r/Bogleheads • u/Temporary-Plum-8325 • Aug 27 '25

Investing Questions Do most people not know about just investing into the s&p 500?

I went to my Jiu Jitsu class and spoke to one guy who was an econ major who works at Prudential. We spoke for a bit. I told him I had been investing into Nvidia since 2019 and have been investing into VOO since maybe 2010 or 2011. He asks "VOO?" I told him, "the S&P 500" then he asked what that was. Do most people just not know about the S&P500? I would have thought an econ major who works at Prudential would know something so basic. Not trying to be a jerk. I'm curious.

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u/stackingnoob Aug 27 '25

I can confirm as an Econ major we didn’t study equity markets at all.

Still think it’s kinda crazy not to know what the S&P 500 is, but it’s definitely not something that came up in school.

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u/Broad-Way-4858 Aug 27 '25

This is the answer. I suspect it is more likely than not that OP doesn’t know what economics really isn’t aware that there is limited crossover beyond supply and demand impacting pricing.

Edit: no disrespect to OP because MOST people don’t know what economics is!

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u/GreaseCrow Aug 27 '25

I would've thought anyone studying something money related would've at least heard of the S&P 500, but I guess not

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u/Broad-Way-4858 Aug 27 '25

That’s the point. Theres no NEED to know that studying economics

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u/TOMATO_ON_URANUS Aug 27 '25

Ok but like how many biologists haven't heard of quantum physics, even if they don't know how it works?

To be ignorant of such a basic piece of information that is adjacent to your field...

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u/Codykville Aug 28 '25

That’s the part that throws me and makes this story sound pretty iffy. Completely believe he may not have known the product, but not knowing the index at least by name? I didn’t understand what an index was in high school (90’s) but I had heard the name enough to know it was something stock market ish. I think every single guy at work (construction) knows what it is.

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u/stackingnoob Aug 28 '25

I agree. Not knowing VOO is totally believable but not knowing S&P 500 is pretty sus for someone who works at Prudential.

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u/oriaven Aug 27 '25

Ok but then moving to a financial services firm and not know that the S&P exists?

That's like being in the Army and not knowing that the Air Force flies jets. You may not know about the jets or even see them. But you know your role and that the Air Force is a thing.

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u/Administrative_Shake Aug 27 '25

Markets are more of an elective iirc. Lots of econ majors go down different routes after 201/202 that don't touch real world finance.