2019 Milestones evaluation
I realized, as the year comes to a close, that I barely mentioned anything about my milestones. Especially the personal ones were left untouched…
24 of the best European dividend stocks to look for in 2020
Heads up before you read these suggestions. These and other posts like them are my own thoughts and ideas. I’m not a broker/dealer, nor am I an investment advisor. I have no access to non-public information about publicly traded companies, and this is not a place for the giving or receiving of financial advice, advice concerning investment decisions or tax or legal advice.
While dividends are susceptible to taxes in most countries, including Belgium -at a whopping 30%- dividend stocks are still a good choice exactly because they can pay a dividend. When you have a core-satellite strategy like I have where you want to allocate a bit of money to generate some alpha this list can be a good starting point. I’ve selected 24 stocks from Belgium and Europe that paid dividend consistently over the last 10 years.
What type of investor are you?
At the beginning of every year, I get a letter from the bank I have an investment portfolio with to review my investment and reevaluate…
Portfolio update: new savings account & stock purchases
We are only the second week of January and I can already give a major update on my portfolio and milestones progress. This is in part due to the decline we saw at the end of 2018 and the opportunity it offered me to enter at a lower price for quite a few stocks.
9 dividend-paying stocks I’ll buy in 2019
Dividend-paying stocks? As a Belgian? Am I going mad, paying 30% to get cash instead of having it accumulate? Hear me out. Getting money…
ETFs: size doesn’t matter, kinda
In my article about PRIIPs, I briefly mentioned that the European alternatives to the now unavailable US-based Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) more often than not are…
PRIIPs: Why Europeans can’t buy fancy US funds anymore
Most retail investors that trade on their own already noticed since the beginning of 2018. As a European, it’s not possible to buy US Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) anymore. If you were trying to find out how to buy US ETF in Europe, I hate to burst your bubble but there is no straight forward for this after a new regulation (no, options aren’t straightforward). The main culprit? One acronym: PRIIPs.
PRIIPs stands for Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products. Phew, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? No wonder the abbreviation is used most of the time.
My preferred brokers as a small retail investor
When trying to reach FIRE you can’t get around brokers. I’m no different. I have two brokers I use for various reasons and means.…
A thrilling transfer to my actively managed portfolio
A cold breeze is passing through and Halloween is right around the corner. Yep, it’s October. So it’s time I do something frighting. Why don’t I deposit an additional 10,000 EUR to my actively managed portfolio?
Active funds aren’t popular in the FIRE community or with anyone looking into investing themselves and who know of ETFs.
There is a reluctance to use these funds and with good reason given their entry and management fees. Even Warren Buffett is dismissive about them.
There is a disturbance in the market
October is shaping up to be one for the bears. This month seems to resemble August 2015 in terms of market movement. The beginning of August was even the start of market turbulence that lasted until the end of 2015.
What both periods have in common? China. A few years ago, the bearish sentiment held the global markets in its claws in wake of a slowing Chinese market and the devaluation of the Chinese RMB. This time China also plays a role, but there are more worries: