Asset management or ETF savings plan: which fits you?

“Isn't an ETF savings plan enough?” – hardly any question comes up more often in initial consultations. The honest answer: sometimes yes. Whether professional asset management is still worthwhile depends on three factors: wealth level, complexity and – most underestimated – your behaviour in a crisis.

The do-it-yourself route

A globally diversified ETF savings plan is an excellent instrument: cheap, transparent, proven over the long term. For building wealth with monthly contributions there is hardly a way around it. The challenge begins when wealth grows: rebalancing, tax optimisation, withdrawal strategies and integrating real estate or business holdings quickly outgrow your evenings.

The decisive factor: your behaviour

Studies have shown the same pattern for decades: private investors earn significantly less on average than their own funds – because they sell in the crash and buy in the euphoria. The biggest value of professional guidance is rarely product selection but discipline: having a plan and holding it when it hurts.

An honest decision aid

• Below ~€100,000: an ETF savings plan plus an annual strategy check is often enough
• Growing wealth, little time: advice with a clear written strategy
• Complex situation (business, real estate, inheritance): asset management
• In every case: keep costs below 1.5% p.a. and diversify globally

You don't have to decide this alone. In a free initial consultation we calculate together which route is cheapest for your situation – even if the answer is: do it yourself.