend is paid, and you’ll be able to see the deduction in your account details.

Ease of use and platform features

When you're selecting a way to invest in S&P assets from Singapore, don’t forget to look for a platform that’s easy to use. Many brokers now offer apps to help you buy, sell, and check your account transactions while you’re out and about. This can make it far easier to keep on top of your money.

Depending on your personal preference, you might also want to look for a platform that offers easy access to share data, trackers, and analysis to help guide your decisions and investments. Look for online reviews of different providers to get a sense for how easy customers find their services to understand and use, before you select the right one for you.

Maximise your investment returns by cutting hidden fees with Wise

When buying or selling international stocks, hidden fees on cross-currency transfers can reduce your profits. Use Wise to minimise these costs and help maximise your returns.

The Wise account is an easy way to hold and exchange 40+ currencies, including SGD, MYR, EUR, CNY, and more. All you need to do is create a free account to get started.

With Wise, you can exchange currencies at the mid-market rate each time, with low, transparent conversion fees from 0.26% and absolutely no markups. Plus, you can order a linked Wise card for convenient spending without any foreign transaction fees, and up to 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 350 SGD when you're overseas. You'll even get 8+ local account details to get paid conveniently to your Wise account in SGD and a selection of other major global currencies.

What's more, you can activate Wise Interest to earn returns* on your eligible balances while keeping your money available to spend.

*Growth is not guaranteed. Capital at risk.

Sending money or making payments abroad? Wise also offers fast, low cost transfers to 140+ countries - you can track your transfer in your account and your recipient will also be notified when a transfer reaches them.

🚀 Get Started with Wise

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Sources:

1. S&P Global - Index history
2. Investopedia - S&P data August 2025
3. FSMOne - S27
4. FSMOne - VOO
5. FSMOne - IVV
6. FSMOne - SPY
7. DBS Vickers pricing
8. IBKR pricing
9. Moomoo pricing
10. Tiger Brokers pricing
11. IRS - withholding tax on foreign persons