Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [europe]

For questions that relate to the laws, practices, and products of the European Union.

130 questions
48
votes
12 answers

What are the pros and cons of a credit card for a European?

I have a bank account, with some savings. Enough to cover every expense I could have to face without delay. I also have a debit card, which I use for my offline payments, a Paypal account for most of my online transactions, and a prepaid card in…
bracco23
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33
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7 answers

Can I open a US bank account even if I don't live in the country?

I'm Swedish, but living in Switzerland at the moment. Can I open a US bank account? Either when in the US on vacation or through the internet/phone? There are lots of situations when I find myself in need of an american credit card or just a bank…
Erik Tjernlund
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29
votes
9 answers

Should I pay cash or prefer a 0% interest loan for home furnishings?

I live in France. I bought an apartment with a mortgage a month ago. I've been buying plenty of stuff for this apartment like furniture, decoration, oven, etc. And I still need to buy other stuff. I've been offered to pay some of them cash and some…
dotixx
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28
votes
5 answers

Buying an US ETF from Europe using Interactive Brokers

I am trying to buy an ETF using my account in Interactive Brokers. I am surprised to see that it is not possible. I am living in Europe and trying to buy an ETF in US dollars. Their response to me: UK Retail clients are restricted from trading…
bp2010
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25
votes
5 answers

Sold item on eBay, buyer wants it to be delivered to another country, and pay by bank transfer

I recently offered an item on eBay, offering it for sale in Switzerland only (no international shipping offered). However, now someone bought it and messaged that they want it shipped to Italy, and that they need my name, IBAN, and emailaddress to…
user91928
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17
votes
6 answers

How to start toward financial independence

I would like to ask for help from those with more experience on how to achieve financial independence on, say, an N year window where N is large enough to get there but as small as reasonable. I just don’t mention a number because (a) I don’t want…
ironicaldiction
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16
votes
3 answers

Why are wire transfers and other financial services in Canada so much more expensive than in Europe?

Why are wire transfers in Canada so expensive compared to Europe? The simple answer I've seen is because bankers are crooks, but I find that this oversimplifies the situation — I don't believe bankers in Europe are particularly nicer than their…
gerrit
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14
votes
4 answers

What Canadian account number format do European banks need for wire transfer instructions?

I am trying to transfer funds from my account in Europe to my account in Canada. On the sending (European) bank's transfer instruction form there is a field I need to fill-in in the beneficiary's section called "Account no./IBAN". Canadian banks…
alx9r
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12
votes
3 answers

Couch Potato Portfolio for Europeans?

I recently came across the Couch Potato Portfolio concept and was happy to find an investment strategy that made sense to me. Its origin seems to be the Canadian version, and it has been translated for investors in the U.S., but I'm in Europe. I…
Thomas Vander Stichele
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10
votes
2 answers

How do I withdraw all money from my HSA account as a non-resident?

I have lived in US for 5 years, and I (still) have an HSA account with BoA. Now I am living in Europe, and there's a fat chance I'll ever go back to live in US, so I would like to withdraw the money from my HSA, pay the due taxes, of course, and…
Radu
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7
votes
2 answers

How do stocks like INL (traded in Frankfurt) work?

Intel is traded under INTC in NASDAQ. Intel is traded under INL in Frankfurt. What makes this possible? I assume these are the same company and somehow track each other but given the exchanges have different opening times, what processes makes it…
Paulo Matos
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7
votes
1 answer

Starting a trust fund in an EU country

I'm in a sudden and unfortunate need of starting a trust fund (money being the only asset) in an EU country (I'm afraid I need to rule out UK as an option) for a minor (not a relative of mine) that would receive it upon reaching a certain state of…
tmt
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6
votes
2 answers

How to be sure that a payment cannot be reverted?

Many scam schemes are based upon sending some money to the victim and make them forward it. Then the first transaction is reverted and the victim has to take the loss. The concept of the reversibility of transaction can be extended on any purchase:…
dg3
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6
votes
2 answers

What are the disadvantages of keeping a small part of your assets as cash in a safe deposit box?

In Switzerland, banks do rent out safe deposit boxes for valuables. I am thinking of storing a small fraction of my assets there as cash. To diversify my portfolio, in addition to a savings account at a bank, I own crypto, precious metals and…
Sybil
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5
votes
2 answers

American living abroad and not working for an American company - tax reporting and bank accounts

I hope this question is appropriate for SE Money but based on this one I think it is U.S. citizen, working for U.S. company, living in Mexico: Where do I pay taxes? If you are an American citizen not living in the US but a bona fide resident of…
user10366
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