Money, without the American advice
Simple money guides for Austria and Germany. Find where your salary leaks, cut forgotten subscriptions, and invest the way things actually work here. No bank login needed.
Expat Money Guide for Austria and Germany: The Setup Checklist
An expat money guide for Austria and Germany. Set up your bank, Schufa, health cover, and a simple Sparplan the right way, from someone who arrived...
Read the guide → 10 min read InvestingHow to Recover After a Crypto Loss: Rebuild Your Money the Boring Way
How to recover after a crypto loss the boring way. A calm DACH plan to rebuild your money with a Safety Net and a simple Sparplan, no hype.
Read the guide → 10 min read PensionsThe Gender Pension Gap in DACH Is Really a Motherhood Gap
The pension gap in Austria and Germany opens when kids arrive, not because women are bad with money. Here is what the numbers say and how to look at...
Read the guide → 8 min read StudentsStudent Money Guide for Austria and Germany: Broke to First Salary
A student money guide for Austria and Germany. How to stop being broke at 22, survive your first real salary, and build your first Safety Net in DACH.
Read the guide → 10 min read Self-EmployedThe Freelancer Tax Trap Nobody Warns You About
No tax gets taken out when you freelance in DACH. The bill comes a year late, year two hits twice, and here is how much to set aside so it never...
Read the guide → 8 min read Salary & SpendingLifestyle Creep: Why Your Raise Disappeared in DACH
Lifestyle creep is why your raise disappeared. Here is how it works in Austria and Germany, and a calm plan to keep more of your next pay rise.
Read the guide → 10 min read InvestingKESt ETF Austria: How Capital Gains Tax on ETFs Works
KESt ETF Austria explained in plain English: the flat 27.5% rate, why there is no tax-free allowance, steuereinfach brokers, and the US ETF trap to...
Read the guide → 10 min read Budgeting ToolsWhy Bank-Linked Budgeting Apps Keep Failing You in Europe
Bank-linked budgeting apps keep breaking, dying, or barely covering EU banks. Here is why they fail in Europe, and the audit-first alternative that...
Read the guide → 8 min read InvestingWhy Your Savings Account Is Quietly Losing You Money
Cash on a Sparbuch or Tagesgeld loses value every year right now. Here is what real return means, the slow-leak math, and how to stop the bleeding.
Read the guide → 8 min read Self-EmployedSide Hustle Tax in Germany and Austria: The Real Thresholds
Side hustle tax in Germany and Austria catches people off guard. Here are the real tax-free limits, when you must file, and how much to set aside.
Read the guide → 11 min read BudgetingThe 50/30/20 Budget in Austria and Germany
The 50/30/20 budget in Austria and Germany needs tweaks. Budget on net pay, not gross, and fix the rent cap with this DACH-ready version.
Read the guide → 9 min read EU Money RulesNebenkosten Nachzahlung Explained: Why You Owe Hundreds
Nebenkosten Nachzahlung explained in plain English: why you owe hundreds, how to budget for it, and how to check the bill before you pay.
Read the guide → 10 min read Budgeting ToolsWhy Your Budgeting App Keeps Failing You
Budgeting apps fail because they need daily discipline the people who need them most cannot keep up. Here is why tracking dies, and the audit-first...
Read the guide → 8 min read InvestingIs FIRE Even Possible in Austria and Germany? The Numbers the US Gurus Skip
Can you retire early in Austria or Germany? Here is the honest math the US gurus skip, the real savings rate, and the lever that actually works.
Read the guide → 8 min read Debt & CreditSchufa KSV Credit Score: How to Check and Improve It in DACH
Schufa and KSV credit score guide for Austria and Germany. Get your free report, fix wrong entries, and build a clean credit file.
Read the guide → 11 min read Salary & SpendingThe Real Cost of Moving Out in Austria and Germany
Moving into your first flat in Austria or Germany costs far more than rent. Here is the real cash you need, from the Genossenschaft fee to two...
Read the guide → 8 min read InvestingThe European Equivalent of a 401k and Roth IRA: What Austria and Germany Actually Have
There is no Roth IRA or 401k in the EU. Here is what Austria and Germany actually use to invest for retirement, and why US advice fails here.
Read the guide → 9 min read Salary & SpendingBrutto Netto: How to Keep More of Your Salary in Austria and Germany
Brutto netto gaps eat 35 to 42 percent of your pay. Here is the calm DACH guide to keeping more of your salary in Austria and Germany, with real...
Read the guide → 10 min read Money LeaksFood Delivery Spending Too Much? The Lieferando Money Leak
Food delivery spending too much in Austria or Germany? Here is why Lieferando, Wolt, and Uber Eats quietly drain you, and a calm plan to fix it.
Read the guide → 11 min read PensionsThe Young European Pension Gap: What the State Won't Cover and the First €25 Fix
Most young people in Austria and Germany expect a state pension that won't be enough on its own. Here is how big the gap really is, and the first...
Read the guide → 13 min read SavingHow Much Emergency Fund in Germany and Austria
How much emergency fund in Germany and Austria, and where to keep it. The Notgroschen sized for DACH life, plus the right account so it stays safe.
Read the guide → 9 min read InvestingVorabpauschale Explained: Why Money Left Your ETF Account in January
A simple guide to the German Vorabpauschale. Learn why cash left your ETF account in January, how the sell-to-cover works, and why your real ETF tax...
Read the guide → 7 min read EU Money RulesWhat Young People Really Pay for Health Insurance in Germany and Austria
A plain breakdown of what health insurance costs you at 18 to 30 in Germany and Austria, the age-30 jump, and the one line you can actually lower.
Read the guide → 8 min read Renting vs BuyingRenting vs Buying in Austria and Germany: The Honest Math
Is renting throwing money away in Austria and Germany? Here is the honest DACH math no American tells you: the down-payment wall, the 6 to 10x ratio,...
Read the guide → 10 min read InvestingBest Broker Austria Germany Beginners: Trade Republic vs Scalable vs ING
Trade Republic vs Scalable Capital vs ING for your first Sparplan. Honest fees, safety, and what to pick in Austria and Germany.
Read the guide → 10 min read Debt & CreditDoes Klarna Hurt Your Schufa? Each Ratenkauf Is a Recorded Loan
Each Klarna Ratenkauf is logged as a loan at the Schufa, and frequent ones can drag your score. Here is the calm DACH guide, plus the EU rule that...
Read the guide → 7 min read SubscriptionsHow to Find Recurring Charges and Forgotten Subscriptions Without a Bank Login
Find recurring charges and forgotten subscriptions without a bank login. Export your statement as a PDF or CSV, spot the leaks, and cancel what you...
Read the guide → 10 min read Salary & SpendingWhy Your Salary Disappears Every Month in Austria and Germany
You earn decent money but feel broke by the 22nd. Here is why your salary disappears in Austria and Germany, and how to find the leak before payday.
Read the guide → 7 min read