Category: Investing
Introduction to Hardware Wallets (Cold Storage for Beginners)
If you’re reading this, you probably accumulated sufficient amount to start worrying about security. You also probably use an exchange to store your coins and understood that it defies the purpose of decentralization. Lastly, you most probably heard the phrase “not your keys, not your coins” but are uncertain what it actually means. Let’s start …
Market Order vs Limit Order โ Placing Orders Tutorial
Understanding the terms “market order” and “limit order” becomes crucial once you’re ready to make trades. If you’re a beginner, making your first buy order might terrify you. We’ve all been there. But it’s much simpler than it looks. This post is a n00b-friendly introduction to executing a buy order. Different Types of Orders When you click …
I Didn’t Get Lucky – The Opportunity in Bitcoin
I keep seeing people in investing communities that are vocal about the alleged risks of Bitcoin. And price speculation is perfectly fine when observing an asset purely as an investment. However, that’s far from Bitcoin’s value proposition. But it’s understandable. This is mostly done by bad stock pickers that consider $BTC gambling, think that dividends …
Capital Gains Taxes in All EU Countries (for ETF Investors)
If you’re an index investor, you might want to compare the treatment of profits across various countries. Whether you plan to live off of your portfolio or simply want to optimize while accumulating, understanding the tax framework is of utmost importance. In this post, I’ll do a detailed breakdown of how UCITS ETFs are taxed …
5 Money Myths and Misconceptions
We all have misconceptions. A field that’s especially misunderstood by the average person is personal finance. People are prone to believe various myths about money and end up sad, poor, and frustrated as a consequence. This post is aimed to that segment of the general population – those who think that money is evil, that time …
Tales From the Last Cycle – Exit Crypto in Profit
I often talk about crypto cycles and their relevance for timing entries and exits. In this post, I will share my experience with the cycle of 2021. The goal is to show how volatile and life-changing (in both directions) this market can be. The interesting part is that I incorporated exactly the same strategy to …
P2P Lending Sucks! (3 Reasons I Avoid Peer-to-Peer Platforms)
P2P Lending (peer-to-peer lending) is quite popular with European investors. It represents a way of investing where private individuals can lend money in return for interest payments. A P2P platform matches those willing to lend with those willing to loan and facilitates this process. Due to the nature of my blog, I was contacted by …
Bitcoin Tax in All EU Countries (Capital Gains & Wealth Taxes)
If you’re a Bitcoin HODLer, this post might be not only relevant, but potentially life-changing for you. Whether you plan to live off of $BTC or simply want to optimize your taxes while stacking, understanding the tax treatment of this asset is of utmost importance. In this post, I’ll do a detailed breakdown of Bitcoin …
Replicating VWCE – Optimize for Cost and Performance
VWCE won the hearts of many European investors and became the go-to ETF for a one-fund portfolio. I can see the appeal of that. You buy a single ETF and you’re done – no need to rebalance, no need to worry about asset allocation, etc. However, there is another parameter that many investors seem to ignore: the …
Investing Expenses – Full Breakdown
Investing is associated with various types of expenses. Your goal as an investor is to keep these as low as possible. Below are a few examples of expenses you’d face as a stock market investor: TER (Total Expense Ratio) Entry and exit fees Broker/bank fees Transaction fees FX conversion costs Taxes Not all of these …
Dividend Leakage – Understanding the Hidden Cost
Dividend leakage is an expense that many investors accrue without even knowing. It’s a hidden cost related to investing in international ETFs/funds that’s not reported in their factsheet or prospectus. In this post, I’ll explain what is dividend leakage and how to calculate it yourself. I generally recommend against dividend investing, but if you’re already living off …
Investment Taxes in ALL EU Countries
It’s here, ladies and gentlemen! After many hours of research, I compiled a list of all taxes relevant to European investors. For each EU, EEA, and EFTA country, I’m covering the following: Capital Gains Tax Rate Dividend Tax Rate Wealth Tax Rates Exit Taxes Note: this post is for individual investors. Not for workers or entrepreneurs. If …
Liquid Staking Tokens vs Liquid Restaking Tokens (LST vs LRT)
If you recently started venturing the depths of DeFi, you might need help understanding LSTs and LRTs. In order to describe these intermediate concepts, we need to start at the beginning. This is a n00b-friendly introduction to liquid staking and liquid restaking. What is Proof of Stake? Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus mechanism …
Rebalancing – Managing Your Investment Portfolio
Rebalancing means redistributing your wealth across different investments, in order to match your target allocation. Understanding asset allocation is crucial in order to understand the need for rebalancing. So if you still haven’t, make sure to read this post: Asset Allocation. Rebalancing Explained Rebalancing usually happens on frequent intervals or when the target asset allocation drastically …
Core Stock Portfolio for EU Investors (ETF Selection & Tips)
If you’re investing from Europe, you most probably spent a lot of time researching ETFs and determining your asset allocation. And given the plethora of investment strategies and products you can choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially as a beginner. In this post, I’ll cover how a European investor’s core portfolio might look …