We are zooming out this week to look at the big picture, at the issues that may shape our future, our lives, the economy and how we manage our money. The European Central Bank President, Christine Lagarde, gave an insightful speech at the…

I am going to address 2 core investment principles in this article. 1) Investment markets go up and down over time. We know this for a fact and see it day in and day out. Investment management theory tells us that there is an almost equal probability of…

We thought it would be valuable to share some of the most frequently asked questions expats and international professionals in Europe have been asking us this year, so here they are. If you have a question reach out to us directly.

Relocating to the Netherlands to live and work may well have been a dream for you, giving you the opportunity to expand your horizons and develop your career. However, living and working in a foreign country often comes with different challenges and obstacles.

Inflation may be falling but it is still high and for many people, the increase in cost of living can cause stress when it comes to managing your finances. In this article, we discuss how you can manage this stress by taking steps to manage your money.

It seems odd to talk about the price of money. After all, money is what we use to pay for other stuff. Nevertheless, money is expensive. Moving money; changing money; storing money – costs money. The worst culprit of these has to be changing currencies.

If you’re living in Europe as an expat, it’s important to know how the newly published European sustainable finance package could affect your financial decisions. On 13 June 2023, the European Commission published regulations and…

We would like to share an article we read this past week in The Conversation. It has real resonance for expats living in Europe in a still inflationary environment. It also aligns to the Black Swan Capital philosophy and approach of being objectives…

Is there any point to starting an investment in the summer?

The old investor’s adage of ‘sell in May and go away’ refers to the cyclical trend wherein many markets tend to take a dip in the summer, running up to a recovery that starts around September.

We are always told that all investments carry risk and that any asset can go down in value as well as up. We know that different people have different attitudes to risk and these will always factor into a personal portfolio, but should it?

We are passionate about financial education and avoiding financial jargon. There are core principles we value: access to good information that is clearly explained, and information that is backed up by research. What we don’t like are…

When planning for your financial future, it is important to do so from an informed position. While working with a financial adviser is something everyone should consider, it doesn’t necessarily insulate you completely from how you might react to financial news.

A large proportion of our clients here at Black Swan Capital in Europe are US-connected and most of you in that position have some assets back in the States, in the form of 401k or other employment pensions, IRA (traditional or Roth) or investment portfolios…

One of the largest shifts in the financial world over the last couple of years has been the return of inflation and with it, higher interest rates.

Inflation had been steadily falling since the early 1990s.

Financial literacy, knowing how to manage your money, is not something that is intuitive, and it is often not taught formally. Providing this information to your children can help them, and you. Here are five helpful lessons that could improve your…

Many UK adults are considering an overseas move either for career progression, for life experience, or in a bid to find a potentially better quality of life. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around 90,000 British nationals emigrated…

The emergence of online financial influencers has been a growing trend in the last few years. The Covid induced lockdowns and advancement of platforms like TikTok & Instagram have amplified their voices bringing them to a larger, and global audience.

At Black Swan Capital, we work with a number of US citizens and American connected people living in Europe. We know that managing your finances can be particularly complicated. As an update for our American clients, and for all Americans living in…

The role of a financial advisor is often misunderstood. We are not the all-seeing oracles, predicting the future of global economics and finding the rare diamonds lurking at the bottom of the murky swamp that is the global investment market.

If you thumbed through a newspaper in December 1999, you would likely find a story about the impending chaos that would be caused by the Y2K phenomenon. Much of the media reported that Y2K would cause significant financial and economic…