I just started my first job and I've set aside $500 a month to invest after deducting expenses and savings allocation. Where should I put my money? Looking for long-term investments in the stock market?

Long term DCA index etf, no brainer

Suggest that you could consider capital preservation instruments where you could earn a small % of returns. Such as putting 50% into an endowment plan that possibly providing you a yearly coupon (a sum to spend yearly or with accumlating option where you could continue to earn interest) and the remaining 50% portion on a savings plans that allows you to withdraw a certain amount in 20 years time and let it continue to roll on the compounding interest to accumulate for your retirement.

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As for investing, you need to be sure of your risk appetite and time horizon or tenure you are willing to put aside. You could consider Dollar-cost- averaging method investing a small sum monthly, however investment may not be a captial preservation instrument & riskier.