Amazon vs. the S&P 500: Which Is the Better First Investment?

We are currently in the teeth of a bear market, which is typically defined as a market that has lost 20% or more of its value within a specific time frame. As of June 27, the major barometer of the market, the S&P 500, was down about 18% year to date, but had been down over 20% earlier in the month -- and may reach that threshold again.

Investors who are new to the market may look at the performance of the S&P 500 and think twice about investing in it via a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF). Would a popular stock like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) be a better option for a first-time investor? Letʻs take a look.

The best advice anyone ever gave me when starting out is, start slow and keep it simple. With investing, there is a lifelong learning curve, so the longer you do it, the more knowledgeable you become about building a portfolio and how different stocks and industries react through various market cycles.

Source Fool.com