r/BEFire

I have an account at keytrade and while I like it for my ETF for safety reasons, but I'm not pleased for all the trading stuff.

I bought some microsoft stock lately and I learned that if the order is sent after 19h, the euro is not converted in USD. So I have a negative saldo in USD on which debtor interest will have to be paid...

So I need a reliable brooker that will allow me to trade whatever the hour of the day without creating negative interest.

I'm kinda lazy and I don't want to handle the TOB and other taxes so I choose Saxo.

If anyone has a referal link, I'm interested

Welke holding zal het meeste winst opleveren? Of toch beter iets anders zoeken?

Hi everyone,

I’m 23 years old and about to start my first full-time job after graduating with a Master’s.

My compensation is:
€3,500 gross/month (around €2,300 net)
Possibility of a yearly bonus of up to 20% of my annual salary if targets are met.

At the moment, I already have €15,600 invested in IWDA and €1,200 in Bitcoin since 2021.

My plan is to continue living at home for another year, so my monthly expenses will be very low. Because of that, I think I should be able to invest around €1,500 per month, while also saving cash for a future down payment on an apartment.

I’m wondering what the best course of action would be in this situation.
Would you:
Keep investing the majority (around €1,500/month) into IWDA while gradually building up cash for a down payment?
Focus more aggressively on saving cash for the apartment instead?
Or take a different approach altogether?

I’m aiming to build long-term wealth, but I also don’t want to delay buying my first apartment too much.
Curious to hear how you would approach this and whether anyone has been in a similar situation.

Thanks!

Question for self-employed people (sole proprietorship): how much revenue do you generally need to be able to lease a car?

I currently run a sole proprietorship for about 8 months and have a turnover of around €6,500 per month (one month was around €7,000). My business costs would be around 2-3k. Would this normally be enough to lease a car that costs €350/month excluding VAT?
I would also be willing to make an upfront payment/down payment of around €10,000. Maybe this is a dumb question but I’m still very young and don’t have experience with these kind of things.
I know it depends on profit, expenses, and the overall financial situation of the business, but I’m curious about other people’s experiences and what leasing companies usually look at when approving a lease for a sole proprietor.

Family member bought some stocks years ago, for around 30k. All together now worth 11k. She wants to keep on waiting until the losses are "okay-ish" to sell and then put the money into a ETF. New investments go into an ETF immediately.

My advice: concede the losses and put everything in ETF. Chance is higher you'll earn the loss back (about quite some time, I know) compared to keeping the individual stocks.

Do you agree? Other propositions?

Stel, ik heb:

60 aandelen van een fonds, huidige waarde 60k.

30 ervan heb Ik gekocht aan 10k (20k meerwaarde) en de andere 30 later aan 20k (10k meerwaarde).

Kan ik dan kiezen om specifiek de 15 van de eerder aangekochte aandelen te verkopen aan 15k (10k meerwaarde) en zo de vrijgestelde belastingssom te gebruiken?

Bij verkopen en dan nieuwe aandelen kopen zou dat behoorlijk minder tob en brokerkosten meebrengen ten opzichte van wanneer ik de 30 later aangekochte aandelen verkoop aan 30k (ook 10k meerwaarde).

Ben sinds dit jaar gestopt met erop te storten, er zit nu ongeveer 5.2k in. Ik vraag mij af wat ik nu het beste doe:

• Laat ik het gewoon lekker staan tot ik het kan afhalen als ik op pensioen ga?
• Haal ik het af en steek ik het in een world ETF? Er zou dan 33% worden afgetrokken van dat bedrag voor het belastingvoordeel waar ik de voorbije jaren heb van kunnen genieten.

My request was rejected, and the customer service explained that the department in charge is not required to justify their decision, and does not take calls to discuss this.

Admittedly, I only recently opened the account and don't have much on it. But my "public" financial profile is solid (savings, investments, zero debt, good salary, etc).

Based on my research, there is really no consensus on what Keytrade really wants to approve this card.

My question: what can I do? How can I learn directly from them what I'm supposed to do? Perhaps receiving my salary on their account would be a start?

Thank you in advance for your opinions :)

Hello

As you know, for our yearly tax return, we are expected to provide all sorts of documents to our accountant or agree with the simplified proposal.

I always add: price of my legal expense insurance (rechtsbijstandsverzekering/ assurance protection en justice) and my different loans for real estate.

What are some of the big wins you always include in your tax return to get a discount?

Many banks also offer insurance coverages for all sorts of things. Do they track our spending? Could they send offers for "cheap animal insurance" after seeing that you buy dog food online? Same for bicycle insurance, after seeing a lack of fuel stops at pump stations?

Or is it purely coincidence I'm getting these expensive and unnecessary insurance coverage advertisements?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding my father’s financial situation and possible FIRE strategy.

My father is 55 years old, lives and works in Belgium, and is currently employed as a massage therapist. He enjoys his work but does not necessarily want to continue working full-time until the traditional retirement age.
He is about to receive an inheritance of approximately €150,000. He has no debt, no property and is generally financially responsible.

Initially, he considered buying a small apartment with cash, as he dislikes the idea of taking on a mortgage at his age. However, after reflecting on his priorities, he is now considering a completely different path:

- Buying a campervan/motorhome (a lifelong dream).
- Spending several years travelling through Southern Spain and other parts of Europe.
- Continuing to work occasionally as a self-employed massage therapist while travelling.
- Gradually transitioning into a semi-retired lifestyle rather than stopping work completely.

My initial thought was something along these lines:
- €30k–50k for the motorhome.
- Keep a cash emergency fund.
- Invest roughly €100k in a diversified portfolio (likely through Bolero).

Possible allocation:
• Global equity ETFs (VWCE, IWDA, etc.)
• Government bonds
• Belgian e-DEPO or other capital-preservation products
• Some cash reserves for flexibility

The goal would be:

1. Enjoy life while still healthy and active.
2. Avoid locking too much capital into real estate.
3. Let investments compound over the next 10 years.
4. Reach age 65/67 with a strong investment portfolio plus Belgian pension rights.
5. Maintain flexibility to earn occasional income during the semi-retirement years.

My questions:
If you were in his position, would you choose property or financial assets?
How would you allocate €150k at age 55 with a 10-year horizon?
How much would you keep in equities versus bonds/cash?
Are there specific Belgian products (e-DEPO, government bonds, pension-related investments, etc.) that you would consider?

Has anyone here transitioned to a “Coast FIRE” or “Flamingo FIRE” lifestyle in their mid-50s?

Any thoughts, criticisms, or alternative approaches are welcome.

Thank you!

Hey,

I'm in a lucky position and would really appreciate some outside perspectives.

I'm 29F and come from a small family (no siblings) and my parents and grandparents have always worked hard. They're also quite generous towards me and try to be tax-efficient and forward-thinking when it comes to inheritance.

3 years ago, I received gifts and inheritance that brought my net worth over €1M.

Right now it's roughly allocated as follows:

• €300K in a term account
• €500K in AXA Court Terme
• The other part is invested in SPYI and in bonds

My "issue" is that the majority (€800K) is currently barely generating any return.

The €300K becomes available soon, my instinct is to gradually invest this (DCA over e.g. 1 year) into SPYI.

For the €500K, my dad has a different idea: buying real estate together using a bare ownership/usufruct structure (naakte eigendom/vruchtgebruik).

I understand the logic (tax efficiency) but on the other hand, my parents already have quite some real estate in their portfolio, and I fully own an apartment as well. Managing all this at some point in time might be troublesome. Investing the €500K in SPYI feels simpler/easier to me.

I currently live in my apartment, but eventually would like to have a family + nice house. From that perspective, it might make more sense to keep more capital flexible.

I’ve also been thinking about moving towards barista FIRE at some point (working less), but this doesn’t really align with how my parents view work. For them, it’s an important and meaningful part of life, and I think they’re also a bit worried that I might be “wasting” opportunities or going backwards.

So my questions:

• Would you push more towards ETFs or lean into real estate because of the tax advantages (with the usufruct structures)?
• What do you think about flexibility vs tying up capital long-term?
• Do you experience tension between your own life/financial choices (like barista FIRE) and family expectations?

Thanks!

https://preview.redd.it/gqfihgt5rnah1.png?width=731&format=png&auto=webp&s=176c34c6bb26e102557ff2cfa9c8b00f45e0d3f2

Medirect dropped prices for buying stocks

I've invested quite a bit on SPYY, and I'm about to reach the ceiling I had in mind for this specific item. I've read that it would be a good idea to diversify by coupling my worldwide ETF with bonds (perhaps European ones). But I don't have yet enough information to decide on how to proceed.

What did you do when you told yourself "I can't put everything only on this one thing"?

Thanks :)

EDIT: Thank you for all the replies pointing out that an ETF is "not one thing": I'm aware of it :) My point was more about considering other tools to be coupled with my SPYY.

Hello,
This is likely a common question, so apologies in advance.
I’ve been working for about a year, starting from zero, and have managed to save around €12,000. I’d now like to start investing in ETFs, but I don’t have a financial background, so I’m looking for guidance.
My short-term goal is to buy a house, which will require approximately €40,000 in savings at current estimations. I don’t want to leave my money sitting in a bank account, so I’m considering investing it in ETFs.
From what I understand, it may be better to choose distributing ETFs to minimize the TOB. I was thinking of an 80/20 allocation between a global ETF and an emerging markets ETF.
Which ETFs would you recommend? Also, given my goal of buying a house in the near future (2-3 years), does it make sense to invest all my current savings into ETFs, or would it be better to keep part of it in other assets?
Considering current market conditions, would it be better to invest the full amount at once or to spread it out over time, for example, investing €1,500 per month until the total is done, and then continuing with a monthly investment of €1,000?
Lastly, which platform would you guys recommend? I was thinking about using Bolero for peace of mind, and the costs don't seem too high, what are your recommendations about this?
Thank you very much.

Ik ben 29 jaar en huur een appartement al 4 jaar met m’n vriendin voor 950 euro per maand. We willen graag tussen nu en 3 jaar een huis kopen. Er komt ongeveer 5000 euro binnen.

We kunnen samen 2000-2500 euro per maand sparen (afhankelijk van de kosten die maand)
Ik had gelezen dat het niet al te slim is om alles te beleggen als je het geld binnen 3 jaar nodig hebt. We hebben nu 4 ‘tempo’ sparen rekeningen waar je 500 euro max kunt op sparen voor een hogere rente, dus in totaal 2000 en dan beleggen we 500 euro per maand in een world etf. We hebben nu 20 k belegd en hebben een kleine 50 k gespaard.

Zijn we teveel aan het sparen? Moeten we meer beleggen? Gaan we te weinig geld hebben voor een lening? Moeten we nog langer wachten?

Alle tips zijn welkom

Hello Fire,

My mother, who's not in this group, asked me whether bonds are a suitable option for her passive income. She retired a few years ago and is trying to have fun with her life. :) Ideally, she wants to invest her money in any kind of short-term ( one year to a few years). Any tips? thank you so much.

Ik ben begonnen te investeren op Saxo in IE00B3YLTY66 op de Duitse markt maar daar is transactie koste min 3 euro en dezelfde is er op Franse voor min 2 euro transactie kosten moet ik vanaf nu op de Franse kopen of heeft de Duitse een voordeel

The ask: Has anyone successfully credited the 15% Irish withholding tax on IBKR interest against their Belgian tax? Which codes did you use, and was the QFIE accepted for privately-held capital?

Context:

• Belgian tax resident, individual (private, non-professional account).
• Hold cash with Interactive Brokers Ireland → earning credit interest.
• Submitted Form 8-3-6 (stamped by SPF Finances) → correctly reduced Irish withholding from 20% to the treaty rate of 15%.
• So 15% is being withheld in Ireland, and the interest is also taxable in Belgium at 30%.

The problem:

• Belgium = worldwide income → I declare the gross interest (code 1444).
• But the same income already suffered 15% in Ireland → double taxation.
• Ireland won't refund (15% is the correct treaty rate, nothing to reclaim there).

My questions:

1. Is the QFIE / FBB (code 1156/2156) the right way to credit the Irish 15%?
2. Article 285 CIR 92 seems to restrict the QFIE on interest to capital used for professional activity → does this mean private investors can't credit it?
3. Anyone got the QFIE accepted by their controleur for private foreign interest?
4. If refused → what did you do (objection, treaty-override argument, accountant)?

Thanks in advance! 🙏

FYI: The law is not clear. Two laws point in different directions:

• The treaty (Belgium–Ireland DTA, Art. 11): Ireland can tax the interest at max 15%, and Belgium must relieve the double taxation. Clear enough.
• Belgian domestic law (Art. 285 CIR 92): restricts the foreign tax credit (QFIE/FBB) on interest to capital used for a professional activity. Read literally, a private investor gets no credit → so you'd pay 15% in Ireland and 30% in Belgium on the same income.

So the "clarity" cuts the wrong way for private investors: the domestic rule seems to deny relief, while the treaty promises it. The open question is whether the treaty overrides the domestic restriction — that's contested, and it's why I'm asking if anyone has actually had the QFIE accepted for private foreign interest, or refused.If the law were truly clear in the taxpayer's favour, there'd be a simple "tick code 1156 and done." There isn't. Happy to be proven wrong with a concrete reference though 🙂