NEO is currently going down as with almost all the altcoins as of this moment. NEO is one of the much hyped coins. I think it is because of the big number of chinese people who are also crypto investors. Since NEO is chinese, these people will most likely support it more than any others. But with an initial investment of $500, I guess you will not go far with a NEO investment. NEO is already more or less $40. With this price, your $500 will only get some 12 NEO. I suggest that you choose the cheaper ones.