Hello,
Inspired by this board, I am looking into buying Vanguard index funds in Belgium (where I live).
However, we can not buy the Vanguard funds the way US investors can. We have 2 possibilities:
1. 'Cortal Avenue' from French stock broker Cortal Consors, the partner of Vanguard for the Belgian market. They offer 60/40 Vanguard index/actively managed funds, with 25K euro minimum buy-in. 'Free' profiling of your needs. Expense ratio 0,50% (this is quite high, right?).
I suspect these guys will push me to the lowest expense Vanguard funds, so they effective expense ratio of the active part will easily exceed 1%. However, if they allow me to take a lot of emerging markets (generally higer expense ratio's, right?), this might be a good deal.
2. Zecco. I think I can invest in ETF's there whithout paying the US capital gain taxes (let's assume this). I should be able to have an expense ratio of below 0,25% this way, right? My fear, however, is that Zecco will introduce fees and I trust Vanguard/Cortal more than a start-up, frankly. I don't know if this fear is justified.
My basic question to you is: What should you do? Also, if I make any mistakes in my reasoning, please tell me.
(Fyi, so far, I think I will end up with a combination of both options.)
Thanks a lot.
Inspired by this board, I am looking into buying Vanguard index funds in Belgium (where I live).
However, we can not buy the Vanguard funds the way US investors can. We have 2 possibilities:
1. 'Cortal Avenue' from French stock broker Cortal Consors, the partner of Vanguard for the Belgian market. They offer 60/40 Vanguard index/actively managed funds, with 25K euro minimum buy-in. 'Free' profiling of your needs. Expense ratio 0,50% (this is quite high, right?).
I suspect these guys will push me to the lowest expense Vanguard funds, so they effective expense ratio of the active part will easily exceed 1%. However, if they allow me to take a lot of emerging markets (generally higer expense ratio's, right?), this might be a good deal.
2. Zecco. I think I can invest in ETF's there whithout paying the US capital gain taxes (let's assume this). I should be able to have an expense ratio of below 0,25% this way, right? My fear, however, is that Zecco will introduce fees and I trust Vanguard/Cortal more than a start-up, frankly. I don't know if this fear is justified.
My basic question to you is: What should you do? Also, if I make any mistakes in my reasoning, please tell me.
(Fyi, so far, I think I will end up with a combination of both options.)
Thanks a lot.