Financial Coaching
Personalised Guidance To Your Financial Challenges
Trusted by hundreds of investors across 6 continents
Why Coaching?
It’s personalised. For beginners or experienced investors. In English, French or Polish.
We are one of the most trusted websites in Europe & the UK. We also coach investors from other countries.
You know our values. Our guides demonstrate the principles we follow.
We have deep market experience. Raph has been a professional portfolio manager for 15 years with leading asset managers.
You save on fees. Financial advisors will charge % of portfolio fees for similar services. We make investing cheaper. You also save time.
We are independent. Most financial advisors are conflicted.
We can help you along the way. A lot of our clients follow up periodically as they need more help.
Coaching Service Packs
You can purchase a single session or sign-up for discounted packs. Packs benefit from priority scheduling. For more than 4 sessions, please contact us.
Sprint Start
🚴 One hour Session (1h)
Single Sessions Are Ideal For Ad Hoc Investing Questions & Portfolio Setup. Many coaching clients came back for a second session or more.
- ✓ 1 hour of Q&A and/or Portfolio Review
- ✓ Great to solve one-off doubts e.g. with portfolio setup
- ✓ Submit your questions and/or spreadsheets before the call
- ✓ Based on your inputs, we draft an agenda and validate with you to prioritise topics before the call
- ✓ We prepare a follow up document (PDF) with portfolio highlights & additional reading after the call
- ✓ Existing Client Status*
Peloton Pack
🚴🚴 Two x 1h Session
Ideal For Assisted DIY Portfolio Management e.g. Semi-Annual Check-Ins, Rebalancing and/or Portfolio Performance Explanations. Set up both sessions the way you like (Time: 2x 1h)
- ✓ Use 2 hours within 12 months from purchase
- ✓ Same setup as single sessions with agenda prior to each call and follow up PDF after each call
- ✓ Ideal for portfolio setup or on-going check-ins on your portfolio performance or rebalancing
- ✓ High Priority – Guaranteed Slot For Urgent Sessions Even During Busy Periods (Max within 6 weeks)
- ✓ Existing Client Status*
Grand Tour Pack
🚴🚴🚴🚴 Four x 1h Session
Ideal For initial Portfolio Setup (asset allocation questions, ETFs etc) and follow-up check-ins. You can set up the 4 sessions the way you like. You can also use it for family members e.g. parent portfolios (Time: 4x 1h)
- ✓ Use 4 hours within 24 months from purchase
- ✓ Same setup as single sessions with agenda prior to each call and follow up PDF after each call
- ✓ Can Be Used for Initial Portfolio Setup and Follow-up Check-ins
- ✓ Ideal pack for you & family members as well (partners/parents etc.)
- ✓ Very High Priority – Guaranteed Slot For Urgent Sessions Even During Busy Periods (Max within 4 weeks)
- ✓ Existing Client Status*
* We always prioritise existing clients. We reserve the right to pause/stop accepting new clients if we run out of capacity. In that case, any client who had a session in the past will still have the ability to book new sessions.
Your Coach
Raph
Founder & Financial Coach
Raph has a 15-year experience in the Asset Management Industry. He worked for some of the most prestigious names in the financial industry in London and Paris. He managed multi-billion multi-asset portfolios and led ‘Special Situation’ projects in multiple jurisdictions, including during the Global Financial Crisis and the European Debt Crisis.
Raph is not affiliated with any Asset Manager. He only guides you in your best interest, unlike some financial advisors that often receive incentives from Asset Managers. In Europe, these retrocession fees are very common. The payments are often done discreetly and are not disclosed to you — the client — although they use client funds to pay the fees.
Raph holds an MSc in Financial Engineering and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Sessions may be held in English, French or Polish.
Most coaching participants come from the EU or the UK. But we have consistent demand from all around the world as illustrated by the map.
There Are 5 Ways To Manage Money
Full DIY
The obivous way. You manage your portfolio yourself. Yes, you can read up and ask friends. But, there is no professional that can assist you here. It is a great starting point for young people with simple portfolios, but often limited as you get older and/or your situation a bit more complex.
Assisted DIY – With Coaching
Buying a session or two per year to make sure you don’t miss anything, get the latest on the ways to save on fees, costs, some generic tax questions (not specific tax advice) as circumstances change or how to rebalance your portfolio. How to invest for different goals, ask investing questions, or even challenge a financial advisor and perhaps save lots on fees. It’s a fixed cost (the price doesn’t depend on portfolio size). The simulator shows you why it matters over time.
Robo-Advice
You pay a much higher fee, without often getting the value in return. But, at least it’s automated and fairly efficient. It is a great starting point for young people with small portfolios, as initial fee impact is low.
Fair Financial Advisor
You can get an evidence-based advisor that does complex financial/estate planning, and potentially tax advice. They can help you make certain complex financial decisions. But, over time you will pay a non-negligeable price for it, because the fee is variable (% of your portfolio, e.g. 1%).
Expensive Financial Advisor
We reviewed a significant number of portfolios that have outrageous variable fees (2%+ of portfolio per year), are conflicted, sold actively managed mutual funds by asset managers paying commissions to the advisor and sometimes are simply underperforming a basic low cost ETF benchmark.
How do these 5 approaches compare?
With Assisted DIY (Coaching) you get a lot for a reasonable price
Do-it-yourself investing vs. getting help
| Full DIY | Assisted DIY | Robo-Advice | Fair Advisor | Expensive Advisor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face-To-Face Meetings | × | Ad Hoc Meetings | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| Financial Planning | × | Coach Guidance | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| Asset Allocation | DIY | Coach Guidance | Algorithm | Advisor | Advisor |
| ETF Selection | DIY | Coach Guidance | Algorithm | Advisor | Advisor |
| Executing Transactions | DIY | Coach Guidance | Algorithm | Advisor | Advisor |
| Portfolio Rebalancing | DIY | Coach Guidance | Algorithm | Advisor | Advisor |
| Tax, Insurance & Estate Planning | × | × | × | Potentially Advisor | Potentially Advisor |
| Service Cost | None | Fixed Fee | ⚠️ % Of Portfolio Fee | ⚠️ % Of Portfolio Fee | ⚠️ % Of Portfolio Fee |
Check Impact of Fees With Our Calculator*
“In investing, you get what you don’t pay for. Costs matter.” John Bogle.
*assumes on-going coaching. savings are even higher for one-off coaching.
INPUTS
How Much Will You Invest?
ON-GOING COST COMPARISON
How Much Will You Pay Annually?
Excludes transaction fees and tax impact. Assumes: 0.2% ETF TER for Full DIY, Assisted DIY and Robo-advisory. Assumes 0.45% ETF TER for Fair Advisor and 1.5% for Expensive Advisor. Service charges are 0.5% for Robo Advice, 1% for Fair Advisor and 2% for Expensive Advisor. Service charges include advice, platform and model portfolio costs. Based on UK sources. Continental Europe is typically more expensive.
WEALTH IMPACT COMPARISON
How Much Will Fees Impact Your Wealth?
Portfolio Value Simulation - After Compounding Of Fees (For Coaching this is overestimated as investors can usually decrease service needed)
Assumed annual portfolio growth of 7%. Excludes any initial fees for first consultation (portfolio setup) with advisor or coach. Assumes just ongoing annual fees. Initial charges for advisors are around 2.4% on average per FCA. Based on UK sources. Continental Europe is typically more expensive.
Common Questions & Resources
Felipe works for an American Firm, but he’s based in Argentina. Due to the lack of tax agreement between his country and the U.S., he chose to invest through UCITS ETFs. That brought him to us, in order to understand how to invest most cost-efficiently. Use the below toggles to get a feel of what Felipe achieved throughout the sessions.
Session 1: Determined Proportion of Equities vs Bonds, Passive Income in Retirement ›
Felipe was looking to understand how to determine the right amounts of Stocks and Bonds in his portfolio. Raph provided ways to look at Asset Allocation, explained broker counterparty risk, especially given his location, and Value vs Growth Stocks diversification. Felipe was able to understand ETF regulation in Europe and how he can reduce withholding taxes, and what are realistic expectations for long term portfolio returns based on his asset allocation. We also discussed risks of Cryptocurrencies and how Gold fits into his overall portfolio. Felipe also learned how he may be able to live off his investment portfolio in a couple of decades, and how he can simulate simple scenarios through online tools.
Session 2: Reduced impact of inflation on his savings ›
Felipe also set up an account to buy a property. However, in the next couple of years inflation may erode his savings, and he wanted to understand the trade-offs of putting money in a savings account and short-term Bond ETFs. He was also concerned about the fluctuation of currencies. We also discussed how deflation and inflation can affect the value of his long-term portfolio that he set up after our first session.
Arthur is an experienced international M&A Banker. He grew up in France, but is currently relocating from Singapore to Canada, and wanted to optimise his portfolio and understand his factor exposures, as he has access to Avantis and Dimensional Funds. He also wants to structure a portfolio for his mother living in France, which is in her 60s. Use the below toggles to get a feel of what Arthur achieved throughout the sessions.
Session 1: Discussed The Best Tools To Manage Wealth & Goal-based Subportfolios. Understand Factor Exposures. ›
Raph X-rayed the current portfolio and provided an overview of factor and geographical exposures. Arthur understood the limitations of a 100% Equity portfolio, but given his age he wanted to remain mainly allocated in Equities. To reduce the risk of a lost decade without using e.g. Bonds or Alternatives we discussed which Equity factors may help with diversification and how we can leverage Avantis and Dimensional Funds to add tilts to his Golden Retriever Porfolio. We also discussed different tools to manage his multiple goals inluding BoW Portfolio Tracker, which allows Retirement planning and having an overall wealth overview including counterparty exposure, asset class breakdowns, and goals-based sub-portfolios, but prioritising privacy (Excel based solution).
Session 2: Understand Best Market Practice For Retired Person’s Portfolio. ›
Arthur wanted to set up a portfolio for his Mum. Raph gave overview on how to think about asset allocation to live off the portfolio and leave inheritance to her kids. We discussed the pros/cons of dividend strategies for retirement portfolios. We also discussed which Bond ETFs are suitable and how to make the portfolio the most simple and efficient for her to understand.
James is a crypto entrepreneur based in Dubai. He is a Ultra High Net Worth Individual who is very sceptical (with good reason!) about private bankers. That’s why he set up a series of 12 sessions to understand everything he needs to know about managing his portfolio as he exits his crypto business and liquidates his legacy porfolio. He will keep his private bank as execution-only counterparty but is managing his portfolio with Raph’s help as a coach.
Sessions 1-6: Portfolio Set Up, Selecting a Private Bank, Reduction of Fees, Disposal of Current Assets and Legacy Bond Portfolio ›
Raph X-rayed the current portfolio, the proposed asset allocation from a private bank based in Switzerland and traps that UHNW typically fall into when dealing with private bankers. We discussed the best holistic approach to manage his portfolio, maximise returns, and reduce various risks. Raph performed ad hoc research to assess other possible execution-only banks. We also performed a deep dive into his legacy bond porfolio, and based on that James decided to use equivalent but more efficient ETFs.
Sessions 7-12: ETF Buying Process, Liquidity Analysis for Multimillion $ trades, Bond ETF selection, Factors and Diversifiers to reduce risk. ›
Raph performed ad hoc liquidity analysis for the ETFs that were being bought. Given these were each multimilion trades, the process helped James understand how to execute to reduce price risk. We also had separate sessions on Bond ETFs, various diversifiers, crypto, and factor investing.
Victor works for a Silicon Valley’s top Tech firm, but he’s based in Belgium. His net worth was very concentrated in his employers’ company shares. He also had a very inefficient pension fund and was looking to optimise Broker selection. Use the below toggles to get a feel of what Victor achieved throughout the sessions.
Session 1: Challenged Portfolio & Early Retirement Plan ›
Raph reviewed the portfolio, asset allocation and pointed to potential weaknesses that may derail Victor’s Early Retirement plan. We discussed how much can realistically be withdrawn from the portfolio during retirement, limits to the historical models, tools to run scenarios, and what can be done to make the plan more resilient. Victor works in the Tech sector, and recently sold his vested shares, which accounted for the vast majority of his net worth. Equipped with academic evidence and data from the session, Victor decided to deploy the lump sum in pre-determined amounts. Raph also provided objective (not personalised) guidance related to ETF selection from tax perspective. Personal taxes were not discussed, as they are out of scope of this service. We also briefly discussed Bond ETF selection, whether setting up a Bond ladder is worth the efforts, and the pros and cons of Small Cap Value Factor Investing.
Session 2: Helped Selecting Brokers in Belgium ›
After reviewing follow-up materials from the first session, Victor was equipped with the knowledge to deploy the funds. He shortlisted seven Brokers in Belgium and asked Raph to provide information on them. Prior to the session, Raph circulated a document showing a comparison of fees and some objective considerations related to safety. Victor decided to pick two of them based on his own research and inputs from the session. Raph provided a few ETF candidates that can be used to replicate the exposure Victor wanted.
Session 3: Reviewed Pension Plan Fund Selection ›
Prior to being in the Tech sector, Victor worked for an institution, where some of his retirement funds are now locked with a specific provider. Unfortunately, the available funds are only active. The selection is complicated, as it includes mutual funds with changing strategies, benchmarks, high fees, and asset classes and strategy implementations (e.g. based on target volatility) that Victor is not familiar with. Victor and Raph discussed criteria to narrow down the candidates, and accounting for Raph’s inputs, Victor was able to instruct the pension provider which funds to buy. He also voiced certain concerns related to these funds, that Raph highlighted during the session.
Nicole has a financial advisor in the U.K. His charges are high, but the advisor gives her access to certain factor funds that are typically not available to individual investors, like Dimensional Fund Advisors. She also wants a better view on corporate bonds. Use the below toggles to get a feel of what Nicole achieved throughout the sessions.
Session 1: Challenged Financial Advisor’s Portfolio And Fees. ›
Raph reviewed the portfolio and X-rayed the ‘Mutual Fund Salad’ that the advisor created from a factor and geographical perspective. He ran a couple of scenarios to show the detrimental effect of advisor’s fees over time. However, Raph recognised that having access to some Funds is beneficial and we discussed strategies to minimise advisory costs while keeping a portion of assets with the FA to keep access to factor ETFs that are typically not available in Europe. We discussed the pro/cons of factor risk premia vs certain costs of the FA. We also discussed how to move to DIY Investing and tools to use to monitor his portfolio.
Session 2: Determined A DIY Strategy incorporating Sustainability. Merits of Corporate Bonds & iBonds. ›
After reviewing follow-up materials from the first session, Nicole wanted to implement sustainability into her DIY portfolio. Nicole now understands factors, so we discussed ESG ratings, and why ESG under/out performs in the short to medium term. Raph gave insights into Green Bonds and why Sustainable Investing is different in the Fixed Income Markets. We also discussed how bonds react to changes in yields, and the 2x rule when holding Bond ETFs. Raph also introduced concepts like Option Adjusted Spread for Corporate Bonds and Convexity. Finally, we discussed the merits of iBonds.
Lara’s Mother is a Turkish Fiscal Resident, although she is based in the Germany. She would like to manage a portfolio on her behalf in a tax-efficient, globally diversified, and resilient way with a 10+ years horizon. She prioritises stability, tax efficiency, and low maintenance. The investment is intended to support intergenerational wealth transfer as well.
Session 1: Discussed Offshore Tax Wrappers ›
Raph reviewed the choice of offshore tax wrapper. We discussed various risks and costs balancing it with some potential tax benefits.
Session 2: Helped Selecting Money Market Funds and Determined DIY Decumulation Strategies ›
We discussed how to manage the portfolio while her mother is the main beneficiary, and how the profile may change in the future. We set out a plan on how to minimise opportunity cost of large lump sum, and use the next months to smoothly invest it based on a pre-determined strategy.
“I’ve been wanting to get into investing for as long as I can remember, but I never had anyone to talk to about it. None of my friends have a clue. No one in my family ever bothered. All I had was books and websites, and it took ages for me to dig through all the fluff to find the right ones. But I still had no one to talk to about how to apply it to my own situation. Talking to Raph was like discovering that among my inner circle of friends – people I’ve known for years and appreciate their decency, integrity and life values – there turns out to be someone who made it his profession to figure all this investment stuff out, while remaining a normal person. From the moment we started the coaching session, it was immediately clear that although we have different levels of knowledge, we share the same attitude about investing, which is not about “making it big” but about responsible stewardship of one’s savings so you can focus on what truly matters to you in life. And boy does he know his stuff. I thought I already knew his material inside out, but through a relaxed discussion with him, it became clear how to translate it into an effective action plan that works for me.”
“I’ve been investing for about 25 years and consider myself intermediate-level, but I figured it never hurts to have a fresh, objective perspective. My session with Raph exceeded all expectations. He’s incredibly sharp, yet down-to-earth and an excellent communicator – he pitched everything at exactly the right level. He came thoroughly prepared, took my questions seriously, and tailored his advice to my specific situation. I couldn’t recommend him more highly.”
“Both Raph and his website are truly 5-star experiences! After years of searching for a website that provides clear, in-depth answers to the critical questions surrounding brokers and ETFs—such as broker insolvency risk, financial health, synthetic vs. physical ETFs, liquidity, and tax implications—I finally found it. Raph’s website is unbelievable. The level of granular detail and the systematic approach to evaluating assets are truly first-class. It has now become my go-to resource. Following this, I decided to book a 1-on-1 coaching session with Raph, and the entire process was top-tier. From the very start, it was clear how much time and research he had invested in preparing for our call. He not only answered all my questions with clarity but also provided proactive insights that helped refine my overall investment approach. Raph is exceptionally knowledgeable about financial markets, but what sets him apart is his ability to explain complex topics in a way that is both concise and easy to understand. His passion for helping others achieve their financial goals is evident, and it’s clear that he genuinely cares about making a difference. I thoroughly enjoyed the session and will definitely be using his coaching services again in the future!”
“As a self-learner, I realized I needed personalized guidance—someone to coach me, listen to me, and offer tailored advice. The Bankeronwheels website offers a wealth of information, analysis, and insights through articles, guides, tools, infographics, videos, and the newsletter, primarily on personal finance, wealth management, and investing. It also explores topics like lifestyle and psychology/philosophy, promoting an interdisciplinary approach to finance, which I like very much. One of the website’s strengths is its ease of navigation. It allows you to grasp key takeaways without lengthy reading, but also provides the option to dive deeper if you wish. I decided to book a coaching session when I realized that, the more I learned, the more I felt I didn’t know and needed to discuss with a personal finance coach all my doubts. Raph’s 15+ years of experience at a major asset management firm, along with his deep knowledge, really shone through. He customizes the coaching to your specific situation and skill level. To maximize the value of your coaching session, I recommend preparing a list of questions or points to discuss, reflecting on what you want to achieve, and considering your broader philosophy of life. Do your homework and you’ll make the best out of the session! Even if you’re a beginner, you’ll gain a lot from the session. For me, it really helped me clarify my thoughts and address lingering doubts. Raph also follows up with additional resources and guidance after the session. Raph and his team’s efforts to make this level of financial knowledge accessible to everyday people—knowledge typically leveraged by the finance industry for profit—are commendable. Much like Jack Bogle, who made investing accessible to the average person through index fund ETFs, Bankeronwheels is moving in a similar direction. One final note: the website and coaching are particularly helpful for international and European-based investors, an area where I’ve found few resources as valuable. In short, highly recommended!”
“This is one of the best places for people seeking knowledge about investing. Background and knowledge of authors are impressive. I definitely recommend and encourage you to read and spread the word about this site. Few words about session: Raph was perfectly prepared (very intelligent and very modest), patiently answered for all my questions and concerns about asset allocation, risk management, asset and currency diversification. He is not trying to sell you anything, he shared his knowledge which is huge. Everything seems to be so simple after the session. All of that was served with “human language” in simple manner. Great experience, very helpful.”
“I had a coaching session last summer just as I was deliberating what to do with my investments and I can’t recommend it enough. We first discussed my financial situation, so he could get a general understanding of where I was at, but also to better understand where my knowledge gaps were — on Banker on wheels, his blog, he adapts to different knowledge levels and that’s actually how he is in person, too — and then went on with my (very long) list of questions. He’s extremely knowledgeable and easy to talk to and he’ll give you the right tools and resources to understand what you can do long term.”
“Bankeronwheels stands out as an great resource for individuals in the EU seeking guidance on investing. The depth of expertise and experience showcased by the authors is truly impressive. I also highly recommend the coaching sessions with Raph. His professionalism was evident as he promptly addressed all my queries with precision. What sets this service apart is its personalized approach; Raph invested time to comprehend my investments, risk tolerance, and long-term goals to discuss and challenge my investment strategy. Furthermore, supplementary materials provided by Raph were a valuable follow-up. Overall, I highly recommend this service to anyone looking to enhance their investment knowledge and strategy.”
“Raph is excellent. Hyper-prepared, honest, transparent, approachable. He has the ability to turn complex subjects into simple explanations. His passion for helping people realize their projects through better personal finance is evident. As a plus, he has an inspiring personal story. I recommend him.”
“Raph’s knowledge and personalized approach made the 1:1 session incredibly valuable. He was able to clarify my queries and concerns as a novice investor, providing practical, useful guidance that was specific to my situation and location in the EU. If you’re looking for credible coaching, I highly recommend booking a session with Raph, an investment that pays off in clarity and confidence.”
“I found the coaching session with Raph to be very beneficial. He was extremely well prepared and answered all of my questions on the point. Everything was tailored to my needs and met me where I was at that moment. We made the most of the 60 minutes. In addition, the preparation with Francesca was flawless: quick answers, direct clarification of all my questions. Financial coaching is definitely a recommendation.”
“I’ve used the content off Bankeronwheels for a while now and found it extremely useful as an EU investor. I booked a session with Raph where we looked at my specific portfolio situation and sanity checked assumptions relating to my ETF stock and bond options, portfolio mix and future drawdown rates. There’s definitely value to both those getting started in the investment world as well as more mature investors here. I’d recommend setting up some coaching time with Raph.”
“Investment coaching with Raph was incredibly helpful. He is super knowledgable, really easy to talk to and explains things so that even a layman such as me can understand. Raph helped me map out some of the most important things to consider in order to reach our families financial goals. I feel more empowered and clear after our session and excited to get investing! We were able to cover allot of ground in our time together, and Raph also provided more reading to following up on the points we discussed so I can educate myself further on industry best practices. A fantastic coach, with the best blog on the web.”
“I would highly recommend booking a session with Raph. It’s the best way to refine your portfolio vision with an experienced manager, backed by real data. Additionally, the entire process of scheduling the meeting was seamless.”
“After reading many bankeronwheels articles (and finding them very helpful) decided to get a 1:1 session to ask some specific questions. Raph came very prepared and willing to discuss all topics/questions I had, as well as provide interesting thoughts in follow up emails. This session gave me more value than several chats with financial advisors – can highly recommend!”
“I’ve been following Banker on Wheels for a few years now, and considering all the value I’ve gained from the site, I felt compelled to try out their coaching services. I recently had a session with Raph, and I must say I wasn’t disappointed. He was thoroughly prepared, highlighting certain risks in my setup that had escaped my notice. Furthermore, he suggested improvements for my portfolio, taking into account my personal situation. I highly recommend their coaching to anyone dedicated to enhancing their investment strategy!”
“Excellent coaching! I spoke to Raph about investing from a Swiss perspective, during a series of sessions covering my specific situation. He provides experience-backed best market practices to set up a portfolio that requires minimum maintenance with low fees. The cost of such sessions is very reasonable given the savings this will provide me in the long run compared to if I were to do it without this knowledge. Not to mention the opportunity cost of my time. Highly recommended!”
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions. If you have any other concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
Why is coaching such a good value?
Our clients consistently tell us, “This is relatively cheap given the value you provide”. Why?
During the sessions, Raph often highlights tips on how to reduce your costs and generic taxes that add up much significant amounts than the cost of the session.
Also you pay a one-off fee, not a percentage of your portfolio, which compounds to a much higher amount as you can see in the above calculations. Also, while the fees you pay financial advisors typically stay for decades, you can reduce the number of coaching sessions once you’re comfortable managing your portfolio. Sometimes you only need a session to get started.
What you get:
✓ More Than Just an Hour: While you’re paying for a 1-hour session, the real value comes from over 2+ hours of work behind the scenes. We prepare a custom agenda, deeply understand your financial situation, and provide you with a detailed follow-up document with portfolio highlights.
✓ Expert Guidance: Raph brings 15 years of Portfolio Management experience on Wall Street, having worked with top-tier Asset Managers. His insight into markets goes beyond the average financial advisor.
✓ 100% Satisfaction Rate: Every single client we’ve worked with has been fully satisfied with the value they received.
Is there a limit on the complexity of my uploaded portfolio?
The session fee assumes questions related to asset allocation, technical aspects, understanding of investments, reduction of fees, taxes and other doubts you may have. But, during the call Raph can also comment on a portfolio with up to 15 positions*. The fee that you pay includes Raph’s time analysing these types of portfolios before the call and providing you with a challenger view. These could be for example different mutual funds, ETFs or Stocks.
Complex portfolios are different. For you, they are often more costly and difficult to manage. For Raph – complex portfolios need more preparation time to assess exposure and overlaps. We can look at them, especially if you want to clean up your portfolio and simplify things, but they require an add-on to be analysed. After booking we may request – if applicable and if you like us to review a complex portfolio – an additional payment as per the grid below. The fee is only charged once should you have multiple sessions. In summary – Yes, there’s an extra fee, but the goal is to simplify your portfolio so you won’t incur more fees, taxes and waste your time in the future.
| Portfolio Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard Portfolio (up to 15 positions) | Included |
| Complex Portfolio Add-on (15-30 positions) | € 199 |
| Complex Portfolio Add-on (30-45 positions) | € 349 |
| Complex Portfolio Add-on (45-60* positions) | € 499 |
* Please reach out for quote for portfolios exceeding 60 line-items
* For ETFs, we count different positions as ETFs tracking different index. E.g. If you have two ETFs tracking the same index in different accounts, this is of course treated as one combined exposure and counted as one as it doesn’t require additional analysis.
Do you offer any discounts?
We have a no-discount policy. Prices may only be revised upwards. Why? Raph’s time is very limited. We also think discounts would be unfair towards clients that used us in the past.
In fact, we think that a fair policy is based on trust. We value readers that trust us early, as so the service will be cheaper the earlier you book.
Do I need more than one session?
Not necessarily. The 5 options above just show on-going portfolio management. But, you can also hire someone like a coach or financial advisor to guide you on setting up your portfolio and then manage it yourself. In fact, some of our coaching members only need a session or two to set up their portfolio and understand how to manage it.
It really depends on your needs. We will share a form with you to best structure your questions so that you get the most out of the session. For a number of our readers, that gets them past their immediate concerns with investing. But we can proudly say that more often they come back for more sessions, once they realise that the opportunity costs of not getting a session – through higher expenses, time lost researching or mistakes later in their journey – far outweigh the nominal cost paid for a session.
Do I fit the profile of your typical clients?
A significant part of our clients are professionals in the Tech sector, Lawyers or Doctors that want to avoid costly mistakes when investing and optimise their portfolios.
We also have a large group of entrepreneurs that e.g. receive large lump sums after selling their company and want to invest it in financial markets. Some of our coaching clients are in their 40s or 50s and want to set up customised, income-producing portfolios or create bond ladders for their retirement. Our youngest client to date is in his early 20s. Our oldest – in her 70s.
Finally, we also coach 25-30 year old young professionals that want to maximise assets for early retirement.
Can Ultra-High Net Worth clients benefit?
Yes, in fact we also have clients with assets exceeding $100M. While they typically have more complex needs e.g. taxation, we usually help them in a challenger role.
With this type of net worth they don’t always trust their advisors – no wonder, given the quality of advice out there.
We can offer them guidance on asset allocation and reviewing whether their private bank/wealth manager is not overcharging them or offering products that e.g. could be replaced by better alternatives.
In which language do you provide this service?
The sessions are available in either:
- ✅ English
- ✅ French
- ✅ Polish
I am still brushing up my German and Japanese skills!
When can I expect the session?
It typically takes a few weeks to find a suitable slot in periods of high demand. However, we try to accommodate your needs and try to find a slot suitable for both of us as soon as possible. For multiple session packs we offer priority scheduling (within max 4 weeks).
Do I Need A Certain Level of Knowledge?
No, there are no pre-requirements. You can be a beginner or an experienced investor. I adapt the language and concepts to your knowledge.
What is the difference between financial advice and coaching?
Some considerations are included above. For more details, consult your regulator’s website.
A financial coach is: Trained but not regulated, Skilled at reviewing your overall financial situation and goals, Able to help you develop a financial plan to achieve those goals, Happy to discuss the pros and cons of various financial products but can’t recommend a specific one for you, Comfortable working with anyone, whatever their situation and Going to charge for their time.
A financial adviser is: Regulated and authorised by the regulator to recommend specific products to clients or is independent and able to offer ‘whole of market’ solutions. Often, going to charge a fixed or management fee, typically 1.5-2% of their client’s assets with initial fees on top.
Why coaching? We are proud to say that our coaching service has empowered a number of clients to reconsider their financial advisers’ offerings. From our clients’ feedback, in a number of cases, clients were overcharged, and offered unsuitable products, often due to conflicts of interest. However, this is not a rule. The best choice between a financial coach and adviser depends on an individual’s unique circumstances, including their financial literacy, time availability, comfort with managing their finances, and complexity of their financial situation.
Do you provide advice on Stocks?
No. We do not provide financial advice, and Stock selection is not part of this service.
What types of questions do you discuss with beginners?
We are flexible, for example:
- ✅ Show Me The Tools – What are the best tools to track my portfolio, choose ETFs, rebalance and monitor the market?
- ✅ Help Me With Asset Allocation – What investments do I need to take into consideration for e.g. Taking a Sabbatical, buying a House or saving for Early Retirement? What proportion of bonds and equities are reasonable for my goals?
- ✅ Challenge My Portfolio – Here is my portfolio – what am I missing? What could derail my strategy?
- ✅ Simplify My Portfolio – I have too many assets, some have gains other loses. What could I keep and could should I sell? Show me some ways to think about this problem. What is historically highly correlated, to keep my portfolio simple? Does rebalancing frequency matter?
- ✅ Investing Timing – I fear that investing a lump sum in this market may have a negative impact on my returns. How can timing of buying ETFs affect my performance? What are the best strategies to deploy my savings?
- ✅ Challenge My Financial Advisor – Is my FA worth it? Should I go DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Investing? What should I consider before making the move?
- ✅ Brokers – What are the pro and cons of investing with a bank? Why should I diversify brokers? What are the safety risks? Can we discuss a few brokers that I have pre-selected to assess them based on a safety and fee framework?
- ✅ Alternative Assets – What are some risks of portfolio diversifiers like Gold or Crypto? What are the benefits? What proportion of the portfolio should be allocated to them? How do I rebalance between the asset classes? Are multiasset ETFs beneficial?
- ✅ Reducing Costs – I have shortlisted a few ETFs, can you help me to compare them before I decide which one to buy? How much money can be saved by optimising withholding taxes?
- ✅ Benchmarking Against Others – What are educated investors doing in a similar situation to mine?
- ✅ International Investing – I may move to another country. What are the implications for my brokerage accounts, ETFs and fund taxes?
What do you discuss with experienced investors?
We are flexible, and discussions can be quite deep:
- ✅ Living Off My Portfolio – I am investing for a specific goal e.g. Early Retirement, what is the research saying about e.g. the amount I need to have accumulated, how much can I withdraw annually? How does it differ when I’m investing from the UK or Europe vs the US? What are some simulators available and how to run them? What are the assumptions/shortcomings of these models and how can I make my portfolio antifragile? How should I rebalance my portfolio tax-efficiently? Are dividends helpful in retirement?
- ✅ Sub-portfolios and Goal-based Investing – How do I manage my net worth with multiple goals e.g. house, retirement and kids’ education? What are the best tools to track my portfolio with multiple goals? How do I rebalance and monitor the market?
- ✅ Bonds & Bond ETFs – What are inflation linked Bonds? What makes them outperform? Should I allocate some portion when I am based in the UK or Europe? How do I rebalance an ETF portfolio? How to withdraw from my portfolio during retirement?
- ✅ Factor Investing – Why do some investors add small cap value stocks to their portfolios? I want to exclude Tobacco companies from my portfolio – what are my options? How to apply Factor Investing? Can I invest through Avantis or Dimensional Fund Advisors’ ETFs in Europe?
- ✅ US vs UCITS ETFs – Can I invest through U.S. ETFs? What are the pro & cons? How do I access U.S. ETFs from Europe?
- ✅ Reducing Risks & Broker Pro/Cons – Should I choose a Tier 1 or a Bank Broker? What are the risks of different types of brokerage accounts? How do I assess the risks of my broker going bankrupt? What would be the implications? How should I plan for this extreme scenario?
- ✅ Comparing Equivalent ETFs – I have certain constraints in my tax-wrapper and can only select certain funds (e.g. I live in France and limited to specific synthetic ETFs). Which ETF characteristics should I pay attention to with synthetics?
How should I prepare for the session?
Get a list of questions, and we can go through them in detail during the session. I understand that every investor will have different needs, and that’s why I tailor my session completely to the individual’s requirement.
So whether you want to discuss your existing portfolio, gain the knowledge and skills to start investing, or simply have some specific questions you would like to ask me, a coaching session will be a good choice for you.
Will we agree on the topics before the session?
Yes, you will receive an agenda based on your questions.
Will I receive any follow up documents?
Yes, you will receive a document after our call with recommended reading related to your specific questions.
Can I see reviews and testimonials from other investors?
Yes, while not all readers review us for privacy reasons, some of our coaching clients have kindly shared reviews on Google.
What software do I need to hold the video call?
We use Microsoft Teams. A link will be shared ahead of the session. We can also accommodate other videoconference services if you have a strong preference. A couple of sessions were also conducted via phone.
We provide Financial Coaching. A Coach is ›
- Trained but not regulated
- Skilled at reviewing your overall financial situation and goals
- Able to help you develop a financial plan to achieve those goals
- Happy to discuss the pros and cons of various financial products but can’t recommend a specific one for you
- Going to charge for their time
- May provide generic ETF Tax optimisation guidance, but no other tax/legal advice
We are not advisors. A Financial Advisor ›
- Is regulated
- May provide Specific securities recommendations
- May sell investment product
- May Provide tax or legal advice
- Is going to charge A management fee, typically 1.5-2% per year of their client’s assets with initial fees on top
- May be conflicted, as he may receive commissions from Asset managers
What Happens After the Booking
Agenda
Before each session we send you an agenda based on your inputs.
Our Session
We hold a session at a convenient time for you via MS Teams/Zoom.
Follow Up Materials
We follow up after the call with a PDF including additional reading materials.
Booking Process
Book & Pay
Fill out the form below and proceed to payment. You may be charged VAT depending on your location. The rate applied is determined by our payment provider based on your circumstances.
Fill Out the Information Form
After payment, you will be redirected to a form that will inform us of your needs and your questions.
We Schedule the Session
We typically review your request within 3 working days. We then arrange a session at a convenient time and request any additional details, if needed, to prepare the agenda for the session.
We Agree on the Agenda
We circulate the agenda, typically, 24h to 48h before the session in case you want to modify any topics or reprioritise the questions.
Book a Session
Payments are processed with credit card via Stripe. If you want to pay via bank transfer, contact us at [email protected].