It’s a phrase you’ve likely heard more than once: "do your own research."

It's important, but technical analysis, endless charts, and soundbites from professionals rarely make us feel we've done enough.

That's why community data can help - whether it's how much you invest, the differences between similar ETFs, or just to remind yourself you're not alone. To help you paint a picture for yourself, we've listed our top 10 most popular US stocks. And, true to our brand, we also show you what ASX ETFs they're held in.

By now, everyone should know Pearler investors favour ETFs over individual shares by about 80% to 20%.

We're proud of this community that's built core portfolios with ETFs, adding some of the world's largest companies they're passionate about, but most importantly: staying diversified!

Of course, when we talk about US shares, we can't help but mention Warren Buffet's $1 million bet.

Warren believed an S&P 500 index fund would outperform the hedge fund industry (suits, big money and algorithms) over 10 years.

So he threw out the challenge…with $1 million on the line.

A fund, Protégé Partners, took him up with a portfolio of hand-picked hedge funds. The loser would donate $1 million to charity.

The challenge didn't even last the decade. No points for guessing who won.

Whenever we share this story at a party (yes, we're annoying like that), there's always someone who replies with:

"So, how can I invest in the S&P 500?"

Funny you should ask…

IVV is the most invested ASX option with Pearler investors. There are many options, though, and as always, do your own research. 😉

We go into more detail below:

Of the US-focused ETFs on Pearler, IVV and NDQ are quickly becoming two of the favourites. In fact, both have been in our top 10 ETFs since we launched.

That's why we've created a comparison between the two. And before you ask: yes, IVV tracks the S&P 500. In contrast, NDQ tracks the NASDAQ-100 index.

Of course, the S&P 500 isn't some cheat code for wealth creation (and neither is the NASDQ-100). While we don't want to put words in the O.G's mouth, we're pretty sure Warren wasn't suggesting the S&P 500 is a foolproof get-rich-quick scheme.

Past performances don't give us a crystal ball. However, Mr Buffett's bet does prove one thing: sometimes, simple and cheaper is better.

Do you want to compare different ASX ETFs that hold Pearler's most popular US shares? You can check what they hold and how they're tracking on our Invest page.

Happy investing (and learning),

Hayden