u/JaymesMc

I'm planning to invest in the S&P 500 for the first time. I'm a non-American, and I was advised not to invest in VOO, but instead in an Irish-domiciled S&P 500 ETF like CSPX on the LSE.

From what I understand, this can reduce US withholding taxes and avoid potential US estate tax issues for non-Americans.

Is this actually the case? Is it generally advisable for non-Americans to avoid US-domiciled ETFs and use Irish-domiciled versions instead, especially if they don't live in a country with a strong US tax treaty?

I want to start investing in the S&P 500 using a monthly Dollar-Cost Averaging strategy, but I also want to put an initial lump sum of around $10,000 into it.

I understand that over the long term, trying to “time” the market usually doesn’t matter much. But since the market is essentially at an all-time high right now, I’d hate to invest a large amount only to see it decline shortly afterward.

I’ve only recently started following the market, so I’m still learning. Is it common for the S&P 500 to rise and fall significantly like you see in crypto or individual stocks, or is it generally much more stable?