How to Build a US Portfolio with $0 Fees On Webull Singapore
Updated: 27 Aug 2026
Written byAlevin K Chan
Freelance Contributor
The US stock market has long been a top choice for investors. It provides access to most of the world’s largest and most innovative companies – from healthcare to consumer products and financial services, putting thousands of listed companies across a wide range of industries at your fingertips. In 2026, the US stock market continues to deliver strong returns – it grew by 10% in 1H 2026, a good sign that 2H will also produce positive returns.
Clearly, the US stock market has lots of opportunities for all investors. The challenge? Deciding how and where to start.
With so many stocks and funds to choose from, putting together your first US portfolio can quickly feel more complicated than it needs to be. There’s also trading fees, which can impact your potential returns more than you may realise.
Good news: you don’t need to pick dozens of stocks or find the perfect time to invest. A simple portfolio can begin with a diversified ETF, progressively adding companies that you have strong convictions about, and a consistent plan focused on growth over time.
Here’s where Webull Singapore enters the picture. With fractional shares, $0 commission and platform fees on US stocks and ETFs, and automated investing plans that react smartly to the market, it’s a top-notch pick for users looking to get in on the red-hot US market.
Webull is also offering one of the best welcome offers in the market – up to S$1,888* for new users. Before you decide, let’s dive in for a further look.
Why invest in the US market?
The US market gives you access to a much wider range of companies than you’ll find on the Singapore Exchange.
If your existing portfolio is mostly made up of Singapore banks, real estate investment trusts and other local companies, adding US investments can help spread your exposure across more industries and businesses.
You don’t have to choose every company yourself, either. An ETF tracking the S&P 500, for example, gives you exposure to around 500 leading US companies through a single investment. Together, these companies account for roughly 80% of the country’s available stock-market value.
That makes a broad US ETF one of the simplest ways to start building a portfolio.
Keep more of your money invested with $0 trading fees
Trading fees may look small on paper, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. They are applied on every trade you make, which means they do add up over time.
That’s why choosing a low-cost broker is important. Webull Singapore charges $0 commission and $0 platform fees on all US stocks and ETFs, and there is no limit to the number of trades you can make.
The freedom of zero-commission trading cannot be overstated. You can start with small trades, add to your investments regularly, or rebalance your portfolio as you see fit – all without paying a broker fee each time you place an order.
A $2 commission is a 1% drag on a $200 investment. Over time, that compounds. At a $1 million portfolio, 1% could mean $10,000. That money could be better spent on your lifestyle; or reinvested into the market. With Webull, you keep every dollar you earn.
Build your US portfolio with Webull.
Start with a diversified core portfolio of ETFs
ETFs can do much of the heavy lifting in a beginner portfolio – and we don’t just mean keeping you from the rookie mistake of holding too few positions and becoming overly concentrated.
You see, each ETF holds a basket of investments and trades on an exchange like an ordinary stock. By buying one ETF, you can gain exposure to dozens or even hundreds of companies at once. This helps to spread out market risk and dampen volatility.
Another advantage is that ETFs are overseen and managed by professional traders, with periodic re-balancing to reflect current market realities. With ETFs, you don’t have to research and manage every stock yourself.
Three of the most popular ETFs bought on Webull are VOO, SPY and QQQ. Here’s a deeper look at each, and how they can potentially fit into your portfolio.
VOO: A straightforward foundation for long-term investing
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, commonly known as VOO, tracks the S&P 500 Index.
This gives you exposure to approximately 500 large US companies across sectors such as technology, healthcare, financial services and consumer goods. Its management fee (aka expense ratio) is 0.03%, making it one of the most low-cost ways to invest in a broad section of the US market.
If you want a simple ETF that you can buy and hold for the long term, VOO is a natural place to begin. Just remember that it is still fully invested in shares, so its value can reflect sharp drops during a market downturn.
SPY: Similar exposure with greater trading liquidity
The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, or SPY, tracks the same index as VOO.
So what’s the difference?
SPY is one of the most actively traded ETFs in the world. Its high trading volume makes it easy to buy and sell, which may matter more to active investors.
For a long-term investor, other factors such as the fund’s expense ratio and structure may be more important. While more highly traded, SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09%, compared to VOO’s 0.03%.
Because VOO and SPY track the same index, owning both won’t add much diversification. You would generally choose between them rather than treating them as two separate parts of your portfolio.
QQQ: More exposure to technology and growth companies
The Invesco QQQ ETF tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, which includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq.
Its holdings include major names such as NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. This gives QQQ a stronger tilt towards technology and other growth-oriented companies than an S&P 500 ETF.
QQQ may appeal to you if you want more exposure to these areas. The trade-off is that it is more concentrated, so its price can move more sharply when technology and growth stocks rise or fall.
There’s also plenty of overlap between QQQ and the S&P 500. Adding QQQ to VOO or SPY doesn’t simply give you more diversification. It gives the large companies held by both funds a bigger role in your portfolio – as such, owning both can be a double-edged sword.
Add individual stocks you believe in
Once you have an ETF as your foundation, you may want to add a selection of individual companies.
This lets you put more money behind your strongest investment ideas. It also raises your risk: if one of those companies performs poorly, it will have a bigger effect on your portfolio than it would inside a broad ETF. Hence, it is important to add individual stocks in proportion that does not exceed your risk appetite.
Automate your investing with a Regular Savings Plan
Building a long-term portfolio isn’t only about choosing the right investments. You also need the discipline to keep investing through the market’s ups and downs. History has proven that it is time in the market, and not timing the market, that has a greater influence on your results.
Rather than trying to find the perfect time to buy, a Regular Savings Plan, or RSP, automatically invests for you on a recurring schedule. This makes investing less dependent on emotion while helping you build a consistent habit over time.
Webull offers two options - Fixed RSP and Dynamic RSP. The former provides a straightforward way to invest the same amount regularly. Meanwhile Dynamic RSP – available only on Webull Singapore – presents a fresh take on the concept by automatically adjusting your monthly contribution according to market movements.
Fixed RSP: Invest the same amount regularly
Webull’s Fixed RSP lets you invest a fixed dollar amount in a chosen US stock or ETF on a recurring schedule. The same amount is invested each month whether the market is up or down.
This is known as dollar-cost averaging. Instead of waiting for the “right” moment to enter the market, you spread your purchases across different price points while continuing to invest according to plan.
Here’s how it looks in action: Let’s say you have a Fixed RSP for S$200 in VOO every month. When VOO’s price is lower, your S$200 buys more shares; when the price is higher, it buys fewer.
Fixed RSP is suited to investors who want a simple and predictable investing routine. Choose your investment, amount and schedule, and Webull handles the recurring purchases for you.
Dynamic RSP: Invest more when prices fall and less when they rise
Want your regular investments to respond to what the market is doing? You’ll want to check out Dynamic RSP.
Instead of investing the same amount every period, Dynamic RSP automatically adjusts your contribution according to market movements. When prices decline, it allocates more capital, allowing you to buy more shares at lower prices. When prices rise, it invests comparatively less.
This lets you take a more dynamic approach to market volatility. You can invest more during periods when the market is down without having to monitor prices constantly. Or, stop investing for fear of prices falling further – and missing out on gains when the market recovers.
Dynamic RSP keeps you focused on the long term while allowing more leeway for market volatility. This can be immensely helpful in keeping your investments on track.
For more on Dynamic RSP: Stop Trying to Time the Market: A Smarter Way to Invest Through Ups and Downs with Webull.
What could your first US portfolio look like?
One way to keep things manageable is to use a core-and-satellite approach.
The “core” is made up of diversified ETFs and accounts for most of the portfolio. The “satellites” are individual stocks or more focused ETFs that reflect your strongest ideas.
For illustration, a beginner portfolio could look like this:
-
60% in VOO or SPY for broad exposure to large US companies
-
20% in QQQ for a stronger technology and growth tilt
-
10% in NVIDIA
-
10% in Apple
This gives you an 80% allocation to ETFs and a 20% allocation to individual stocks.
However, it also contains plenty of overlap. Apple and NVIDIA are already held by the featured ETFs, so buying their shares separately gives them an even bigger influence over your returns. The portfolio is also heavily exposed to large US technology companies.
As an alternative, you could replace NVIDIA and Apple with other high-conviction stocks in non-tech or other unrelated sectors.
Of course, this is just an example for illustration. The right mix for you depends on your financial goals, investing timeline, risk appetite and what you already own.
Still, once you have decided on an allocation, you can use a Fixed or Dynamic RSP to start growing your US portfolio holdings – one regular purchase at a time. Be sure to check on your portfolio periodically and rebalance it to keep from being overly concentrated.
Is Webull Singapore worth considering for your first US portfolio?
Yes – particularly if you want to start with a modest amount, keep trading costs down and automate your investments with a smart and innovative platform.
Firstly, there’s zero trading fees for US stocks and ETFs, so you can keep trading costs low.
With a wide range of popular US stocks and ETFs, it’s easy to put together your US investment portfolio, starting with a broad ETF for foundation. You can then add individual high conviction stocks over time – the availability of fractional shares on Webull makes this affordable no matter your budget.
Lastly, set up an RSP to automate your investments and watch your US portfolio grow in time.
In short, Webull gives you all the tools you need to put a simple long-term strategy into practice. And in investing, simple and steadfast is the way to go.
There are still risks to consider. US investments are denominated in US dollars, so changes in the exchange rate can affect your returns in Singapore dollars. Dividends from US companies and US-listed ETFs are also generally subject to US withholding tax for non-resident investors.
These factors needn’t stop you, but it’s good to be aware of them when planning your investments.
Ready to build your US portfolio?
Open a Webull Singapore account and enjoy perks and rewards.
New clients can receive up to S$1,888* in welcome rewards, comprising NVIDIA shares and stock vouchers, after making and maintaining a qualifying net cumulative deposit. The reward amount depends on the deposit tier and required maintenance period. Terms and conditions apply.
SingSaver rewards
Apply now and choose from the following rewards! T&Cs apply.
- Dyson Purifier Cool TP10 - Worth S$599 (top up S$50)
- Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro + S$50 eCapitaVoucher (total worth S$399)
- 13,000 Max Miles by HeyMax (worth S$234)
- Up to S$260 cash via PayNow
Build your US portfolio with Webull.
Disclaimers
^Data accurate as of 31 August 2026.
*T&Cs apply. For detailed terms and conditions and full disclaimer, please refer to Webull Singapore’s website at https://www.webull.com.sg/. No content should be construed as investment advice or recommendation, or an offer or solicitation, to deal in any investment product. All investors should consider for themselves if the investment products are suitable. Investors are advised to seek advice from a professional financial adviser if they are uncertain if the investment products are suitable for them. Principal is not guaranteed. Past performance of any investment products is not indicative of future performance.All investments involve risk and are not suited for every investor.
All views expressed in the article are the objective opinions of SingSaver. Neither Webull or its affiliates shall be liable for the content of the information provided. This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
About the author
Alevin K Chan
Alevin loves helping people make good money decisions. He briefly flirted with being a Financial Advisor, but quickly realised writing about personal finance is the better way to go.