Joney Talks!

There are simple ways to invest in the stock markets!

In today’s episode, we will speak to my friend Yoran co-founder of Curvo.eu a Belgian investing platform.

While there is a lot of information out there on investing in general, ETFs, brokers, and individual stocks, it still takes a lot of effort and commitment to get started. And then if you live in an amazingly complex and surrealistic country like Belgium things are even more tricky 😅!

These are some of the issues we will talk about with Yoran. He actually struggled a lot to compile the information and to find his way when he first wanted to create a better future for himself by investing in the stock markets. We will go through both his personal journey and the Curvo journey so far.

Listen here:

…or listen on Apple Podcasts

This episode is for you if you are convinced investing in the stock markets is the way to go for making the most out of your savings, but you are still stuck due to the overwhelm of information and possibilities. The episode will be particularly well-suited for millennials and Belgians as we will also talk about Branch 21, 23 and how they compare to investing in a simple ETF for example.

Key Takeaways:

• Why should you start investing:
  • The interest on your bank account is close to zero and the inflation is eating away at all your savings.
  • This is a way to take your finances into your own hands and prepare for retirement (even more important for entrepreneurs).
• ETF and index funds
  • ETF and index funds are pretty much the same, the legal wrapping differs. You buy an ETF on the stock exchange (like any other stock throughout the day), for the index fund you go directly to the fund provider.
  • Investing in ETFs means a relatively low barrier to entry, low fees, and a long track record of proven results.
  • You are buying the whole market (instantly diversified), you bet on the continued growth of the whole economy, you are betting on us to continue to innovate and create value as a society.
  • Pro-Tips:
    • Look at ETFs offered by European fund providers (e.g. Vanguard or iShares). The first 2 letters of the ISIN code will help you identify the country where the fund originates from (LU for Luxembourg or IE for Ireland for instance).
    • Look for Irish or Luxembourg domiciled funds to avoid the withholding tax on dividends and if you live in Belgium look for accumulative funds if possible (dividends are reinvested and you avoid taxation on those).
  • Other ways of investing (crypto/real estate/individual stocks) have their pros and cons but Yoran was looking for simplicity and flexibility.
• Belgian life insurance products
  • Forget about branche/tak/branch 21, the returns are not worth it.
  • Putting your money in a Branch 23 life insurance offers a better return but in the long run (15 years) ETFs remain more attractive.
• Curvo:
  • The goal is to help Belgians to start investing. It can be complicated for non-super-motivated individuals (Not the nerds like me 🤓).
  • Passive investing is an important tool to secure a solid financial future –> A simple tool that helps automate savings.
• First steps to manage your money better:
  • Do a quick Income-expense balance for the last year. What is your income? What are your expenses per month? Make it complete and then you can determine what can you save. This is simple and will create visibility in your finances.
  • From that savings Build a buffer or emergency fund.
  • And then start investing! (And why not with Curvo* if you are Belgian? 😀)

Who is Yoran?

Yoran is a Brussels-based software engineer turned entrepreneur who co-founded Curvo, an app that is the easiest way for Belgians to invest in index funds. He believes passive investing is a solution to the looming pension crisis that his generation of Europeans is facing. He also developed Backtest (backtest.curvo.eu), the backtesting tool for the European index investor. And together with his two friends, he still maintains Sutori, their first company and leading ed-tech platform with almost 2m teachers and students worldwide using it.

RESOURCES 

• Website: Curvo
• Article on pension in Belgium: How does investing in a pension account (“épargne-pension”) compare to passive investing for Belgians?
• Twitter: @YoranBrondsema
• E-mail: yoran@curvo.eu
• Book recommendation:
  • In Europa
• Best purchase below 100 euros: Cocktail glassware to appreciate your drinks better!

If you liked this episode you can buy me a drink, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend 🙏. Make sure you follow us on social media as well for more great content, check our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and join our e-mail list. I would love to connect with you!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase. This will help to support Joney Talks!

*The interview is not sponsored by Curvo.