Money is one of the greatest tools we have to build a life we love. Whether you're seeking financial freedom or security, or simply want to have more peace of mind when it comes to money, learning how to use it wisely is essential. In this show you will to learn how to take control of your finances, start investing and put your money to work to serve you and others more effectively. You will learn from world-class personal finance experts as well as from Sebastien’s experience in reaching financial independence at 33 and helping thousands of other make progress on their journey.
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June 10, 2026Episode 3416 min
When Will You Become Financially Independent? (Free Calculator for Belgium)
If you keep doing what you're doing today, when will you become financially independent?In 10 years? 25 years? Or never?Most people have no idea. But after watching this video, you will know your financial independence number and exactly how long it will take you to get there.Most financial independence calculators are wrong for investors living in Belgium, because they ignore Belgian-specific taxes and investment fees. This one doesn't.I built this tool based on evidence-based investing principles and my experience teaching over 500 professionals in Belgium how to start investing.What we cover:→ How to calculate your financial independence number→ How long it will take you to get there at your current savings rate→ What you can do to get there faster→ The real cost of investing with a robo advisor or bank funds vs index ETFs→ What happens if you don't invest at all→ How fees can cost you years, if not a decade⏱️ Chapters00:00 Introduction00:14 When will you become financially independent?01:44 Why most FI calculators are wrong for Belgium03:38 What this calculator shows you04:28 Robo advisors and bank funds vs index ETFs05:36 The real impact of fees05:54 The cost of not investing06:28 About this tool07:00 How to download the FI CalculatorFree tools mentioned:📊 FI Calculator (free): https://firebelgium.com/ficalculator🎓 Free Workshop: https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop📖 Beginner's Guide: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuide🌐 FIRE Belgium: https://firebelgium.com👥 Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pn2Gu1kSM5xtOgH3osjU7🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-belgium-show/id1632972120Music: Tobu, Wholm & Blume - Coolhttps://www.youtube.com/tobuofficial
June 1, 2026Episode 3316 min
From €1,300 to €5,000/Month: How David Is Retiring 14 Years Early [033]
He was earning €1,300/month in Italy. Rent alone was €600. Saving felt impossible.Then he got a phone call from Brussels, and everything changed.In this episode, Sébastien Aguilar shares the real case study of David: a 37-year-old expat IT consultant at the European Commission who went from €0 invested to €2,500/month in index ETFs, and is now on track for financial independence at 53.This is not theory. Real numbers. Real portfolio. Real plan.---📌 What we cover:→ How David went from €1300/month in Italy to €5,000/month net in Belgium→ Why earning more is not enough, and what actually changes everything→ His exact ETF portfolio→ Why he chose a 70% equity / 30% bond allocation→ His broker strategy: MeDirect + Bolero→ How the FI Calculator shows he reaches financial independence in under 16 years→ The mindset shift: "Wait, this is actually DOABLE."---⏱️ Chapters00:00 David's story: intro00:47 Growing up in Eastern Europe: civil engineering & the 2008 crisis02:02 Moving to Italy: €800/month, €600 rent, €0 savings02:57 The crypto experiment and zero wealth-building knowledge03:18 The phone call from Brussels: headhunted by the EU Commission04:03 Arriving in Belgium, realizing €280/day is "below poverty" locally04:43 Building income: from €280/day to €550/day net, €5,000/month household05:15 The wake-up call: family savings wiped out by inflation05:37 Discovering FIRE Belgium & the Index Investing Bootcamp05:59 David's portfolio: 70% equities / 30% bonds06:22 ETF selection06:59 Broker setup: Bolero + MeDirect strategy07:53 What financial independence means for David at 5308:35 FI Calculator walkthrough, reaching FI in under 16 years10:57 The "aha" moment: this is real, this is possible12:00 Key lessons from David's case study13:58 Free interactive workshop + how to get started15:10 Testimonial from Barbara15:56 Final thoughts & call to action---🔗 Resources mentioned:📊 FI Calculator: http://firebelgium.com/ficalculator🎓 Free Workshop: https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop📖 Beginner's Guide: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuide🌐 FIRE Belgium: https://firebelgium.com👥 Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pn2Gu1kSM5xtOgH3osjU7🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-belgium-show/id1632972120___Music: Tobu, Wholm & Blume - Coolhttps://www.youtube.com/tobuofficial
May 15, 2026Episode 321 hr 19 min
What Happens If You Die in Belgium? (This Tax Mistake Costs Thousands) [032]
What actually happens to your money, your investments, and everything you’ve built… when you die in Belgium?For most people, the answer is simple: a large part of it disappears in taxes. 30%, 40% and up to 80% in some cases. Because of non-existent or poor estate and inheritance planning.My name is Sébastien Aguilar and I teach busy professionals living in Belgium how to build wealth on autopilot with evidence based passive investing, optimized for Belgian taxes. And in this episode, I want to help you keep more of the wealth you’re building when it passes on to the next generation. To help me do this I have invited Marc Quaghebeur, an expert in international tax and estate planning from the law firm Delsol Avocats. Marc works with entrepreneurs, expats and cross-border families in Belgium. He is the author of « Rest in Peace, A Guide to Wills and Inheritance Tax in Belgium ».In this episode, you’ll discover the key mistakes that can cost your family tens of thousands, how Belgian inheritance taxes really work, and the strategies that can bring that tax rate down dramatically.We’ll walk through what happens step by step, and the practical actions that you can take to protect what you’re building. Since the recording, I have started several things that could save my family hundreds of thousands of euros. And I am sure you’ll benefit as well. Full biography and contact details of Marc Quaghebeur:https://www.delsolavocats.com/Marc-QUAGHEBEURAnd if you’re new to index investing, then I recommend you watch the free interactive workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
March 31, 2026Episode 311 hr 38 min
Crypto Investing Without the Stress? | 10 Mistakes Passive Investors Must Avoid (Brecht Van Craen) [031]
Crypto investing, Bitcoin strategy, passive investing — can you invest in crypto without stress?In this episode, we talk about how passive investors can approach Bitcoin and crypto without turning it into a full-time job.I’m joined by Brecht Van Craen, founder of Digital Currency Academy, and we break down a simpler, long-term approach to crypto investing.Crypto is often associated with hype, trading, and constant noise. But is there a more rational way to think about it?We discuss how crypto might fit into a passive portfolio, what most investors get wrong, and how to approach it without overcomplicating things.⸻What we discuss- What role crypto can play in a diversified portfolio- How much Bitcoin exposure might make sense- Whether to focus on Bitcoin or explore altcoins- Why active trading is often a mistake- How to deal with volatility and market cycles- The biggest risks behind crypto adoption⸻⏱️ Chapters00:00 Can you invest in crypto without stress?01:10 Why passive investors are curious about Bitcoin05:30 The biggest mistake crypto investors make12:40 Bitcoin vs altcoins20:15 How much crypto should you own32:10 Dealing with volatility45:20 Long-term strategy vs trading01:10:00 Risks and future of crypto01:30:00 Final thoughts⸻About the guestBrecht Van Craen is the founder of Digital Currency Academy.He’s helped thousands of people in Belgium understand crypto in a more structured, long-term way, without the hype.His approach focuses on simplicity, clear rules, and investor behavior rather than speculation.⸻Free workshopIf you’re new to index investing, I’d recommend starting with the free workshop.It explains a simple way to build long-term wealth through index funds, without overcomplicating things.https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop⸻ResourcesBeginner’s Guide to Index Investinghttps://bit.ly/FIREBGuideFIRE Belgiumhttps://firebelgium.comCommunityhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium⸻Listen to the showSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0Pn2Gu1kSM5xtOgH3osjU7Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-belgium-show/id1632972120
January 19, 2026Episode 301 hr 44 min
How to Build Wealth in Belgium (Thomas Guenter’s Real Strategy) [030]
How Do You Actually Build Wealth in Belgium? Without Overcomplicating It or Leaving Money on the Table?This is the main question we discussed with Thomas Guenter, Founder and managing partner of Finhouse.We discussed the top principles of wealth creation and what it really takes to get to it.- What does it actually take to build serious wealth in Belgium today?- Is entrepreneurship the only path to wealth? Or can employees and freelancers get there too?- Which matters more for becoming wealthy: earning more or investing smarter? And how to do it? - Should you prioritise real estate or ETFs? AHow should you combine them for the highest long-term payoff?- When does diversification really add value? How much should you put in bonds, gold, crypto or private equity (if at all)?This conversation was fascinating, and Thomas does not shy away from giving real super-practical advice.We also discussed questions such as:- What does “having enough” actually mean? How do you combine wealth and happiness?- How to optimize the transfer of wealth between generations.- What are the first steps beginners should take today to build significant wealth over the next decade?- How does Private Equity and Venture Capital work? What are the pros and cons compared to a simple portfolio of ETFs?As you can see, we covered a lot of ground, which is why this episode is longer than usual. You will probably have to listen to it over multiple commute trips or workouts. But I promise, it’s well worth it. And just in case you didn’t know you can listen to it as an audio podcast as well.Thomas is a great guest for this topic because he is one of the young entrepreneurs in Belgium with the most experience in this field, both from his super-impressive personal journey and from the work he does with his community and clients.In 2024, Thomas was nominated for the Forbes Belgium 30 Under 30 list because of the positive impact that he has on the finances of thousands of people in Flanders. In 2025, he was nominated for the Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 list in the Finance category because of his efforts to democratize the access to private equity and venture capital through his own low-cost fund of funds, the Finhouse Global Fund.Thomas is the author of the best-selling book Personal Finance – with more than 20,000 copies sold in under a year – and reaches thousands of Belgians each month through his free educational videos about investing, real estate and wealth planning.Now, before we get started, I want to share an important disclaimer:As you will see in this conversation, I am not in favor of Private Equity or Venture Capital as an asset for individual investors. I explain why in the conversation and I stand by it. I think however that it is interesting to hear Thomas’ arguments on topic. What I am hoping for is that through his work, Thomas can help challenge the industry and make it better for us individual investors at some point. For now I keep my position of warning individual investors against it.So while we have some disagreements, you will see that it is in fact a very small part of the conversation. And it does not change the respect I have for the work Thomas does to support financial literacy in Belgium. The knowledge he shares in this episode is a testament to that. It’s real gold. And I want to thank Thomas for this once more.Thomas’ personal website: https://www.thomasguenter.be/Finhouse website: https://finhouse.be/Follow Thomas on social media: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guenterthomas- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/guenter.thomas/And if you’re new to index investing, then I recommend you watch the free interactive workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Learn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
October 6, 2025Episode 292 hr 3 min
New tax on capital gains in Belgium: how will it work? With Pieter van der Velden [029]
On the 1st of January, a new tax will impact all investors in Belgium. But how does it work? What do we know about this tax right now?This is what we cover in this masterclass presentation with Pieter van der Velden, author of the white paper on this topic for Vermorgensgids.From what we know of the tax right now, it looks like we will all need to learn to deal with it even if we invest with Belgian brokers. Which is why this episode of the FIRE Belgium Show is so important.In this presentation, we cover:1. Who will be subject to the new capital gains tax (CGT)?2. What will be taxed? - the 4 categories of assets subject to CGT - the assets that are exempt3. When will a taxable event be triggered? - what happens in case of gift or inheritance? - what happens if you move abroad?4. How much CGT will I need to pay? - impact on historical gains (or losses) - what about transaction costs? and foreign currencies? - how does the FIFO principle work in practice? What are the exceptions? - how does the 10k exemption work in practice? And what about the 1k annual increments?5. Practically, what does this mean for index investors?If you’re an index investor, or you’re curious about this new tax, then this episode is for you.If you’d like to work with Pieter directly, you can book a call with him here: Select a Date & Time - Calendly (and tell him you're coming from FIRE Belgium :-))And if you’re new to index investing, then I recommend you watch the free interactive workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
July 21, 2025Episode 2823 min
How to Invest in ETFs in Belgium in 2026 (full guide) [028]
Most Belgians are leaving thousands of euros on the table every single year. Why? Because they’re still stuck in savings accounts or paying high fees on underperforming bank funds. In this episode, I’m showing you how to take control of your financial future by investing in global low-cost index ETFs, in a simple and effective way.It’s simple because all you really need is a couple of well selected index funds, and then you invest in them each month in just a few clicks, without the stress and work that trading and stock picking requires.It’s effective, because it’s based on decades of academic research that proves that this approach provides better returns than actively managed funds sold by banks, while costing less in fees and taxes.In fact, investing effectively is much simpler than what the industry wants you to believe.And this is the approach I have used to build my 1 million € portfolio and reach financial independence at 33.Which is why I am sharing the full process of how to invest in ETFs in Belgium in this episode/guide.I also include a concrete example of a popular optimized portfolio for illustration. That way you have everything you need to get started with index investing with just this episode.Here is what we cover:00:00 Intro01:27 Table of Content02:03 What is an ETF03:13 Why invest in ETFs (for investors in Belgium): 4 reasons03:41 Index ETFs perform better than active strategies04:53 Index ETFs are generally much cheaper05:41 Index ETFs can be very tax efficient in Belgium07:15 Index investing can be done in less than 1 minute per month07:49 How to select an ETF09:39 How to buy an ETF in Belgium10:54 How much should I invest in ETFs12:47 How often should I invest in ETFs14:54 How to build your portfolio18:33 Practical example of investing in a simple and effective ETF portfolio, optimized for Belgium21:15 How to Build Wealth on Autopilot22:30 How to get started faster and without the beginner’s mistakeDon’t miss it!FULL ARTICLE (with additional details): https://firebelgium.com/etf-investing-guide-belgium/---►► Free Workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
July 4, 2025Episode 271 hr 36 min
How to optimize your pension as self-employed in Belgium? - with Karel Van den Eynde, Public Affairs Manager at Liantis [027]
How to optimize your pension as self-employed in Belgium? In this session from Money Week 2025, I speak with Karel Van den Eynde, Public Affairs Manager at Liantis.He specializes in advising entrepreneurs on optimizing their pension strategies, including government schemes and additional pension options such as the VAPZ/PLCI, POZ/CPTI and IPT/EIP. We dive deep into these pension products, breaking down the rules and constraints for each of them. We also discuss the optimal way to use the pension products, comparing their fiscal advantages, but also discussing their expected returns. And this is something important for me. Most tax and pension specialists in Belgium will advise products based on their fiscal advantages. But I think they’re wrong. Instead of looking at the tax deductions, we should compare our options for building our pension based on the expected returns, net of taxes. Because in the end, what matters is that we optimize how hard our savings are working for us, not how little taxes we’re paying.---►► Free Workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
June 20, 2025Episode 261 hr 43 min
Everything you need to know about Pillar 2 Pension Funds in Belgium - with Ann Verlinden, CEO of PensioPlus [026]
Do you know where your pension money is going? It’s your money, you should know!In this episode, I speak to Ann Verlinden, CEO of PensioPlus, the Belgian Association of Pension Institution. It’s a recording from Belgium Money Week 2025.This was a fascinating conversation, where I learned a ton!In this episode, you will learn about pension funds, what they are and how they work. How they are very different from life insurance products and how well they’ve performed in the past few decades.I asked Ann about the cost of pension funds, their performance and whether or not it’s possible to have index funds in them. And I was in fact quite surprised by her responses!We also talk about what you can do to make sure you get the best pension products through your employer.So if you’re interested in optimizing your pension income, this is a great episode, which complements really well the other replays from Belgium Money Week 2025.---►► Free Workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
June 13, 2025Episode 251 hr 26 min
How BAD are Belgian Pensions, compared to other EU pensions? - with Sébastien Commain, BETTER Finance [025]
Will you afford to retire? How good (bad?) is the Belgian Pension System, compared to other systems in Europe? This is the second talk of Belgium Money Week 2025, where I interview Sébastien Commain, co-author of the report “Will You Afford to Retire".Every year, BETTER Finance, The European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users publishes the report "Will You Afford to Retire".It’s a detailed analysis of private retirement savings plans in the various EU Member States including Belgium. The report highlights the charges, taxation, returns and other key parameters of pension savings to determine whether (or not) they are really helping to achieve pension adequacy for individual, citizen contributors. The report stands out as the sole publication that calculates real net returns, and tackles the question of purchasing power for retirees.In this talk you will learn about the challenges faced by our system, with a special focus on pension products of Pillars 2 and 3. You will learn about their net returns and why they are so low.You will also learn about one striking example of a pension product in Europe that delivers very high returns and completely dwarfs the performance of all other examples in Europe.And finally, you will learn about what you as an individual saver and investor can do to invest better and better prepare for your pension.---►► Free Workshop on Index Investing for Beginners in Belgium: create passive income from the stock market, without paying high fees to banks or advisors, taking unnecessary risks or spending all day analyzing the markets. Free Workshop → https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop---Download the FIRE Belgium Beginner's Guide to Index Investing: https://bit.ly/FIREBGuideLearn about Financial Independence in Belgium: https://firebelgium.comSubscribe to the newsletter: https://firebelgium.com/#SubscribeJoin the community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FIREBelgium
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