57
votes
Accepted
The price dropped on an item I purchased 8 days ago. What can I do?
Two options you can try:
Go to the store and ask them to refund the difference. They might not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Often stores will do this if you are within the return window because it ...
- 115k
40
votes
Accepted
What is the data before 1999 for EUR to USD on Google?
The same wiki page says EUR replaced ECU with 1:1 rate. So history before 1999 likely represents ECU/USD rate.
However, I'm not sure why is starts in 1982 then, as ECU was introduced in 1979.
- 446
31
votes
How can a resident of the European Union (not from UK) practically buy stocks?
If you're just planning to buy-and-hold, it is worth considering whether the value of the time you spend on searching for a cheap brokerage will not dwarf the savings.
Around here (Denmark) banks don'...
24
votes
The price dropped on an item I purchased 8 days ago. What can I do?
Depending on how you paid for the item, some credit cards have price protection insurance.
There are always minimums (e.g. Must be more than 10% or €150 whichever is greater) and paperwork, and ...
- 642
21
votes
Accepted
Dispute credit card transaction with merchant or credit card company?
You should dispute the transaction with the credit card. Describe the story and attach the cash payment receipt, and dispute it as a duplicate charge.
There will be no impact on your score, but if ...
- 166k
19
votes
The price dropped on an item I purchased 8 days ago. What can I do?
Ultimately this is just bad luck. Prices change, especially for things like computers which become obsolete in a short time. At the end of the day a cutting edge PC is only cutting edge for about 6 ...
- 391
18
votes
Accepted
What to do if asked to insert a 4-digits security code?
Short answer: call your bank and set up a pin.
Long answer: Europe uses the chip-and-pin system. It is kind of like the new chip-based USA debit card system. In order to use European point-of-sale ...
- 2,992
17
votes
I have an extra 1000€ per month, what should I do with it?
I'm almost in the same situation as you.
Here is what I'm doing.
Get enough cash on hand to handle every likely emergency.
I hold 10.000€, which can keep me afloat for several months, with ...
- 457
16
votes
Dispute credit card transaction with merchant or credit card company?
Most merchants (also in Europe) are reasonable, and typically are willing to work with you. credit card companies ask if you tried to work with the merchant first, so although they do not enforce it, ...
- 37.6k
15
votes
I have an extra 1000€ per month, what should I do with it?
First, save up at least 3000 EUR and put it into a Tagesgeld account. That's your emergency fund for when you need money quickly.
Second, allow yourself some luxury. Have fun, do some travelling. You'...
- 8,125
12
votes
I still have my German bank account, but I'm not residing within the EU anymore. Can I use it to receive EU income?
There is no reason why that wouldn’t work, and there should be no additional cost just for living abroad. However, the bank may bill you more for actions that actually cost more, such as sending ...
- 372
12
votes
Buying an US ETF from Europe using Interactive Brokers
If you have only EU/UK tax residency, you can buy any ETF with "UCITS" in the name - those conform to the new consumer information regulations. I gather that the expense ratios often aren't quite as ...
- 436
10
votes
Accepted
Is life insurance linked to mortgage always a good idea?
Welcome to Money.SE. Please take a look at the recent question, Why buy insurance?. Much of the discussion of risk applies to this question as well.
The numbers look like your mortgage is closer to ...
10
votes
Accepted
If I carry a lot of money from Germany to Spain, what can go wrong?
I'd worry about being robbed or losing the money en-route. Is it likely? Probably not. But wow, I wouldn't want to lose serious money in one shot. I have fond memories of the time I was serving as ...
- 22k
9
votes
Opening account for family in my name
You edited out the part of you assisting your sister in hiding money from the court.
Read your original post out loud to yourself three times. Now what do you think? Of course it is a bad idea, ...
- 76.1k
9
votes
How can a resident of the European Union (not from UK) practically buy stocks?
Banks that offer brokerage services tend to charge high commissions and some charge additional account maintenance fees. Therefore, it's possible that your bank may not be the best choice.
Best ...
- 75.8k
9
votes
How can a resident of the European Union (not from UK) practically buy stocks?
(All slightly guessing: this is how things are in one or two European countries I know, and chances are your European country works similarly - but things do differ between countries - so please ...
9
votes
Accepted
How can a resident of the European Union (not from UK) practically buy stocks?
What you want is a simple discount brokerage. Brand names here in the US include ETrade, Vanguard, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and others. Some of them do business in Europe (though Fidelity US split ...
8
votes
Dispute credit card transaction with merchant or credit card company?
As a rule of thumb, go in the order of proximity to the transaction. This would typically mean:
Merchant first. This is the easiest for everyone. The merchant has motivation to keep their customers ...
- 47.2k
8
votes
Why do companies pay salaries rather than donations?
I think you mean a "gift".
Clearly pay for work is not a gift. It's a payment for consideration (consideration means your work). Gifts don't have consideration. Passing it off as such is fraud.
It's ...
- 183
7
votes
How to know which companies enter the stock market?
Market Watch has an IPO calender with details of upcoming IPOs that should provide most of the information you need.
- 5,768
7
votes
If I carry a lot of money from Germany to Spain, what can go wrong?
A quick search shows that https://www.westernunion.com/de/en/send-money/start.html says they will transfer €5,000 for a cost of €2.90. Assuming you can do a transfer every week, that would be six ...
- 22.4k
7
votes
Is it possible to get a big personal loan for foreign investment?
It can be very difficult, but not impossible. It will depend on :
your working contract (fixed or permanent?).
your bank policy (there is huge difference between banks).
you relation with your ...
- 302
7
votes
Accepted
Will I need to worry about "structuring" with wire transfers?
In the US, currency transactions of more than $10,000 require a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) to be filled out and submitted to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Note than FinCEN ...
- 47.2k
7
votes
Accepted
What happens to those huge company fines?
In the U.S, it depends on the nature of the fraud. In general, civic penalties go to the victims or the U.S. Treasury but other government agencies or states may get part of them as well.
When ...
- 75.8k
7
votes
Accepted
With constant travel, is it possible to not have a tax residence?
No.
All tax treaties (which
allow personal/investment income paid in one country to get shifted to another country)
require you to claim (at least in your mind; paperwork might not be needed)
an ...
- 502
7
votes
Why does the Fed change rates in quarter points rounding?
I'm pretty sure it's just a policy that the Fed seems to follow. I know of no mechanical reason why they couldn't use more precise increments, but possibly for simplicity (or tradition) they choose to ...
- 131k
7
votes
Is it more financially sound to own 100% of one property or 50% of two properties?
As nearly everything, it has pros and contras.
The benefit of having two assets is to be more diversified. If you have a tenant which ruins your property, and it is your only property, you are in a ...
- 5,417
6
votes
Is life insurance linked to mortgage always a good idea?
I will give a slightly different twist to JoeTaxpayer's answer
but what I say might be applicable only in the US whereas this
question is tagged european union.
All the
house mortgages that my wife ...
- 31.6k
6
votes
I need a car for 2 years. Buy or lease (or something else)?
Speaking only for life in Germany - it would be helpful to know which European country you're moving to, as car-buying in Denmark is very different from Germany, as is car-buying in the Czech Republic ...
- 436
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible