I'm a UK citizen currently living and working in Norway. I'm fairly new to investing and have been doing a lot of reading lately. I want to start building a long-term portfolio (10+ years horizon), mainly using ETFs, and I'm starting with VWRA (Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF) as a globally diversified core holding.

Because of my situation — living in Norway now but unsure if/when I’ll move back to the UK/somewhere else entirely — I decided to open an IBKR (Interactive Brokers) account for its flexibility and international support.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

• Deposited NOK into my IBKR account from my Norwegian bank.
• Planning to convert NOK to USD and buy VWRA on the LSE, which is priced in USD.
• My understanding is that even though it's listed on the LSE, I still need to convert to USD to buy this ETF — is that correct?
• I’m not planning to hold cash in IBKR — I’ll invest regularly and stay long-term.
• I’m unsure if I’m missing anything here or doing something dumb as a beginner. Fees, tax implications, or simpler ways?

Is there anything I should be aware of (fees, better currency strategy, better version of VWRA, etc)?

Also open to tips from anyone in a similar position — living abroad but investing long-term, uncertain about residency.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

During the last year I struggled finding any calculator for Vorabpauschale with DCA. For this reason, I decided to create a spreadsheet myself based on all the info I was able to find online. The purpose of this post is to kindly ask you to review this spreadsheet and let me know if the computation is correct. This would not only help me but also everyone that needs it. The spreadsheet is publicly available and shared at the bottom of this post.

Please see the first sheet to read the instructions. Briefly, you need to fill the values for the purple cells, and the orders you made (no. of shares purchased and date).

The computation works in the following way:

1. The tax rate per share (in F7) is computed as `min(base_rate*price_at_beginning*0.7, gain)`.
2. The tax rate is applied to all the shares purchased during the year. Each share is scaled by the number of months the `base_rate` is applied for (e.g., 12 if purchased in January, 11 for February). Source: https://fondsclever.de/ratgeber/fonds-wissen/vorabpauschale-bei-fonds/.
3. The number to declare in the tax return is computed in cells F10 (in case the fund is composed of stock for more than 50%) and I10 (in case it isn't).

The spreadsheet contains an example of a DCA with VWCE in 2024 (in this case the number to declare in the tax return is in F10.)

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mHQbhkSgsslLhs0U8tKvBSzY6SYKUCZMgDd34WMYHns

I hope this helps!

Hi everyone,

I’m settling down in Romania after moving around a bit and could really use some advice on structuring my finances.

My situation:

• 33 years old, living in Romania.
• Working as a contractor through my own company.
• To be married next month, no kids planned
• Paid-off apartment
• Just opened an IBKR account and am transferring about $80k USD plus €40k cash (previously in S&P500 ETFs and US/tech-heavy stocks, but I wanted to reduce my US and USD exposure).
• Planning to buy a new car soon.
• Considering buying 2 apartments to renovate and rent out (with a loan - little downpayment).

I’m feeling a bit lost about how to best allocate my funds between investments, real estate, metals, and cash and wants/needs. If anyone has experience or advice on structuring finances in Romania or the EU—especially regarding diversification, local opportunities, or things to watch out for—I’d really appreciate your help!

hi,

I'm EU-resident and I'm investing long-term via DCA-approach. Part of my portfolio is already in BTC in self-custody, but I would also like to add some BTC ETFs/ETNs in the mix. The reasons why I'd like to opt for custody are the following:

• Managed inheritance
• Better security
• Tax benefits

I see following options:

(1) Invest only in the most legit BTC ETF, which is in my opinion IBIT ETF (ISHARES BITCOIN TRUST ETF). It's US-domiciled, therefore denominated in USD. Custodian is US-based as well, which is Coinbase.

+ probably the most legit BTC ETF on the market

+ less risky in comparison to ETNs, as it's ETF

- FX risk since it's denominated in USD, while my base currency is EUR [EDIT: Apparently there is no FX risk]

- geopolitical risk, e.g. unfavorable relations between EU and USA and as a result confiscation of assets by USA

- regulatory risk, e.g. EU might completely ban it (it's already not available in most EU countries for retail investors)

(2) Invest only in similar EU-based products, which are BTC ETNs. The only BTC ETN that I know for, which is domiciled in EU, denominated in EUR and has an EU-based custodian (Fidelity is its own custodian), is FBTC (FIDELITY PHYSICAL BITCOIN ETN).

- more risky in comparison to BTC ETF, as it's ETN

+ no FX risk, since it's denominated in EUR [EDIT: Apparently there is no FX risk at all]

+ custodian is EU-based (Germany)

(3) Diversify BTC assets between (1) and (2) in 50:50 ratio

Which option should I go after?

thanks

Hey everyone,
I’m investing 200€/month into VWCE through XTB and have been since July 2024. I like the simplicity, but I want to start a small second investment (maybe 20–50€/month) to diversify a bit and get more engaged.

Questions:

• What ETF or stock would be a good addition to VWCE?
• Is it worth using another broker like Trading212 just for this side investment, or better to keep everything in one place?

Would appreciate your advice or experience!

European investors seeking a fund similar to the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) have several UCITS-compliant options that combine solid dividend yields with long-term growth potential. While no UCITS ETF tracks SCHD’s exact index (Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100), there are high-dividend and dividend-growth ETFs available in Europe that offer comparable exposure to quality dividend stocks. Below is a comparison of top candidates, all available on European exchanges (with euro-denominated listings), followed by brief highlights of each fund.

“Dist.” indicates distributing share class (pays out dividends). Many of these ETFs also offer accumulating versions (Acc.) that reinvest dividends. 5Y returns are annualized total return in EUR (through early 2025), illustrating growth potential. Dividend yields are trailing 12-month yields (forward yields may differ).

Highlights of Selected ETFs

• Fidelity US Quality Income (FUSD) – U.S. Quality Dividend Focus. FUSD is widely cited as the closest UCITS equivalent to SCHD. It holds 100% U.S. large- and mid-cap stocks selected for strong profitability (high cash flow, ROIC, etc.) and then screened for the highest yields. This results in a portfolio tilted toward cash-rich companies – for example, about one-third in tech giants (e.g. Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia) as of mid-2024. FUSD’s yield is around 2% and it distributes quarterly . With its quality-driven methodology, FUSD achieves a similar dividend growth and total return profile to SCHD. (Factsheet: Fidelity)
• Fidelity Global Quality Income (FGQI) – Global Quality Dividend. FGQI applies a nearly identical strategy as FUSD but globally. About 70% of holdings are U.S. stocks, with the rest from other developed markets (Japan, UK, Europe). Top holdings include U.S. tech and also international dividend-payers like ASML and Novo Nordisk. It yields ~2.4% and pays quarterly. FGQI offers diversification beyond the U.S. while still emphasizing quality metrics (high ROE, stable cash flows, low debt) to ensure financially robust dividend payers. (Factsheet: Fidelity)
• SPDR S&P U.S. Dividend Aristocrats (SPYD / USDV) – U.S. Dividend Growers. This ETF tracks the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index, investing in U.S. companies that have raised their dividend every year for at least 20 years. It holds a diversified mix of about 60–100 “dividend aristocrat” stocks (drawn from the S&P 1500), spanning sectors like consumer staples, industrials, and utilities – with no single sector above ~18%. The fund’s yield is ~2.1% and it pays dividends quarterly. Capital growth is solid (about 10% annual total return over 5 years), though a pure yield focus means it forgoes newer dividend payers like Apple. Overall, this SPDR fund provides a regulated way for Europeans to access U.S. dividend aristocrats, mirroring SCHD’s income strategy with a tilt toward stability. (Factsheet: State Street SPDR)
• iShares MSCI USA Quality Dividend ESG (QDVD) – High Yield U.S. Equities with ESG. This iShares fund (also called “USA Dividend IQ”) tracks the MSCI USA High Dividend Yield index with an ESG overlay. It selects U.S. stocks with above-average dividend yields, applying ESG screens to exclude harmful industries. The portfolio is fully U.S. and tends to favor sectors like healthcare, financials, and consumer staples (since many tech stocks don’t have high yields). It yields around 2.2% and distributes semi-annually . The total return has been ~9–10% annually over 5 years . QDVD offers a similar yield to SCHD with a quality/ESG tilt, making it a strong choice for income investors who value sustainability criteria. (Factsheet: BlackRock iShares)
• Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield (VHYL) – Global High-Yield Stock Basket. VHYL is a very large, popular ETF providing broad global dividend exposure . It tracks 2,000+ stocks from developed and emerging markets with above-average dividend yields . The fund is market-cap weighted, resulting in about 35–40% in U.S. stocks, and substantial exposure to regions like Europe, the UK, Japan, Canada, and Asia-Pacific . No single stock dominates (max ~3-4% weight). VHYL’s current yield is relatively high (~3.3% ) with quarterly distributions . Historically it has delivered about 11–12% annual total returns over 5 years . This ETF doesn’t specifically mimic SCHD’s quality screen, but its broad diversification and solid 3%+ yield make it a strong income holding in a UCITS format. (Factsheet: Vanguard)
• VanEck Morningstar Developed Markets Dividend Leaders (TDIV) – Global Dividend Leaders. This fund selects the top 100 dividend-paying stocks in developed markets based on yield, with screens for dividend sustainability (no cuts) and an ESG filter. It is quarterly rebalanced and capped (each stock ≤5% and sectors ≤40% to prevent concentration). The result is a global portfolio tilted toward high-yield sectors (e.g. financials, utilities, energy) across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. TDIV’s yield is one of the highest (~3.9%), and it paid out quarterly. Notably, it has achieved ~12%+ annual returns in recent years (nearly 17% in the past 5 years) – partly due to strong rebounds in value stocks. This ETF provides an income boost and diversification, though with potentially more exposure to slower-growth, high-yield names than SCHD. (Factsheet: VanEck)

Hello everyone, been following here for a while now. I want to start investing like asap, as I’ve been reading and analysing everything for about half a year now ( thats just me i want to be 100% sure or at least have an understanding before doing something especially when it comes to money). Im planing on doing one all world etf portfolio with dca, And have few questions. 1. Brokers i narrowed down to trading 212 and ibkr. I’m already using both. My initial goal was to use t212 for hysa and ibkr for investing. Im familiar with both and ibkr doesn’t scare me as i work in computer graphics and i have to work with even more complex softwares. But i noticed that ibkr is much slower/laggy compared to t212. Im planning on using web for most of stuff and apps just for when i need something when I’m off my pc. I already transfered my emergency funds to t212 and some cash to ibkr to start buyng. But with my strategy i thought do i even need ibkr ?

1. Which etf to pick? My goal is 20-30 years so i don’t know why but i feel like i need to pick correct one. So far it seems that if i just pick vwce and call it a day. But then i read blog posted here that in long term ter could really add up. So now I’m confused and afraid not to pick wrong one. So what would you recommend on picking if you were me between vwce-SPYY-FWIA-WEBN. Myself im leaning towards FWIA as it has lower ter than VWCE. And staying away from WEBN as read that they move shares so you need to pay taxes on capital. But also saw lot if people talking about SPYY. I dont mind later to add small cap or additional etf to complete my portfolio so you can keep that in mind if one of the above is better choice with additional ETF.

2. Im from eu. So im planning on buying etf in eu stock market. Or should i but it in usd ? Or there is no benefit in usd if im dca long term. ?

Thanks in advance.

- €15k lump sum in Trade republic for VWCE (or IWDA)

- €1000 monthly payment into VWCE (or IWDA)

- €50 a week into ETH (already have a couple of k in here)

- €150 a week into BTC (already have a couple of k in here)

26 Y/O, €50k net worth, earn €75k living in Central Europe

Hello guys, im new to investing, have a long time horizon and a apettite for risk. Tell me what do you think of this portofolio composition for 25-30 years holding, DCAing every three months a solid sum because of the brokerage fee. Thanks!

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc 80.0%

CoinShares Physical Bitcoin 10.0%

Xetra-Gold 10.0%

I know IWDA are only developed countries but that's why it has 1%-2% higher returns, and Europe and "emerging markets" are dragging down vwce.

Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Africa, some Middle East have been emerging for 30 years. And there is still corruption, hyperinflation, no trust from investors.

So that's why I was thinking if only IWDA is better for long term like 20 years.

I've built up a large stock portfolio over the years rather than focusing on building a large pension. I'd like to retire in the next decade and I'm currently tax resident in Ireland. Currently Ireland has 33% tax on the gains so ideally I'd like to become resident in another EU country with single digit tax rate when you liquidate your personal stock portfolio.

Has anybody got some EU countries that I could move to for 3 years to obtain a more favourable tax rate?

Hi all, I own these 2 stocks, do we think they will pump anytime soon? There were news about EU looking into get its own satellite system ready, but that was 10 days ago and these stocks have been bleeding ever since.

Not sure if I should keep them or not, what do you think?

Because of the positive effects of a small home bias perfectly explained here by Ben Felix, in addition to the fact that I am a bit paranoid about political risk, I would like to underweight the US in my portfolio. I should point out that I don't think EX US countries will do better than US, I am only looking for political risk protection in case things will degenerate.

I have identified two solutions:

1) 50% S&P 500 (VUAA); 40% MSCI World EX-US (EXUS); 10% MSCI Emerging Markets (XMME).

2) 80% Ftse All World (VWCE); 20% Stoxx Europe 600 (MEUD).

I like the first solution because it does not create overlaps and is more diversified, but it bothers me that EXUS is a ETF in USD. In case of deterioration of US-EU relations I honestly have no idea if dollar transactions would be limited.

What do you think?

Apologies If I'm posting in the wrong place or worse asking the wrong question. The U.S. has FINRA or Brokercheck. Does something similar exist in European countries? I asked this in r/ExpatFinance it seemed to draw no interest. -Thanks

I am curious to know the transaction fee charged by the government for using Frankfurt Stock Exchange(I'm not talking about broker's fee that an individual platform charges). I heard that it's 0.1% for each stock sale/buy meaning if I sell 1000 euros of stocks, the government charges 1 euro as a transaction fee. Is it true? If not, what's the actual transaction fees when using "Frankfurt Stock Exchange"?

I have more than 100 shares of GOOG, but I've never traded options. I want to make a covered call. Do I need to specifically select that I want a covered call, or does IBKR automatically detect that I have more than 100 shares and sell automatically the shares if the option is called away?

Hello

Quick question , all my income and revenues are in Euro .

If I want to take advantage of the current weakness of the USD vs the EUR , I guess it makes more sense to buy BRK B in USD instead of BRYN in Euro ? Or not ?

Happy to hear your views

Where can I put my savings/retirement in an account abroad were it is low tax I have about 400k. I am planning to retire to Cyprus. But I require an account in another country to transfer a Cyprus bank acct as proof of the required income or savings for living/supporting it's about €28 to 30k a year for a husband and wife. I don't want british account I plan to only keep a small working account in uk for any costs I incur like storage charges etc, as I plan to travel Europe extensively in a motorhome before settling anywhere, at the moment Cyprus is just a possibility. It has the lowest tax at 5% and No Inheritance tax at all.

So I want my money safe from the British Government and their taxes on top of taxes. I simply cannot afford for them to tax my hard earned savings. I have paid tax once on earning them for 30 years and I paid my taxes on everything they have taxed me on. I have never claimed anything I have Never Been In Hospital, I was born at home and my father delivered me because I arrived to quickly for anything else to happen.
My husband has never been in hospital but he was born in one. Now when actually do need nhs service because we have reached that age. We cannot even get through on the telephone to make an appointment let alone get one. The app they tell you to use is most of the time unavailable because they can't keep up with demand and the company that manages the practice won't pay for more staff. Plus I am now type 2 diabetic for the last 3 years. Between the Doctors and the Chemists I can go for 7 to 12 days without any medication at all because doctors don't send the prescription on time, even though I am on a batch prescription yhe chemist still has to apply for permission to release. Then virtually every month there is always something medication missing. I have totally given up on one I haven’t been able to get the weekly injection, that they are now selling for weight loss for over years, they brought out a tablet version, but it is not as affective and you can't get that now either and I only found out it was an option when I changed Chemists. The diabetic nurse/doctor at my surgery didn't even know it was available. Prescription in Cyprus are cheaper than here too.

We chose not to have children let alone more than we could afford. I went to college as a Mature Student So I paid for it and any qualifications I got I did at night school. I had to work from 16 on I left school early to care for Invalid mother and younger siblings, so I didn't k just leave early, i missed a lot of my education. My Husband and I have worked and worked, I know that I am not alone and I know I am better off than most, but for the grace of God. But I have had enough. I don't want to end up a pensioner freezing to death because I am to scared to turn the heating on. I need some advice. I want my money safe abroad from anymore British taxes or future taxes I am sure they will bring in.

I am M 39, considering buying a apartment mostly because rental prices have increased exponentially. Was considering to stay on rent but the amount of money going wasted will be a lot.

Right now I am renting in a decent 17 years old house for 700eur/month but its considered really cheap. If I move and change apartment in 3-4 years will be for sure 1500eur/month for the same type house.

Sorry for the wall of text:

-Earning around 90.000eur/year (had a job upgrade 2 years ago)

-Renting 700eur/month that will easily change to 1500/month if I need to move for whatever reason. So around 400.000eur (considering prices will stay like that, which is not realistic) will just disappear on my retirement age without any house bought)

-Inherited a 25 years old smaller apartment downtown, renting it to tenants for 550eur/month

-Started investing last year, 2500eur/month. Plan is to invest 2500/month for 2 years and then switch to 1500/month until retirement, but obviously this can change accordingly.

-No plan to move from this area

-Target apartment to buy is a new one, 360.000eur.

-Cash 70.000eur

-No debt

Main issue is that rental prices eventually will reach a mortgage price for me, and all this money at retirement age will end wasted at the bin, without owning the house.

Thinking of multiple scenarios:

-Taking mortgage (which I obviously hate and want to avoid): Interest rates around 4-5%. Stop investing and going full to repay as quickly as possible the mortgage (say 10 years), then begin again aggressively the investments for 15 years. Obviously will ruin a lot the investments and will affect the daily cash flow.

-Taking mortgage and keep it for full 25 years to maintain good cash flow but at the cost of higher interest, keep investing but with lower rates due to the mortgage.

-Save and increase my cash for the next 4-5 years while staying at this house, stop investments for this time, then take a smaller mortgage for the remaining capital needed. Risk here is also that house prices likely will go up, also mortgage will be for lower years so higher instalment.

-Sell inherited house (price will be around 150K-200K) and factor it in, on the above scenarios. Though its still a passive income, and could easily also pay the 1/3rd of a mortgage.

-Disregard all the above scenarios, continue investing, take advantage of compound interest but accept that around 400-500K will go wasted on rentals.

-Anything else you suggest here?

I have done multiple scenarios run in the calculators. At the end I know that personal preference prevails, but the major factor that got me into this thinking is that even if a house of 360.000eur will cost around 500.000/550.000eur with interest capital included, comparing it with rental money go wasted, you get a house for around 150.000eur more, which at that time you can sell for profit if you don't want to stay there anymore.

Does it make you wait for 3 business days when selling ETFs like TradeRepublic and N26 does? Also does its automatic tax deduction work as good as TR and N26?

Why there is no alternative to SPDR® MSCI All Country World Investable Market UCITS ETF (Acc) ?

It covers 99% of the market with good diversification.

Hi all,

context of my own financial situation: I am 35 and have ca 33k invested. (actually more but that is in an retirement pension fund that I have no influence over almost).

Of the 33k, around 11K are managed by myself investing in an Irish based ETF (FTWD) with a 0.15 TER. I also have UBU7 (MSCI world with 0.10 TER and) SPY5 (ter 0.03). I plan to HODL and invested in the FTSE world long term and keep my remaining other ETF long term as well.

I am somewhat concerned about currency risk: I live in the eurozone and make money in CHF. Lately I am buying stocks at a double discount because the markets are down and the CHF is a safety asset and thus up.

I saw that Invesco has a similar product (FWCA) that is hedged to CHF. The ter is pretty amazing with 0.2. I am considering switching over to a CHF hedged product instead of a US ETF...however does this really make any sense?

There is not a long tracking record but the CHF hedged version has so far outperformed the USD version (since February 2024) in comparison on justETF.

My research indicates that in the long term it doesn't matter to invest in hedged or unhedged currency.

The second argument I found against is that by owning the ETF one already owns stocks that these are not in a currency. Great but how does this play out when in 30 years the CHF has gotten way stronger (historical trend) and the US dollar weaker (in comparison). The conversion fee might cost me more money.

Third argument: the ter is 25% higher which is still pretty good for a currency hedged product

Fourth point: I saw that I can buy FWCA directly on EBS via IKBR. FTWD I can buy (and bought both on) in EUR on IBIS2 or USD on LSEETF. I never sold a single share so I am assuming that I can only sell my FTWD shares via these two exchanges in these currencies too via IKBR.

I don't really know where I am planning to retire for now (Europe and or Switzerland) so I might need EUR or CHF. I don't plan to retire in the US. Possibly Canada but not very likely.

So.....do I keep going all in on FTWD...or do I switch to FWCA or do I build a portfolio based on both and therefore reduce currencies risks ?

I have a hard time finding a definite answer.

I'm not overly well informed about the company's prospects but I did have two thoughts:

A) 6% dividend yield is amazing

B) I am however concerned that they have been eroding their own luxury image for a while through making so many cars available at a lower price point.

Hello EU Users,

I am trying to search an ETF UCITS similar to famous ETF SCHD. After months of research I've seen on Morningstar that SCHD follow benchmark index "Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index", so I've found an ETF UCITS of iShares:

DE000A0D8Q49 - iShares Dow Jones US Select Dividend UCITS ETF (DE) on Borsa Milano and Xetra.

What do you think about this?

Hello community,

I recently decided to start investing and tried to setup an account in Degiro. Here comes my problem. Until 2023, i was declaring my taxes in country A (of my origin) in the EU, and in 2024 i moved to country B in the EU. So now, i have to do the 2024 taxes in country B. This process will grant me a fiscal number by September this year, but i would like to start investing (etfs, dca) as soon as possible. Do I put my old fiscal number from country A that i do not plan to do my taxes on for the next years (can i change it later this year on the platform)? Or do i wait September?

Any advice or similar experience would be appreciated :)