Investments

The new government has stated its intention to boost the housing sector and made this an urgent priority for its administration. Measures have been announced and changes are under way. How does this affect mortgages? We interviewed our expert Michel Marx, Team Manager Retail Banking at Spuerkeess, to find out the situation with regard to investments and the financing of buy-to-let properties. Happy reading!

In June 2012, the OECD Council defined financial literacy as “a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being”.The subject is important and of concern to us all.. Among other things, acquiring financial skills enables people to better understand the economic and financial world, make informed decisions and better manage risks. We spoke to Jessica Thyrion, Financial Education Advisor with the ABBL Foundation, about the role of financial education in Luxembourg.

The contemporary wave of democratizing private equity investments, coupled with the recent modifications of Luxembourg's fund regulations, including the ELTIF framework, as well as the overarching trend of companies staying private for longer – all of these are driving the growth of Private Equity investments and funds in Luxembourg. In the context of these prevailing market dynamics: Why should fund initiators team up with Spuerkeess, both as a business partner and universal bank? This question is tackled by Claudio Pompei, Team Manager Business Development, Institutional Relationship Management at Spuerkeess.

This year Spuerkeess is participating in the 41st Stock Market Learning competition, a realistic stock market simulation contest and the only one of its kind in the Grand-Duchy. Claude Hermes from the Marketing department explains why Spuerkeess is holding this competition.

Sophie is intrigued by Marc’s new hobby and would really like to understand why he is spending so much time on his smartphone scrolling through the news about publicly traded companies. There’s no point asking him to explain what’s so fascinating – he’s much too engrossed in his reading to reply. So Sophie has an idea that will make Marc sit up and take notice!

Mum can already feel the first kicks in her tummy and Dad is eager to know the baby's sex, while Grandma cannot wait to spoil the baby and Grandpa is bursting with pride. As you may have guessed, the family is preparing for a happy event this summer. That means the young, future parents are overwhelmed with questions to which they need answers so that they can make the necessary preparations.

Investing for your children gives you the chance to build up a fund for major expenses in the future, such as a university education or a down payment on a house. S-Invest, the Spuerkeess investment plan, offers a long-term investment opportunity. Filipe Dos Santos Coimbra, branch manager at the John F. Kennedy branch, explains to us why you should invest for your children.

"It’s a fact that most of our customers open a savings account for their children at birth. And being a young father myself, I perfectly understand that this is very convenient to do so, in order to permit family and friends to easily put some money on it at any occasion. The first months with a baby are indeed not the best ones to think about finance. However, let me explain why they are actually the right ones to choose an alternative, smarter way of saving money."

The back-to-school season often coincides with a new stage in your life. You still remember your early school days and here comes the last semester at uni. Next year will be a big unknown! Entering the world of work, doing additional training or taking a gap year? Any project requires a financial cushion!

You remember that famous letter from the Tax Administration (Administration des Contributions Directes - ACD), asking you to fill in your tax return. You tucked it away since the new deadline is 31 December 2023 for the 2022 tax return. Did you know that not everyone is affected? Why not? Find the answers below.

The news on the financial markets, inflation and geopolitical disruptions have left customers feeling unsettled and insecure. Why is it important to keep a cool head and think carefully about a savings strategy that diversifies your investments? We asked Tânia Rei, branch manager in Diekirch, why she recommends the S-Invest Plus savings plan, an investment option that meets this need for savings diversification.

It’s been a while since Sophie and Marc bought aunt Elise’s beautiful house. Finally, the works are almost finished and they’re getting ready to move in. The costs of the renovation, the mortgage and the interest charges have made Sophie and Marc’s savings dwindle. With Marc’s parents having decided to sell their house in order to live in the South, they have given their children some money. This money, the young couple wants to invest in the family’s future.

Key rates are continuing to increase, which makes it more expensive for consumers to access credit. On the other hand, savings and some forms of investment, which were neglected during the period of historically low interest rates, are now making their comeback. Here’s an interview with Mauro da Silva, branch manager at Echternach, in which he explains the new opportunities available for savers

In February you received the famous letter from the Tax Administration asking you to submit your tax return for the previous year. From now on, the deadline for submitting your return is 31 December of the following year. In order to take better advantage of the possibilities offered by the Luxembourg government to reduce your tax burden, we have grouped together for you the products that are deductible from the taxable amount. We have also provided you with a tool to help you manage your tax return more effectively, and above all to save time and money!

Since moving into their first home and undertaking the renovation of their new house, Sophie has developed a passion for interior design. She therefore decided to transition to a new career and enrol in an in-depth training course. With a busy schedule, fortunately she can now make her Spuerkeess appointment via S-Net and spuerkeess.lu!

A website? An app? Yes, but which one do I choose if I’m just starting out in investment? As a general rule, if you’re just starting out, it’s a good idea to ask the experts: in other words - your bank.

You’re starting to feel more and more comfortable with the idea of investing and now would like to understand what it means to invest in “green”. Well, we will explain it all in this article.

Having invested in securities, you want to make sure you have made the right choices. To that end, it is for instance vital to keep informed of the latest developments at the company in which you bought shares, as well as of the political, economic and legal decisions impacting your stocks in a particular sector. This is all fine in theory. But in practice, how do you keep up with stock market news?

Now that you have an understanding of investment funds and equities, you just need to know what bonds are, to complete your basic knowledge. You may have already started investing in equities and/or funds at this stage, or you may be continuing to build up your knowledge and once you have all the cards in your hand, you will go for it. The important thing is that you go at your own pace! So let's see what bonds are and how to buy them.

You've done it! Your securities portfolio has been opened and you have set your investment amount. Welcome to the stock exchange! You may feel a little lost as you don’t really know what to invest in, or how much or simply how to invest. Let’s begin by learning about the securities listed on the stock exchange, starting with shares. What are shares? And how do you buy them?

Investment funds, also known as "mutual funds" or "undertakings for collective investments (UCI)", are investment products created to allow investors to pool their savings and invest in securities they would not be able to access on the same terms individually. Who are they for? And how can I invest?

You have set your investment budget, determined your investor profile and probably opened your securities account. What happens now? Well, you just need to define your investment strategy, before starting to buy securities on the stock exchange. But what do you do to decide the right strategy? And what exactly is an investment strategy?

Do you want to invest but do not know where to start? It would be true to say it is not the simple matter it might first appear, and that is why it is important to involve your bank before taking the step, so that it can support and guide you along the way. However, whenever you receive investment advice from your bank, the regulations (MiFID II) require an investor profile to be established about you. So, what is this about?

Are you able to put aside a little money at the end of each month? Have you ever asked yourself how you could put that extra money to work, to increase its value rather than let it sit dormant in your savings account? We have the solution for you: Invest your money. Get started by opening your own securities portfolio.

So you have decided to do something for your savings by investing some of your money? Congratulations! To get started in the Stock Market and build investment capital, you have to start by asking yourself the right questions. The most important first question is this: “How much money am I ready to invest in the Stock Market?”. You need to look at several factors to be able to answer that question.

Holding a portfolio consisting of financial assets, and then having to sell it in part or in full in order to have access to cash on an ad hoc basis, can lead to real disappointment. By proceeding in this way, you admittedly have access to the cash you need, but you are also foregoing the potential gains of your financial investments. In this article, Fred Kutten, Deputy Head of Business Unit Private Banking at Spuerkeess, explains how a Lombard loan can be a solution that will save you a lot of regrets.

Like every year at this time, the race for Christmas presents is on. In exactly three weeks, dozens of gifts will be piled up at the foot of Sophie and Marc's Christmas tree that will delight their little Lily, but Sophie has been fed up with this unnecessary waste for years.

Wealth management needs to meet numerous objectives and it can be complicated to strike the right balance between these goals and the enhancement of your wealth, especially without the assistance of experts. At Spuerkeess, we assess your specific needs and identify the investment solutions which suit you best. This article features the advice of Nicolas Carré, Team Manager of the “Investment and Portfolio Management” entity of the Business Unit Private Banking.

Do you have some savings tucked away? Or have you inherited some money? Sure, you could organise an awesome trip halfway around the world, make some luxury shopping, or simply put the money away in your savings account, however you do have other options to put your savings to work for you by carefully investing it. For beginners investors: in this article we present three approaches for you to flawlessly invest your savings.

Marc is fascinated by all the technology surrounding him and believes that the possibilities for human beings to expand their knowledge are limitless. Who would have thought that Marc, who had never liked economics class and was frankly never very good at maths, would one day be able to understand anything about the financial industry? . And yet as it so happens, he could even explain to Sophie how to invest and she would be able to find out more for herself. Now there’s an idea, wouldn’t you say?

Sophie and Marc are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter Lily! While the couple is on cloud nine, they already have quite a few questions about their child’s financial future. How can we save for our children? What are the best investments to make right away?

Reducing the use of plastic, taking public transport, buying second hand, eating local...the list of small actions that can improve our consumption habits has no limit when it comes to protecting our planet. We have all started, in our own ways, to implement these changes in our daily routine and we are becoming more and more responsible. Thus, aren’t we neglecting another important factor?

The New Year has long begun but you seem to have forgotten all about your good resolutions? Don't worry! In order to refresh your memory, here are five useful resolutions on how to save in 2018.

On 12 September, as part of its commitment to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), Spuerkeess Asset Management (Spuerkeess Asset Management is the trading name of BCEE Asset Management) signed the "Investor statement on deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon". This statement aims to encourage companies to step up their efforts and state their intention to eliminate deforestation from their activities and supply chains.

Over time, Marc has amassed a small amount of money in his savings account. With how interest rates have been developing over the past years, this means that his savings are currently mostly catching dust. This is one of the reasons, why he has been tempted to invest part of it: to get movement into some of his savings.

In light of the recent economic environment and the arrival of MiFID II, which further regulates investment advice and portfolio management, clients have become more exacting in terms of financial advice. Claude Hirtzig, Senior Vice President, Head of Private Banking, explains how Spuerkeess has reshaped its offering to provide an optimal framework for clients’ investments.

This year, treat yourself to a gift that will keep on giving!

Discover how you can take advantage of the financial markets by investing small amounts, starting from age 18!

The European Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) entered into force on 3 January 2018. Claude Hirtzig, Head of Department and Senior Vice President at Spuerkeess, spoke to us about the importance of this directive in terms of transparency and investor protection.

This is the year that Marc has decided to boost his savings! Along with Sophie, he has already put together a BHW housing savings scheme for their future house construction project. Saving is good, of course, but Marc would also like to invest money to see it grow! Now, he is not rolling in money and the sum that he wants to invest does not gain him access to private banking.