Wenn Sie sich bereits von der einzigen Form der unabhängigen Finanzberatung überzeugt haben, und...
Independent, fee-only financial advisor for expats in Germany - without commissions, products or sales
As an expatriate in Germany, are you struggling to understand the German pension savings products like Riester, Rürup, Bausparen, Lebensversicherungen, and how they apply to you?
Are you not sure how to best save and invest in your situation?
Are you not getting good and knowledgeable (or English-speaking) advice from German banks, or not sure if they know or recommend the most suitable products in your circumstances?
Would you prefer to get an independent second opinion from a trustworthy licensed fiduciary? Someone who has been an expat, while at the same time knowing the German financial system?
You've come to the right place!
You've come to the right place!
Why we are (very) different
Completely independent fiduciary, zero conflicts of interest
What many don't know, free advice of banks or insurance agents does not exist. These are sales calls that in 99% of cases are financed by commissions!
Even if your advisor is very likeable, you have know him or her for a long time and trust him, he has big conflicts of interest, as he's under pressure, to sell you expensive products of his financial institution, as (at least partly) this is what his income and job depends on. He is acting in the interest of his employer (or his own), not in yours! He will therefore hardly ever mention the costs in the small print, and he will rarely advise you not to buy a product.
You should also not ask your barber if you need a haircut!
Tell it like it is,
no jargon
If an insurance policy or investment vehicle is is rubbish, we will tell you so.
We can also advise not to buy additional products, recommend to cancel existing contracts, and instead go for the simplest cheapest and most efficient investments (such as ETF), that your bank advisor will never offer you (as he's not earning any money on those)!
To truly help people, and tell them like it is, and what makes sense, is our principle.
No products or sales
As a fee-only advisor, we will NEVER sell you products or investments, or pressure you to sign anything.
As your sparring partner & coach we recommend you product categories with different options, from which you can choose yourself, and for which (or against) you can freely decide yourself. As we are only supporting and encouraging you, but are not directly involved in the purchase of any investments, it is also very transparent, that we cannot get any hidden commissions. This way, we can advise you objectively and in your interest.
We do not recommend products which in most cases are unsuitable or unnecessarily expensive or complex, like 'Kapitallebensversicherungen', 'Riester- or 'Rürup-Renten' and 'Bausparverträge'.
Fixed prices
Other independent advisors often cannot tell you exactly, how much their advice will cost, as they charge an hourly rate and cannot accurately estimate the effort upfront.
We however work with fixed prices, you will know from the beginning exactly how much the service will cost.
Money-back-Guarantee
We are confident of our quality.
If you are not happy with the value-add of the advice, you will get your money back!
No branches or offices, cost-effective
Via our low-cost structure and video conferencing, we can offer our advice relatively cheaply (and at the same time completely location-independent).
Keep in mind that an investment of €50,000 in a typical actively managed fund with 5% upfront load, incurs a fee of €2,500, followed by €750 yearly 1,5% management fee.
With long-term contracts like life insurances, the hidden costs regularly add up to several thousand Euro. The 'advice' of your bank is not free, but intransparent and expensive!
We on the other hand focus completely on the most cost-efficient solutions (that are not of lower quality, quite on the contrary!).
Holistic approach
We are not focusing on products.
Starting from a comprehensive questionnaire, we consider your overall life circumstances, and also coach you if desired, for example regarding improvement potential of cost of living, savings rate, real estate ownership, etc.
Throughout this, you will always have the same personal contact person.
Jonas Voelker
Founder of What.Finance?
- 'Diplom-Kaufmann' (Master in Business), studied in Augsburg, London and Pittsburgh, USA
- INSEAD MBA, Singapore & France
- 20+ years experience in financial services, in investment banking/M&A at Lehman Brothers in Frankfurt & London, and 14 years as investment manager in private equity in the Middle East, at Gulf Capital in Abu Dhabi, Oman Investment Authority (Sovereign Wealth Fund in Muscat), and recently as Head of private equity in Dubai
- Bought first stock at age 14, since then made every mistake in the book and learnt from it
- Passion for personal finance and investing for many years already, deep knowledge from dozens of books and studies
- Have been an expat myself for 15+ years and lived in 8 countries, and have therefore a good understanding of characteristics and challenges of the financial life of an expat
- At the same time, good knowledge of the German financial products and Government pension savings schemes
- Founded What.Finance? out of frustration about the poor quality of financial advice in Germany, almost always commission-driven product sales with direct conflicts of interest
What.Investment?
€795 VAT included
Advice about investing in ETFs and other funds:
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Analysis of your existing investments in Germany (if any) in terms of diversification, return, cost, flexibility and suitability in your situation
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Recommendation of the most efficient and cost-effective investment strategy to accumulate and sustain wealth in the long run, based on scientific evidence, your individual preferences, risk tolerance and knowledge level
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Personal advice and coaching via video-conference
What.Retirement?
€1,095 VAT included
Retirement and pension planning & saving:
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Check of your existing German savings products (if any) against your needs and personal situation, in particular as expat
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Recommendations regarding existing or required contracts, and optimisation of costs
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Learn how you can secure your standard of living in the long run, while maintaining flexibility and without having to make sacrifices today
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Personal advice and coaching via video-conference
What.Plan?
€1.295 VAT included
All-in-one financial plan & strategy:
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Includes What.Investment? and What.Retirement?
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Additionally holistic and comprehensive analysis of your personal finances, needs and goals under consideration of your family situation, age, existing investments and products, debt, savings rate, bigger expenses, net worth and real estate
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Development of a financial plan to achieve your personal goals
'Kostenlose Beratung' bei Banken und Versicherungen gibt es nicht! Sie ist nicht kostenlos, da hohe...
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
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Anywhere in Germany
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+49 (0) 157 5212 9448