it's finance, mate!

The moment every investor dreads... Seeing red across the board. Do you sell, hold, or buy more? And how do you even know which decision makes sense? In this episode, we go deep on what really matters when markets drop: your thesis, time horizon, risk appetite, and emotions. We share our own stories from early crypto trades and gold “theses” gone wrong to classic 25% drawdowns and 80% crashes. We...

Living abroad is already complex. If you hold a US passport, your finances just got a lot more so. In this episode, we sit down with Jonathan Henkels, a US-based Certified Financial Planner who specializes in working with Americans living in Germany. From passive foreign investment corporations (PFICs) to tax treaties, FATCA, IRA contributions abroad, and the ETF block many Americans run into… we...

Your German payslip hides more than it shows. In this episode, we break down how to actually understand your total compensation as an international in Germany: salary, bonuses, equity, and benefits and how to make each of them work for you. We explain why salary is your stability , bonuses are your flexibility , equity is your upside , and benefits are your protection . From tax classes and social...

Financemate 2.0 is here. We share why we rebuilt our hybrid financial planning experience and what’s new: a client-led dashboard with lifetime access to your data, shaped by months of real user feedback.  We introduce the Independence Chart that projects your income and net worth across your life so decisions connect (not live in silos).  Then we walk through the upgraded planners: Income (drag-to...

DIY apps or done-for-you wealth managers? We make the case for a hybrid : your numbers in a live dashboard plus a human co-pilot to turn data into decisions. We compare DIY vs. fully serviced, talk bias-free calculators, better visuals and inputs, and why a dynamic plan that adapts with life beats static PDFs so you keep control and still get guidance.  Ready to plan together? Visit financemate.de...

Thinking about a career change, sabbatical, or startup? We sit down with Maritza from ChangePath.ai to connect career design with money: when to resign (bonus/RSU timing, notice period), how to handle housing/mortgages as employee vs. freelancer, and why to move essentials to a runway account and build a 6–12-month buffer. We cover unemployment benefits, company/foreign pensions, and simple ways t...

Everyone makes the same five mistakes at first: the “I’ll figure it out later” trap, flipping between public and private health insurance, calling rent “dead money,” sleepwalking through a company pension, and trusting pensions without running the numbers. We unpack each one with simple, international friendly frameworks: fair rent-vs-buy math, how to think about GKV vs. PKV, what employer “matchi...

Independence isn’t a number, it’s choosing how you live, where you live, who you work with, and what you work on. In this episode we each define independence, share client moments (from 80% work weeks for new parents to quitting jobs for a camper van and more family time), and turn it into a practical plan: build runway, adjust risk, time big moves like property vs. starting a business, and treat...

Everyone asks us the same five things: What should I do with my money? Is real estate a good investment? When can I retire? How can I start investing in ETFs? Does my company pension (bAV) make sense for me? In this episode, we tackle each one through a financial planning lens, putting priorities before products and flexibility before hype, and share simple tests you can run yourself. We clear up...

You won’t retire on a date, you’ll retire into a global economy. We zoom out to the next 30–40 years: the 1972 Limits to Growth “2030 bend,” AI’s productivity (and job) shock, stubborn energy costs, global debt, China–US shifts, and Europe’s footing. For a mid-30s listener in Germany, we turn those themes into scenarios and a plan: diversified income lanes, skill upgrades, and smart location choic...

Most people think about their finances by picking products: ETFs, Real estate, pensions or others. But if you don’t know why you’re investing, none of it really lines up. In this episode we flip the order: set goals, map life events, and define timelines, risk, liquidity and flexibility (especially if you’re an international in Germany). Then we compare the big options: ETFs, real estate, company/...

Retirement isn’t just an age, it’s a plan. In this episode we unpack what “retire” really means in Germany: legal ages vs. your funded age, the different cashflow sources you could have when you retire and how to choose where you’ll live without tripping over taxes or healthcare. Practical, international friendly steps to make Feierabend forever feel real. Ready to plan your retirement? Visit fina...

We all procrastinate when it comes to money, but what’s really holding us back? In this episode, we bust 5 common myths about financial planning, from “you need to be rich” to “just use an app.” Turns out, you don’t need perfect finances, you just need a plan that fits real life. Check out financemate.de, if you're interest to start planning for your financial future.

Think bricks are always safest? Let’s get real. We explain why Germany stays a nation of renters and discuss the investor tax benefits that can make becoming a landlord surprisingly attractive. We’ve built several calculators to help our clients evaluate real estate decisions in Germany, if you’re interested, visit financemate.de and book a discovery call.

Finance is emotional, not just about number crunching. In this episode we lay out our vision for Financemate: smart, easy-to-use planning tools guided by a real human who helps you prioritise, decide, and follow through. We explain why internationals, especially those living in Germany needs a different kind of financial planning and our approach to solving that. Check out financemate.de and book...

In a country with five times as many insurance policies as people, Germany's love affair with insurance is hard to ignore. How did it get this way? In this episode, we unpack the historical roots and cultural mindsets behind it all. For internationals, insurance is important too, but knowing what you actually need is key. We break down how to stay properly protected without going overboard.

In our first episode, we explore what financial planning actually means and why it’s surprisingly hard to find proper financial planning services in Germany. We discuss the cultural differences, regulatory landscape, and what this means for internationals living in Germany. Interested in planning your own finances, check out Financemate.de