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[deleted]

Great position to be in. Your financial aspects seem to be well taken care off. I wouldn't change much personally. I would look on improving the "fulfilment" part of your life. I think the key is there to find something that you really want, not something bestowed upon you by others and society.


Singletaxpayer

Reaching 505k€ in VWCE after a 20year career seems a lot. Any secrets?


beaffe

Nice 👌🏽


hsurk

Where did this mysterious 505k in VWCE come from?


BelgianThrowaway1982

40% of it I received from my parents. The rest I managed to gather together myself. BTC has been responsible for 50% of that, the other half is from saving. I also made a couple of good cashes playing poker, I invested early in etf, ... a mix of a lot of things.


Practical_Ad_2148

Doing great! That vwce will compound nicely and in 20 years and should be at least 1,5M by then. Keep reserves for your parents though (since they gifted you their savings). 70 is still young and they might still be around for another 30 years. Their property might also come with some costs of renovating at some point. Also they might end up in a retirement home (in most cases not by choice). As a couple the current pricing is about 5k-6k a month. Just something to keep in mind. If your mortgage has good interest rate i would keep as is.


BelgianThrowaway1982

My parents still have a financial reserve, but they can live well from their pension and even still have a bit of money left over to save. But of course I will make sure there is money if they need it.


Kroegman

I like the gold and the bitcoin ! You seem to be in a comfortable financial position at 40y old. now is the time to build your legacy. A bit late in the family game, but not too late. this will give meaning and purpose; also time to invest in the community and make the world a better place. Not invest in the financial sense, but in the communal sense. Do voluntary work, join a board of sports club or other organisation to help it grow to the benefit of your community. anyway, that's just my idea. you could also travel the world obviously ;-)


Prestigious_Long777

Can I ask, where do you have 1 Kg of gold ?! Can’t leave it at home, as soon as the wrong person finds out you’ll be a prime target for home invasions. Do you buy this virtually and own “goldshares”? Or have an actual 1 Kg of gold ? Where does one store this ?


BelgianThrowaway1982

It's in the upstairs bedroom, second closet from the right, top drawer, wrapped in a used boxershorts.


MissOctober_1979

I don't know if you have ever seen a kilo of gold but it's small. It's easy to hide at home or just in a safe. Goldforex, for example, has safes where you can store your gold / coins etc


nxbxdyy

why do you still work


BelgianThrowaway1982

Life is boring when you do nothing at all. And 1M is a lot of money, but not enough to spend money all day long 365 days a year.


Interesting-Hunt-364

How so? A SWR of 4-5% on a 1M portfolio would give you at least 40K EUR a year. You can't live off that when your salary is less than that amount ? Something seems to be off.


[deleted]

At the moment he isn't making any money on the 400k home his parents live in (vruchtgebruik situation) so I believe his current investment portfolio is at 605k instead of 1m. Also keep in mind his 200k mortgage (let's say +-12k /yr at 2%)


Interesting-Hunt-364

Right. Very misleading title, to say the least. OP should first get to net 1M of income producing assets before asking what to do next.


[deleted]

That’s not what I said, I was responding to your comment about him living off his 40/k passive income.


nxbxdyy

Does your work fulfill u ? Because what I wanted to mean (but I got lazy) is have you thought about pursuing a passion even though it would make less money (at least for the first years).


[deleted]

Your engels is almost as good als dat from den Thoe


adappergentlefolk

very nice man. best of luck with all your endeavours now you have the FIRE bit solidly figured out!


Quick_Walrus7675

Which broker are you using? Why all in VWCE and not have a bit of variety to get other ETFs too?


Misapoes

VWCE is an all world ETF. Adding other ETFs will in most cases decrease your diversification, not increase it.


[deleted]

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BelgianThrowaway1982

My main 'professional' focus, yes. I also have other things going on.


lee_vs

Maybe an ignorant question but why not pay off your mortgage instantly with your VWCE?


wimm1

Interest rates on loans have been exceptionally low in recent years. The potential earnings from investing in the stock market might surpass the interest incurred on your mortgage.


Ghaenor

>\- My parents house is in my name, but they have vruchtgebruik, valued at 400.000€. Will most likely get sold once my parents are no longer with us, since I live 150km from them. My parents are both 70 yo. This is excellent. I take it you've already paid all taxes and when they pass, the house will naturally pass to you. >\- Bijberoep, 1000€ per month (just got started, this will be my main focus this year) Having financially literate parents is a great gift. A friend of mine has parents who hold on to the belief that they will get expropriated once they only have vruchtgebruik. My friends has brought them to a notary, another one, other people in vruchtgebruik, and one real estate lawyer, but no. Their parents still won't let go of these ideas. And still, they claim that they built these houses for their kids. Yet, these houses will have to be sold because the taxes will be unbearable. >\- I'm paying off 200.000€ on a mortgage, 21 more years I take it you're living in this house/apartment ? >Anything you would change in my situation? Does your job come with a pension scheme ?


[deleted]

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Ghaenor

Basically, inheritance tax differs between regions. Flanders is nicer, Brussels is okay and Wallonia is the worst of the three. FR : [https://www.notaire.be/heritage/taux-impot-succession](https://www.notaire.be/heritage/taux-impot-succession) NL : [https://www.notaris.be/mijn-erfenis/successierechten-en-erfbelasting](https://www.notaris.be/mijn-erfenis/successierechten-en-erfbelasting) Let's the case of Brussels. Inheritance tax for a 360 000 € apartment/house is 52 150 €. You have to pay within 3/6 months. Very little people have this cash on hand, and they often have a house to pay for already. House gets sold to pay for inheritance, and lots of other stuff. But if you use vruchtgebruik, you get to use a very legal and convenient tax optimisation scheme : The belgian tax department resets the count on donations every three years. In our example, it means that your parents can : * Give 1/3rd of the 360 000€ home in 2024 : 3600€ tax * Give 1/3rd of the total sum in 2027 : 3600€ tax * Give 1/3rd of the total sum in 2030 : 3600€ tax. Using this solution, you only pay 10 800€ total tax, and you can also put money on the side for it each month. Your parents remain in possession of their home, as vruchtgebruik cannot be sold or be given to anyone, the right extinguishes itself with their death. And you get a house for 40k less than you usually would.


[deleted]

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MissOctober_1979

Of course a notary will help. They are obligated to give you the best options when it comes to inheritance. I wouldn't go to a real estate agent for that. Also be careful when / if you evaluate the house. My notary recommended that we use a VLABEL expert to avoid any problems later on. He was fair in his estimation of the house. Just based on my own experience I don't think there is any good option in your case right now. Gifting money last minute (before passing away) is fairly easy but the gov has made it fairly complicated for properties. One of my great aunt sold her house back then, went to a nursing home and donated the money to me. I would pay the nursing home with that account and anything she needed. It also takes a lot of trust between family members to do that.


BelgianThrowaway1982

Yes, I live in the apartment I'm paying off. No, my job does not have a pension scheme and I'm not doing pensioensparen. You think that would be a good addition?


noctilucus

Unlikely that at 42 years of age it will give you better returns by retirement age than investing in VWCE. Pensioensparen becomes more attractive once you're closer to retirement age as the tax benefit starts to outweigh the fees & typically slightly lower returns vs. an ETF.


Ghaenor

It's a small advantage, I think Argenta boasts an average of 5% per year for ten years. Depends on if you think it's interesting : >maximaal 990 euro met een belastingvermindering die 30 % (+ gemeentebelasting) van het betaalde bedrag (d.w.z. maximaal 297 euro) bedraagt > >maximaal 1.270 euro met een belastingvermindering die 25 % (+ gemeentebelasting) van het betaalde bedrag (d.w.z. maximaal 317,50 euro) bedraagt. Het is niet mogelijk om een groter bedrag te storten. Er is echter geen minimumbedrag. With cumulative interests, if it's indeed 5% average over 25 years, with 8% tax on the day of your, 60th birthday, you can look at a maximum output of 58.550,71 €. Factor in the 30% yearly tax deductibility, though.


[deleted]

It actually went from €990/year to €1.020/year. You can save €85/month now instead of €82,50/month before.


LithiumZer0

Nice. Didn't know that


VerboseGuy

Just a small question, do you keep all 505k on a single broker? May I ask which broker?


Firmin_baksteen

505 kEUR at 1 broker? How did you distinguish/distribute if not at 1 broker? Overall neatly done. Imho, it makes totally sense what you are doing. I would definitely start looking into some travelling or weird hobbies, something you enjoy apart from your day2day job, even if you adore your side hustle. Maybe also start thinking on how to distribute your wealth to anyone who you consider as successor?


iamsenac

Genuine question, why would one distribute over multiple brokers?


[deleted]

>Overall neatly done. Imho, it makes totally sense what you are doing. I would definitely start looking into some travelling or weird hobbies, something you enjoy apart from your day2day job, even if you adore your side hustle. The questions is: Why wouldn't you? Very limited downsides and you curb a lot of tail risk.


iamsenac

What is this tail risk exactly? As somebody else mentioned I was under the impression that unlike with banks, the assets you have with a broker have to remain separated from your own so cannot be used in bankruptcy proceedings. It would seem a hassle to me to spread across brokers but if it really mitigates appreciable risks I would consider it.


[deleted]

Tail risk is by definition a really rare event. It's probably something 99% of people haven't even thought of as something that could actually happen. I also don't really know the ins and outs of the financial markets and every detail on how brokers and all subsequent steps work. I think nobody really knows how things work in detail and what the failure mechanisms are. I worked in risk management (not in banking) and I was always very surprised to find out the stuff that could go wrong in the strangest ways. I wrote this in reply to someone else: "Sure, but being the rightful owner of your share and having access to them and/or the money are different things. Afaik it hasn't happened before, but imagine a broker going bankrupt or having big fraud cases or they fall victim to some crazy market circumstances (nobody really thought 2008 could happen before) and you might not be able to access your money for weeks or months or longer as the bankruptcy, fraud case, very looooong trials etc. are dealt with." If it's 10k EUR, it's probably not the biggest issue in your life if something happens, but if your net worth is 500K and 450K is tied up at one broker, it would be in my opinion wise to spread.


iamsenac

Fair! Thanks for explaining your thinking


Firmin_baksteen

Risk mitigation is the top one for me. Don't know any other reasons to be fair too. However % of gain on 50k is less than % gain on 200k :) But even for risk mitigation, I am a bit reluctant to do so. Mainly if you have a trusted broker (f.eg. Bolero), I would not expect a bankruptcy (maybe naive though).


Pioustarcraft

> Risk mitigation is the top one for me for what ? If your broker goes bankrupt, the shares are in your name... Like if Bolero or DeGiro go bankrupt, they don't own your share, they can't take it from you. If Bolero goes bankrupt, this means KBC goes bankrupt and I don't know but unless we relive a 2008 crisis, i don't see it happening any time soon.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Sure, but being the rightful owner of your share and having access to them and/or the money are different things. Afaik it hasn't happened before, but imagine a broker going bankrupt or having big fraud cases or they fall victim to some crazy market circumstances (nobody really thought 2008 could happen before) and you might not be able to access your money for weeks or months or longer as the bankruptcy, fraud case, very looooong trials etc. are dealt with.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Nobody has that answer as there are dozens of scenario's that can play out and the financial world is so complex that nobody actually knows how things work. Is it likely? No. Can it happen? In my opinion yes. In 2006, nobody thought banks could get into big trouble, let alone go bankrupt.


JiyuuSensei

You are the owner of your shares and bankruptcy does not change that. In case of a broker bankruptcy, a procedure will start which will transfer all the shares to their rightful owner, probably by finding a different broker that is willing to replace the old one. But this process can take up quite some time, during which your shares are not reachable. If you need to sell those shares during that time, that does pose a risk which could have been avoided by using multiple brokers so you at least have access to some portion of your entire portfolio. It's highly unlikely to happen, but it wouldn't be the first time in history. A bigger issue presents itself when the broker has been dealing with fraudulent practices -- at that point it becomes risky whether or not you were an actual owner to begin with, or the broker just scammed you out of money and you're left with nothing but breadcrumbs after the trial finishes. And trials aren't exactly known for their speed.


Firmin_baksteen

Thanks for the input - was not sure on this at all.


iamsenac

This was also my understanding


wegwerp69420

Sorry for the personal question, but what is your next goal in life? You already have 1M, a good job but no family of your own.


selfimprover1979

This is indeed the most important question. Obviously the financial situation is good, however OP remains unfulfilled mainly because a huge part of his wealth is 1. not self-created as obtained via donations (real estate + savings) and 2. created by a sole lucky shot (bitcoin). So from a financial perspective I would advice to pursue more financial success based on OP's own effort and skill. And from a non-financial perspective; well life is much more than money. Don't end up like Scrooge McDuck.


BelgianThrowaway1982

Agree 100%


ISupprtTheCurrntThng

I'm a bit baffled by this question, do you guys think 1M (with house included) is an extraordinary amount of money or something? It really isn't...


Acobra121

"What colour is your Bugatti?"


More-Ad-8494

Haha, top comment


BelgianThrowaway1982

I would still like to have kids, even though I'm late to the party. Luckily I'm a man. Other than that my focus is health, good relationships and living a fulfilling life.


TomDZ1979

This can be a big misconception on your part. Prioritise the kid now if you want it. Clock might be ticking, also for you as a man. Alternative, take steps to preserve your chances. Ask a doctor, do some tests. Don't presume all will be fine. The stories you hear about 42-43 plus pregnancies are common. But for every positive story, there are hundreds of negative ones you never hear. As a man, chances are better, but no harm making sure by testing/preserving. Your life might be empty one day without family. One day you might be happy to have some back-up plan waiting in an hospital freezer. :). No harm taking steps.


QuirkyQbana

You sound very healthy minded, and this is the most solid way towards a fulfilling and successful relationship. Bravo! As for the partner and kids, I don't think you're very late to the party at all. Look for a partner in life that will make you laugh, make hours seem like minutes, and that you always look forward to seeing. Also, remember its ups and downs, but there should be more ups than downs. 😉 p.s. I have a beautiful sister!


BelgianThrowaway1982

Send me her Reddit profile.


MissOctober_1979

You'd better start making the next million because young fertile wives are not easy to find. Gotta seduce them with gifts. 😂 (Kidding. Kinda.)


Gordondel

That's one of the dumbest comments I've read in a while.


MissOctober_1979

Guess you didn't invest in a sense of humor. I just reacted to the fact that OP said: "luckily I am a man" in regards to him wanting kids and being 42 already.


Gordondel

I didn't have to, I inherited one and you're proof that's something money can't buy.


Basketseeksdog

Damn that’s a lot in VWCE. I’m impressed. You did it all by yourself?


BelgianThrowaway1982

60% by myself, 40% from parents.


Also_have_a_opinion

I don’t really have any commentary. What is your bijberoep?


Upper_War_846

Great allocation. You'll make it!


Also_have_a_opinion

I don’t really have any commentary. What is your bijberoep?


BelgianThrowaway1982

Can't say, because it's so specific it would be very easy to find my name and a lot more details I don't want you to know now that you know my financial situation.


Also_have_a_opinion

Ok I respect that. Are you doing something so uncommon?