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Germany

Explore stories and insights from Germany.

The Great German Housing Wait: Why Demographics Won’t Deliver the Crash You’re Expecting
Germany

The Great German Housing Wait: Why Demographics Won’t Deliver the Crash You’re Expecting

A data-driven reality check on the popular theory that Germany’s aging population will create a housing market crash, and why timing the market based on demographics could cost you decades of wealth building.

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The 30-Something Health Insurance Trap: Why Germany’s Public System Is Pushing High Earners Toward a Risky Bet
Germany

The 30-Something Health Insurance Trap: Why Germany’s Public System Is Pushing High Earners Toward a Risky Bet

Exploring the growing frustration with Germany’s public healthcare system and the increasing trend of higher-income earners in their 30s considering private health insurance despite significant long-term cost risks.

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Capital Gains in Retirement: Why Accumulating ETFs Are a German Tax Trap
Germany

Capital Gains in Retirement: Why Accumulating ETFs Are a German Tax Trap

The brutal truth about living off capital gains in Germany, why your ETF strategy might be backwards, and how the Vorabpauschale changes everything for retirees.

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Emergency Funds in Germany: The Controversial Math That Makes 3-Month Savings Obsolete
Germany

Emergency Funds in Germany: The Controversial Math That Makes 3-Month Savings Obsolete

A 29-year-old public sector worker questions conventional wisdom on emergency funds. The answer reveals why traditional rules fail in Germany’s unique financial landscape.

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When the Finanzamt Comes Knocking: Why You’re Suddenly Required to File Taxes in Germany
Germany

When the Finanzamt Comes Knocking: Why You’re Suddenly Required to File Taxes in Germany

Receiving an unexpected tax filing request from the German Finanzamt can be alarming, especially when you believe you earned under the limit. Here’s why it happens and what to do.

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Your Depot Is Not a Notgroschen, Until It Has To Be
Germany

Your Depot Is Not a Notgroschen, Until It Has To Be

When family emergencies strike, that carefully built ETF portfolio suddenly faces an existential question: is it a sacred retirement vehicle or just another Rücklage with extra steps?

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The 80% Work Week: Why Maintaining Full Responsibility While Cutting Hours Is a Double-Edged Sword
Germany

The 80% Work Week: Why Maintaining Full Responsibility While Cutting Hours Is a Double-Edged Sword

German professionals discover that reducing work hours to 80% while keeping the same responsibilities often means cramming five days of work into four, creating a new kind of burnout.

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When Enough Is Enough: Breaking Germany’s Frugalism Dogma
Germany

When Enough Is Enough: Breaking Germany’s Frugalism Dogma

A German investor with €100K asks why keep saving. The answer reveals a growing crack in the FIRE movement’s foundation, and it’s sparking fierce debate.

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The €153,000 Mistake: Why Overpriced German Real Estate Is Quietly Bleeding Your Wealth
Germany

The €153,000 Mistake: Why Overpriced German Real Estate Is Quietly Bleeding Your Wealth

That overpriced Munich apartment sitting on the market isn’t just failing to sell, it’s costing you a fortune in missed stock market gains. The math is brutal, and most German property owners can’t even see the bleeding.

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When a 2 Euro Tax Debt Triggers a 375 Euro Penalty: The German Tax System’s Brutal Proportionality Problem
Germany

When a 2 Euro Tax Debt Triggers a 375 Euro Penalty: The German Tax System’s Brutal Proportionality Problem

A real case exposes how Germany’s tax penalty system can turn a minor oversight into a financial catastrophe, raising urgent questions about fairness and automated enforcement.

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The 2025 German Pension Reform: Your Net Income Just Became a Generational War Zone
Germany

The 2025 German Pension Reform: Your Net Income Just Became a Generational War Zone

Young German workers face net income losses of €420 annually by 2030 as pension contribution rates surge to 20%, with no end in sight. The Rentenpaket 2025 reshuffles the social contract, and millennials are holding the losing hand.

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Soaring Withholding Tax: How Rising Presumptive Interest Is Squeezing ETF Investors
Germany

Soaring Withholding Tax: How Rising Presumptive Interest Is Squeezing ETF Investors

The German ‘Vorabpauschale’ is set to increase significantly due to rising base interest rates, increasing tax burdens on accumulating ETFs and altering investment strategies.

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The Capital Gains Pension Trap: Why Germany’s New Funding Plan May Be Unconstitutional
Germany

The Capital Gains Pension Trap: Why Germany’s New Funding Plan May Be Unconstitutional

Exploring the controversial proposal to fund German state pensions through capital gains contributions without granting individual entitlements, a legal and ethical minefield.

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Deploying €300,000 at Market Peaks: A Data-Driven Strategy for German Investors
Germany

Deploying €300,000 at Market Peaks: A Data-Driven Strategy for German Investors

A practical analysis of lump-sum versus dollar-cost averaging for a €300k inheritance when markets are at all-time highs, with specific guidance for German investors

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