The FIRE Belgium Show
The FIRE Belgium Show is a personal finance podcast focused on the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement in Belgium. Hosted by Sébastien, it covers how to take control of your finances, start investing, and put your money to work effectively. The show features insights from personal finance experts and draws on Sébastien's experience reaching financial independence at 33 and helping thousands of others progress on their financial journey.
Afleveringen
![ETF Investing Doesn't Need to Be Hard: The 5-Minute Monthly Routine for Investors in Belgium [038]](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/25115635/25115635-1656403587694-bddd5c3456e.jpg)
ETF Investing Doesn't Need to Be Hard: The 5-Minute Monthly Routine for Investors in Belgium [038]
Check out the free investing workshop: https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop/If you’re putting off investing because you think it takes hours, this episode is for you. Once you set up a simple, passive system, maintaining your ETF portfolio can take less than five minutes per month. In this live demo, the whole process of doing my monthly transactions took under two minutes (1 min and 26 sec).
How I invest for my sons and nephews (template + demo, so you can too) [037]
Template: https://firebelgium.com/investing-for-kids-template-demo/If you're saving money for your children, nieces or nephews, where you put that money can make a huge difference over 10 or 20 years.Leaving it in a savings account means letting it die to inflation and losing purchasing power.Investing via bank funds or insurance products means paying excessively high fees (entry and ongoing)
The 4% Rule Could Make You Retire Too Early (or Too Late) [036]
🎓 Free Interactive Workshop: https://firebelgium.com/investingworkshop📊 Free Financial Independence Calculator: https://firebelgium.com/ficalculator The 4% rule is one of the most famous concepts in the world of financial independence.It is simple: build a portfolio worth 25 times your annual expenses, withdraw 4% per year, and you should be able to retire without running out of money.But the prob
Best Brokers in Belgium (2026 Comparison Table) [035]
=> Get the Broker Comparison Table here for free: firebelgium.com/brokersWhat are the best brokers for ETF investors in Belgium?What is the best broker for you?In this episode, we do a deep dive and compare 12 brokers, across 35 criteria so that you can select the best broker for your situation and your needs.I am joined by Toon Cuypers, financial coach at FIRE Belgium for this episode as he ju
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
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
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
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, trad
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 t
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 Belgi
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 selecte
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
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 d
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 R
What is wrong with the Belgian pension system? Is it broken? - with Pierre Devolder, Emeritus Professor UCL [024]
What is wrong with the Belgian pension system? Is it broken?With rising life-expectancy, shrinking working force, budget deficit and erosion of trust in the pension system, it’s time to raise the alarm.This is what we do in this episode with Pierre Devolder. Pierre is an emeritus professor of mathematical finance and actuarial science at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL). He has published 6
Best Brokers in Belgium 2025 [023]
What are the best brokers for investors in Belgium?Which ones are the cheapest?Which ones are the safest?Which ones handle all Belgian taxes?Which ones are the easiest to use?In this episode, we analyse and compare the 12 main brokers used by investors in Belgium, so that you can pick the best one.We cover the following brokers: Bolero, Degiro, Keytrade, Saxo, Re=Bel, Mexem, MeDirect, ING Self Inv
How to level up at work and earn more? [022]
How to level up at work?Do you feel like you’re not fully using your potential at work?Or that you are not recognized and rewarded for the work you do?Have you ever wondered how to fast-track your career, climb the professional ladder, and earn more?Wherever you are in your career, there are ways for you to level up at work.This is what we discuss in this episode with Judith Escalier.Judith is a C
How to make more money as a freelancer [021]
Could freelancing be the key to your financial freedom?Are you currently an employee thinking about becoming a freelancer? Or Have you recently started as a freelancer and are looking to level up?Compared to traditional employment and its many constraints, freelancing offers a flexible approach to work with the potential to make more money.But how do you start?How do you avoid beginner’s mistakes?
How Joris Van Briel got 60% annual return on his first real estate investment [020]
Are you looking to invest in Real Estate in Belgium?You’re exploring the potential for a first real estate investment, or you’re already made one or more investments.But you’re wondering what it takes to be successful with real estate?How to find good deals?What are the strategies that improve investment returns?What are the key elements to pay special attention to when you invest for the first ti
Investing for Business Owners - with Tim Nijsmans [019]
Are you a business owner looking to optimize your investments?Your business is making money and you’re paying yourself, but you still have money in the company. Should you open a pension plan? take it out and invest as an individual, or invest as a company?How can you take money effectively out of your company?How can you optimize your investments as a company owner?What investment or saving plan
The evidence banks don’t want you to know: Active vs Index Investing in Belgium [018]
Over the last 20 years, the stock market went up by 500%!! *1000 euros invested 20 years ago could have become 6000 today. That’s insane.But you know what’s even crazier… and very sad…The vast majority of investors only got a tiny piece of this growth.In fact, the average investor investing in the stock market barely managed to get 100% return over the same period. The average investor that had in
Top 5 index ETFs for Investors in Belgium [017]
What are the best stock index ETFs for investors in Belgium?What are the most diversified, cost-effective, tax-efficient, high performance ETFs that we can invest in from Belgium?In this episode, we cover:The FIRE Belgium ETF selection checklist - to help you pick the best ETFsHow to practically check each of those criteria for an ETF (using IWDA as an example)Top 5 ETFs that fulfill those criteri
How to select the perfect ETF (for investors in Belgium) [016]
How to pick the right stock index ETF?How to find the best index funds for investors based in Belgium?What are the key criteria to select the perfect low-cost stock ETF, optimized for Belgian taxes ?In Belgium, the investing world is mostly controlled by banks and powerful lobbies. But good investing is not as complicated as what the industry wants you to believe. In fact, research proves that a s
4 BIG investing mistakes to AVOID (and how behavioral finance can help us) with Thomas Laureys [015]
Research shows that investors underperform the market by 3 to 4% on average each year! That’s half of the returns of the market!And this is due to investment biases and mistakes many investors make.In this episode with Thomas Laureys, we talk about the 4 most common mistakes and biases that prevent investors from getting good investment returns. And how to prevent them.We dive deep into behavioral
Sustainable Investing with Jasper Vekeman [013]
Jasper Vekeman is a financial journalist who is passionate about sustainable investing. He is the co-founder of Duurzaam Beleggen Academy (https://duurzaambeleggen.academy/), where he teaches sustainable investing, and he is the Editor in Chief for the magazine of the Vlaamse Federatie van Beleggers (VFB)I recently attended the 2nd Belgian Impact Day organized by Belgium Impact Finance and had a g
JL Collins: “Don’t make these investment mistakes” (new book: PATHFINDERS) [012]
JL Collins, author of the international best seller “The Simple Path to Wealth” also known as the godfather of financial independence is back on the FIRE Belgium Show to discuss his new book “PATHFINDERS: Extraordinary Stories of People Like You on the Quest for Financial Independence—And How to Join Them"In this episode, we discuss:How to invest simply and effectivelyHow to reach financial i
Best brokers for investors in Belgium 2023 [011]
What are the best brokers for investors in Belgium?Which ones are the cheapest?Which ones are the safest?Which ones are the easiest to use?In this episode, we analyse the top 10 brokers in Belgium, with all the pros and cons!It's a long episode because it's a deep dive into all things investment brokers. We share all our knowledge on how they work and how to pick the best one for your situ
How to pick your broker? (Investing from Belgium) [010]
I know an investor who had to pay 70,000 euros in penalty fees because he was investing with the wrong broker. And his portfolio was worth less than 50,000 euros.The broker you pick is a crucial part of your investment strategy. Getting the wrong broker could be very costly.In this episode, we explain:- why the cheapest broker is not always the best (it rarely is)- the 4 key criteria for broker se
JL Collins on index investing for financial independence (The Simple Path to Wealth) [009]
As you probably know I am a huge proponent of index investing, because of its simplicity and its effectiveness to bring regular people the market returns they deserve. But how does this simple investing approach work? How can index investing be implemented by people like you and me? And how can it help us build financial security and reach financial independence? That is what we're discussin
Retired at 31, without buying a house! With Kristy and Bryce from Millennial Revolution [008]
Kristy and Bryce retired with a million dollars in their early 30's and they have been traveling the world since!Their story is incredible and because the way they achieved is so simple, they are an example that many of us can follow.In fact my own journey to FIRE is very similar to theirs! No real estate, simple saving and investing with index funds. Nothing complicated, nothing that you cann
Easiest way to invest in real estate? with François Kiesecoms from Scargo [007]
What if I told you that real estate investing can be easy?What if I told you that to be a successful real estate investor, you don’t need to become an expert entrepreneur with a vast network and be willing to get up at 5 AM to fix the plumbing for unhappy tenants?Today you will learn about a new way of investing in real estate, one where you can start with just a hundred euros, diversify across mu
The 5 things that helped me reach financial independence at 33 [006]
I can’t say it enough: I am so blessed to have been able to reach financial independence at 33. Since then I’ve been able to enjoy life in an unimaginable way with my wife and my 2 sons.But what made it possible? What did I have that enabled me to get to financial independence?I didn’t build a unicorn tech business, I didn’t get super lucky with individual stocks or crypto and I didn’t get any big
Retiring at 33: From broke to FI in 7 years [005]
I get asked a lot how I managed to reach FI at 33 years old.Recently, someone I respect a lot asked me on LinkedIn: “How on earth did you retire at 33??”So that is what I explain in this episode!Here is what you will learn:My (lack off) money-knowledge background growing up in a regular middle-class familyHow going into debt and making stupid expensive mistakes put me on this pathHow I was forced
How to invest in a bear market? With Rick Ferri, host of the Bogleheads on Investing Podcast [004]
How do you invest during bear markets?This is an extremely important question for any index investor, and any investor in general of course.And this is a very relevant question today because the stock market is down 20% in the US and about 10% globally today compared to the beginning of the year.Following COVID and now with the war in Ukraine, the world economy has slowed down. Inflation is breaki
![How To Start With Financial Independence [003]](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/25115635/25115635-1656403589111-256d9f27bb97.jpg)
How To Start With Financial Independence [003]
Right, so now that we know what financial independence is (see previous episode), how do we get there? What do you need to do?If you’re just discovering the FIRE movement or simply want to take control of your finances to build more security in your life, this episode is for you.In this episode you will learn:How you already have some financial independence!How you can learn and make progress fast
What Is Financial Independence? [002]
Financial independence… is this a scam?That’s probably how I would have reacted to those words 12-13 years ago… but after learning what it is and having achieved financial independence, I have now become a big proponent of it.And that is because financial independence is in fact something most people aspire to… but rarely really think about seriously...So what is it really?In this episode, we go b
Welcome to the FIRE Belgium Show [001]
Welcome to the FIRE Belgium Show!I am so excited to finally release this podcast. It’s a project I have been wanting to do for a long time!In this first short episode you will learn:- What this show is about- Why I started this podcast- What you can expect going forwardThank you for listening! I am very happy you’ve decided to join me on this journey!Be sure to check the next few episodes as well!
