Step by step upwards! With an all-time high in passive income, the foundation for financial freedom is rock solid. 📈🏰

May proved how important stability is. Just like the historic walls of Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen, which I visited, my portfolio is in a solid position after the recent rollercoaster ride, with the overall portfolio recording a solid gain of 2.42%.

On the markets, AI continues to drive tech stocks, while $CSCO (+2,89 %) the strong old economy backbone.

The 397 steps of the Spitzhaus staircase in Radebeul near Dresden are a perfect symbol of wealth accumulation. It takes perseverance and consistency. But investors are rewarded with a steadily increasing cash flow. Time for a look back!

DISCLAIMER/RISK WARNING

Please remember that this article is for entertainment purposes only. At no point is it a buy or sell recommendation or professional legal, tax or investment advice. Don't just copy anything I do. I am merely describing what is happening in my portfolios, but in no way guarantee that it is up-to-date, correct or complete.

Investing in the capital market is always associated with risks such as loss of invested capital, price fluctuations, liquidation risks or market risks. In accordance with the current guidelines of ESMA and BaFin, I expressly point out that this review serves exclusively to document my personal investment strategy and does not constitute investment advice within the meaning of the WpIG. The securities presented by me are expressly not to be understood as investment advicebut are merely components of my personal portfolio at the time of reporting. Please also bear in mind that there is a conflict of interest, as I naturally hold the securities mentioned myself.

If necessary, seek professional advice and do your own research.

Despite great care, there may be errors in the text or in the figures.

Overall performance

My key performance indicators for my overall portfolio at a glance:

• TTWROR (month under review): + 2.42 % (previous month: + 5.29 %)
• TTWROR (since inception): +95,36 %
• IZF (month under review): +32.45 % (previous month: +87.17 %)
• IZF (since inception): +12,39 %
• Delta: +2,426.37 €
• Absolute change: € +3,506.37

Data shown as "since inception" is valid since 31.05.2020

Performance & volume

The merry month of May had little impact on my tops and flops. They all moved a little, but hardly with recognizable strong trends. It is rather stocks from the solid middle that stand out with a stronger positive development, such as $CSCO (+2,89 %) , $QCOM (-0,25 %) or $TXN (-1,53 %) . All tech somewhere, but not the tech that we all think of first and foremost.

My problem children remain problem children, but they are all improving somehow. We are reducing the minus, especially with $NKE (+0,03 %) ; $CPB (-0,41 %) , $NOVO B (+1,09 %) and $DHR (+1,17 %) . I cannot see any clear reason other than a general recovery.

Largest single stock positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share (%) of total portfolio (and associated portfolio):

$AVGO (+0,21 %) 3.39 % (main share portfolio)

$GOOGL (+0,84 %) 1.67 % (main share portfolio)

$WMT (+0,71 %) 1.61 % (main share portfolio)

$CSCO (+2,89 %) 1.51 % (main share portfolio)

$FAST (+0,58 %) 1.32 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share (%) of the total portfolio (and associated securities account):

$GIS (-0,79 %) 0.39 % (main share portfolio)

$NOVO B (+1,09 %) 0.45 % (main share portfolio)

$EDM2 (+1,44 %) 0.45 % (main share portfolio)

$NKE (+0,03 %) 0.47 % (main share portfolio)

$DHR 0.56 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase (%) (and the respective portfolio):

$AVGO (+0,21 %) : +450.94 % (main share portfolio)

$GOOGL (+0,84 %) +153.04 % (main share portfolio)

$CSCO (+2,89 %) +116.83 % (main share portfolio)

$WMT (+0,71 %) +91.59 % (main share portfolio)

$OHI (+0,69 %) +81.69 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase (%) (and the respective portfolio):

$GIS (-0,79 %) : -46.94 % (main share portfolio)

$NKE (+0,03 %) -46.64 % (main share portfolio)

$CPB (-0,41 %) -40.13 % (main share portfolio)

$NOVO B (+1,09 %) -26.23 % (main share portfolio)

$DHR (+1,17 %) -24.28 % (main share portfolio)

Sector allocation of my individual stocks

My top 6 sectors are:

Consumer goods: 16.30% (previous month: 17.62%)

Technology: 16.09% [excluding information technology] (previous month: 16.60%)

Miscellaneous: 15.56 % (previous month: 16.60 %)

Financial sector: 11.30% (previous month: 11.39%)

Transportation: 9.67% (previous month: 9.13%)

Trade: 8.18 % (previous month: 7.50 %)

Asset allocation

Equities and ETFs currently determine my asset allocation, with ETFs growing steadily in recent months, which may be due to additional purchases.

ETFs: 43.4 % (previous month: 42.8 %)

Equities: 56.6 % (previous month: 57.2 %)

Investments and additional purchases

I have invested the following sums in savings plans:

Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: € 1,080

Savings ratio of savings plans to fixed net salary: 50.60

Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, incl. reinvested dividends according to plan size: € 1,200

In addition, there were the following additional investments from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:

Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as cashback annuities from refunds: € 0.00

Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as cashback annuities from bonuses: € 0.00

Subsequent purchases from other surpluses: € 185.21

Automatically reinvested dividends by the broker: € 5.47 (Function is only activated for an old custody account, as I otherwise prefer to control the reinvestment myself)

Number of unscheduled additional purchases: 5

Passive income from dividends and ETF distributions

Passive income in the month under review

I received € 272.14 in dividends and ETF distributions in the month under review (€ 163.38 in the same month of the previous year). This corresponds to a change of +66.57 % compared to the same month of the previous year.

Number of dividend payments and ETF distributions: 28

Number of payment days: 15 days

Average dividend per payment: € 9.72

average dividend per payment day: € 18.14

Passive income YTD

YTD I have received distributions in the amount of € 914.50. If you put this in relation to my annual dividend target of € 2,100, the target achievement of the distribution is 43.5 % (target 41.7 %). This means that after several months I am now back above the target, which also shows that we are now facing stronger months again.

The three calculation methods result in the following distribution yields:

YTD distribution yields: 0.98 %

Distribution yields since inception: 4.97 %

Distribution yields YoY: 2.31 %

The distribution yield YoY increased by 0.93%, while the relative fluctuation was 29.54%. This shows that the distribution is growing slightly, but nevertheless from a lower momentum, as the relative fluctuation was always lower in the previous months. We are therefore dealing with a surge, which traditionally characterizes May for me.

My top payers

The top 6 payers in the month under review were:

$VNA (-0,21 %)

$DHL (+1,61 %)

$IMEU (+0,77 %)

$IWDP (+0,67 %)

$HTGC (+1,37 %)

$SAP (+1,41 %)

FIRE Number & Runway

Even though I don't want to sell shares later, I also calculate my FIRE number for comparability with investors who run an exclusively accumulating strategy.

My FIRE figure based on my 12-month spending (TTM) of €12,219.62 was €305,490.50 (previous month: €303,921.50).

That's the minimum amount my portfolio would need to reach to theoretically cover the expenses via a 4% withdrawal. And this figure has risen slightly.

Of course, this figure fluctuates every month. But it's not the only metric to determine how long my assets could support me in an emergency (without taking taxes into account).

The rolling spending range (runway) expresses how long I could live off my assets.

On an annual basis, this is currently 8.16 years (previous month 7.92 years). Compared to the previous month, it has fallen by 0.24 years increased. So I am effectively about quarter of a year more "free" due to the recovery from the current global political events.

Compared to the same month last year, this is an increase of 2.33 years years. I am still 16.84 years away from my runway target (25 years), which corresponds to the FIRE multiplier. 16.84 years away. So there is still a long way to go to financial freedom, assuming that everything continues as before.

The runway stability of 97.49% indicates that my system is solid despite the market turbulence. The proximity to 100% proves that the core of my strategy remains unaffected by the market.

Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks

To see where I really stand, I regularly compare my portfolio with the major market ETFs. This allows me to see immediately how well my performance (TTWROR) has done in the current month and since the start compared to the overall market.

My portfolio: +2.42 %

$VWRL: +5,97 %

$VUSA: +6.43 %

$IQQY: +3.22 %

I am lagging behind...

Risk figures

Here are my risk figures for the month under review:

Maximum drawdown:

In the month under review: 0.78

since start: 17.17 %

Maximum drawdown duration:

In the month under review: 8 days

since start: 702 days

Volatility:

In the month under review: 2.07

since inception: 28.74 %

Sharpe Ratio:

In the month under review: 13.77

since inception: 0.43

Semi-volatility:

In the month under review: 1.28

since inception: 21.31 %

The maximum drawdown in May of just 0.78 % shows that the dust has settled. While the previous months were still characterized by corrections, the impact in May remains minimal. The Sharpe ratio of a strong 13.77 underlines the excellent risk-adjusted performance in this growth phase.

With a volatility of 2.07% and a semi-volatility of 1.28%, the fluctuations are far below the historical average. This confirms once again that my system is stable. While the long-term values hardly move, I use the calm for my foundation. The focus remains on cash flow, while the risks remain absolutely controlled.

Outlook

I look back on the merry month of May with real satisfaction. Fresh capital flowed directly into the market, the foundation for passive income continues to grow and May delivered a new all-time high: EUR 272.14 in dividends and distributions show in black and white that perseverance pays off.

Privately, May was a real month of pleasure. The trips to Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen and Wackerbarth Castle, including the Spitzhaustreppe in Radebeul near Dresden, were absolute highlights. The 397 steps of the Spitzhaustreppe made me realize something that I have long known from investing: it always goes up step by step. My running sessions and workouts are now so automated that my strength and endurance grow almost automatically, without any motivational debates.

I conclude this review with real serenity. When the foundation is right and the habits are in place, the market noise loses all its terror. If you build your foundation like a castle, you will not be distracted by any wind.

Thank you for reading. Onwards to June and upwards step by step! 🚀

👉 The review is also available as a YouTube video and as Instagram Carousel posts, which are published as follows:

06.06.2026: Depot review on Instagram (key performance indicators, share performance, allocation, sectors, additional purchases and performance comparisons)

07.06.2026: Budget review on Instagram (income, expenses, cash flow, ratios, budget compliance and citizen money check)

08.06.2026: Cash flow review on Instagram (general, YTD and actual vs. target comparison for passive income, my top spenders, FIRE figure and capital reach)

09.06.2026: consolidated monthly review on YouTube

📲 There are regular videos, shorts, reels and carousel posts on the topics of frugalism, mindset and investing under @frugalfreisein on Instagram and YouTube.

Please pay close attention to the spelling of my alias. Unfortunately, there are too many fake and phishing accounts on social media. I have already been "copied" several times.

And some unplanned dividends reinvested individually. The real estate thing is undoubtedly still suffering from the interest rate shock at the time. But as part of my "replacement property", it fits in well with my concept. Sometimes I also see it as paying part of the operating costs.

While I wandered through Rostock and Schwerin, spent a frugal night and found a moment of peace in Schwerin Cathedral, my depots simply carried on doing their thing. No hectic rush, no manual interventions, no nervous glances at my smartphone. The automation of my reinvestments, savings plans and standing orders is simply worth its weight in gold!

And then, right in that moment of silence in the cathedral, a message demanded my attention. It was the moment when the biggest dividend of the month arrived. A sign from the very top, or timing straight out of a picture book? Back home at the end of the month, a new player became apparent in the portfolio, which advanced into the top 5. But catching up with my strongest stock is still a long way off for the new challenger. Time for a review.

Overall performance

For me, November in general was the same as always: steady and boring. I didn't even really notice that the US budget shutdown had ended. Just as well, because business as usual can continue.

My key performance indicators for my overall portfolio at a glance:

• TTWROR (month under review): +1.40 % (previous month: +1.39 %)
• TTWROR (since inception): +79,75 %
• IZF (month under review): +18.54 % (previous month: +9.65 %)
• IZF (since inception): +11,22 %
• Delta: +1,211.47 €
• Absolute change: +€2,398.46

Performance & volume

$AVGO (+0,21 %) remains the heavyweight in the portfolio, but as mentioned in the introduction, there is a new challenger that made significant gains in November and has now moved into the top 5. $GOOGL (+0,84 %) pulls past $BAC (+1,87 %) . They have just delivered. New Gemini and Nano Banana version. The constant new advances in AI are the clear driver here. But watch out! The question in the future will be who will earn money with AI. Will it be those who have integrated it into their products or those who create the basic prerequisites for its use via data centers and hardware? I am curious.

And even if this competition is super exciting, these values are not in my sights, more on that later in the outlook.

Size of individual stock positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share ( %) of total portfolio (and associated portfolio):

$AVGO (+0,21 %) 3.57 % (main share portfolio)

$WMT (+0,71 %) 1.75 % (main share portfolio)

$GOOGL (+0,84 %) 1.56 % (main share portfolio)

$NFLX (-1,81 %) 1.60 % (main share portfolio)

$BAC (+1,87 %) 1.46 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share ( %) of the total portfolio (and associated securities account):

$NOVO B (+1,09 %) : 0.45 % (main share portfolio)

$GIS (-0,79 %) : 0.56 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)

$BATS (+0,06 %) 0.57 % (main share portfolio)

$TGT (-0,58 %) 0.57 % (main share portfolio)

$MDLZ (-0,02 %) 0.59 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase ( %) (and the respective portfolio):

$AVGO (+0,21 %) : +369 % (main share portfolio)

$NFLX (-1,81 %) +120 % (main share portfolio)

$GOOGL (+0,84 %) +119 % (main share portfolio)

$WMT (+0,71 %) +95 % (main share portfolio)

$OHI (+0,69 %) + 90 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase ( %) (and the respective portfolio):

$TGT (-0,58 %) : -35 % (main share portfolio)

$GIS (-0,79 %) : -35 % (main share portfolio)

$NKE (+0,03 %) -31 % (main share portfolio)

$NOVO B (+1,09 %) -29 % (main share portfolio)

$CPB (-0,41 %) -26 % (main share portfolio)

Asset allocation

Equities and ETFs currently determine my asset allocation.

ETFs: 41.3 %

Equities: 58.6 %

Crypto: 0.0 %

P2P: less than 0.01 %

Investments and subsequent purchases

I have invested the following amounts in savings plans:

Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: € 1,030

Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, incl. reinvested dividends according to plan size: € 1,140

Savings ratio of the savings plans to the fixed net salary: 49.75

In addition, the following additional investments were made from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:

Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as cashback annuities from refunds: € 75.00

Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as a cashback annuity from bonuses: € 21.98

Subsequent purchases from other surpluses: € 0.00* (additional purchases are only made in December)

Automatically reinvested dividends by the broker: € 2.08 (function is only activated for an old custody account, as I otherwise prefer to control the reinvestment myself)

Unscheduled purchases were made on various securities accounts outside the regular savings plans:

Number of unscheduled purchases: 9

21.98 € for $SPYW (+0,41 %)

35.00 € for $SPYW (+0,41 %)

40.00 € for $GGRP (+0,69 %)

35.00 € for $GGRP (+0,69 %)

Passive income from dividends

I received € 113.15 in dividends (€ 82.45 in the same month last year). This corresponds to a change of +37.36 % compared to the same month last year. For a rather weak month, this is a great sum, which I am grateful for and from which I made a small donation in addition to reinvesting, as I did in September and October. Other key figures:

Number of dividend payments: 22

Number of payment days: 10 days

Average dividend per payment: € 5.60

average dividend per payday: € 12.32

The top three payers in the month under review were:

$IWDP (+0,67 %)

$ZPRG (+0,18 %)

$HTGC (+1,37 %)

My passive income from dividends (and some interest) mathematically covered 12.59% of my expenses for the month under review. Acceptable for a weak month with medium-high expenses (by my standards).

Crypto performance

As I play by the cycle theory, I got out of crypto completely in October. The share was previously insignificant in my portfolio anyway, but the harvest has nevertheless been reaped. Only the Oracle of Delphi knows whether I am right with my approach. There was more in an earlier getquin post from me, in which I explained my assumptions and strategy in detail.

So there are no key figures to report. Now it's time to learn and understand.

Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks

A comparison of my portfolio with two important ETFs shows the TTWROR in the current month (and since the beginning):

My portfolio: +1.40 % (since I started: +79.75 %)

$VWRL (+0,81 %) -0.50 % (since my start: 62.52 %)

$VUSA (+0,69 %) -0.48 % (since my start: 58.04 %)

Finally performed better than my chosen benchmark ETFs.☺️

Risk figures

Here are my risk figures for the month under review:

Maximum drawdown: YTD: 17.17% (month under review: 2.34%)

Maximum drawdown duration: 702 days since inception (reporting month: 14 days)

Volatility: YTD: 28.15 % (in the month under review: 2.44 %)

Sharpe Ratio: YTD: 0.39 (in the month under review: 7.63)

Semi-volatility: YTD: 20.91 % (in the month under review: 1.75 %)

The maximum drawdown of 702 days since the beginning is a long period 2022-2023 before the year-end rally began at the end of 2023. Otherwise the figures suit me well.

My Sharpe ratio of 0.39 YTD shows that I have achieved a return of 0.39 units above the risk-free rate per unit of risk.

My vola of 28.15% YTD is the direct footprint of the loud roar and then small cave-in of Trump's tariff policy. It has proven itself again: For me as a long-term investor, what counts is simply staying calm and buying the dip when another dip comes.

Outlook

I still have some money left over from my food and drugstore budget, but I won't be (re)investing it until December with the surpluses I hope to have by then. I've chosen a boring REIT that won't be $O, but still pays out monthly dividends and has long been a position in my portfolio. Strictly speaking, I've seen little or no mention of this stock among the financial tycoons recently. You'll see which one in the next review.

The last point will be a little more personal again. Loyal readers of my reviews will know from the August review that this summer I was diagnosed with aortic ectasia of the ascending aorta near the heart as a result of the bicuspid and insufficient aortic valve. An incidental finding that will be treated with the necessary seriousness through close monitoring and an upcoming operation. And precisely because of this, it is no longer the ticking time bomb that it would be if it were still undetected and possibly larger. The knowledge of this and now my own adjustment to day X is gradually changing my way of thinking. Before the discovery, when I was just a patient with a leaky aortic valve who regained a lot after changing my lifestyle for the better, e.g. exercise, I was influenced by the idea that I had a lot of time to implement what was on my mind. Now I know that I want to get a few things done before the day of the procedure and the lengthy recovery. I am now aware of the issue of time in a whole new way. Why am I writing this publicly? Because I want to show that finances are certainly important, but only one piece of the puzzle of life.

So, that's enough writing. With that in mind, have a wonderful Christmas.

Thank you for reading. Stay healthy and happy!

👉 You can also see my review on Instagram from next week (portfolio review from 8.12.25 and budget review from 9.12.25).

📲 In addition to the portfolio and budget review, there are currently three posts a week: @frugalfreisein

!!! Please pay close attention to the spelling of my alias. Unfortunately, there are too many fake and phishing accounts on social media. I have already been "copied" several times.

👉 How was your month at the depot? Do you have any tops and flops to report? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Greetings,

I generally don't think much of posts on feeds from any media, as they don't bring me any added value but merely serve to present myself. Now that I have followed the publications and reactions a bit, I think I have seen more than less constructive members here.

For this reason, I have decided to make the first post of my life here. It's not directly about sums, I just want to ask for your assessment of my savings plan and target allocation. Constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement are expressly welcome.

The whole thing is intended to reflect a core-satellite strategy with a 1:1 risk/reward ratio.

Global diversification (core) - 60%:

• $CSPX (+0,67 %) - 25%,
• $MEUD (+0,74 %) - 17%,
• $LEM (+1,13 %) - 10%,
• 
  $XDWH (+1,54 %) - 8%,

Individual securities (satellites) - max. 20%:

• 
  $BRK.B (+0,53 %) - 5%,
• 
  $IBE (+0,97 %) - 3%,
• 
  $CRWD (+4,5 %) - 3%,
• 
  $HUBS (+0,5 %) - 3%,
• 
  $AVAV (+0,06 %) - 2%,
• 
  $NTLA (+4,95 %) - 2%,
• 
  $BWXT (+0,94 %) - 2%,

Buffer (security) - approx. 20%:

Raw materials:

• 
  $IGLN (+1,63 %) - 6%,,
• 
  $CMOE (+0,36 %) - 4%,

Bonds:

• 
  $0GGH (+0,17 %) - 6%,

Real estate:

• 
  $IWDP (+0,67 %) - 4%.

My thought process should be clear. The core should cover global performance with a percentage distribution based on economic strength. Separately, the World Health Care ETF, as people are getting older and sicker and, in my opinion, the healthcare sector is not so strongly represented in the other ETFs.

For the satellites, my thought process is as follows:

Berkshire can be seen as an ETF and covers successful individual stocks.

Nothing works without energy, hence BWX (USA) and Iberdrola (Europe). I see digital security threatened by AI and the further development of data centers etc., hence CrowdStrike. Companies will always need good software to be able to expand and still keep track of things, hence HubSpot. In connection with AI and the armed conflicts in our world, I see drones as a future-oriented technology in all possible areas, hence AeroVironment. And I discovered Intellia as a medical catapult, which is admittedly a bit of a gamble, but always gets a lot of drugs into the test phase.

I don't think I need to say much about the buffers, as in my view these are the investments that remain stable or grow in difficult market phases when everything else is falling.

This gives you a little insight into my thinking and actions. Please don't tear it apart, I'm not a professional but I'm sacrificing some of my remaining free time to get a bit of an insight into the world of capital and maybe get a small slice.

I welcome any opinions and suggestions for improvement.

I wish everyone a successful week!

Best regards

Nils

August gave us another real midsummer and showed its best side on some days. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to pursue one of my hobbies: Swimming, swimming and swimming again. I enjoyed every minute in the now cooler water. There was no hiking this month, but the swimming made up for it completely. I'm slowly looking forward to cooler temperatures again, because the cold adaptation for ice swimming is already calling! But before we head into fall, it's time for a look back.

Overall performance

After the brief consolidation caused by the new Trump tariffs, my portfolio recovered quickly and showed a stable, slightly positive performance in August. The prospect of interest rate cuts by the Fed provided a small boost, but there were no major movements. Typical summer slump. But, as expected, what had to come arrived on time: the distributions. My key performance indicators for my overall portfolio at a glance:

• TTWROR (month of August): +1.01 % (previous month: +3.82 %)
• TTWROR (since inception): +73,69 %
• IZF (month of August): +12.50 % (previous month: +46.14 %)
• IZF (since inception): +10,79 %
• Delta: +794.74 €
• Absolute change: +1,850.61 €

Performance & volume

My class leader continues to expand its dominance. If this continues, it will soon become a decisive factor in overall performance. The $BOA rises into the top 5 by volume, $SAP (+1,41 %) falls back. Rising in terms of performance$MAIN (-0,42 %) and there, too, the$SAP (+1,41 %) falls back. I also notice something about the winners of the red lantern in terms of performance:$NOVO B (+1,09 %) has reached the bottom basement, once one of my very strongest stocks. So the tide is turning. Opportunity to buy more? Instead$CPB (-0,41 %) has risen from the cellar. But this share still has a long way to go.

Size of individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share (%) of total portfolio and associated portfolio:

• $AVGO (+0,21 %) : 3.30 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-1,81 %) 1.98 % (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,71 %) 1.72 % (main share portfolio)
• $FAST (+0,58 %) s: 1.69 % (main share portfolio)
• $BOA 1.45 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:

Share proportion (%) of the total portfolio and associated securities account:

• $SHEL (+0,22 %) : 0.42 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $NOVO B (+1,09 %) 0.49 % (main share portfolio)
• $HSBA (+1,12 %) 0.54 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $TGT (-0,58 %) 0.57 % (main share portfolio)
• $GIS (-0,79 %) 0.61 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase (%) and the respective portfolio:

• $AVGO (+0,21 %) : +328 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-1,81 %) : +176 % (main share portfolio)
• $FAST (+0,58 %) +83 % (main share portfolio)
• $MAIN (-0,42 %) : +79 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+1,41 %) +74 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Shares with performance since initial purchase (%) and the respective portfolio:

• $TGT (-0,58 %) : -36 % (main share portfolio)
• $GIS (-0,79 %) -31 % (main share portfolio)
• $UPS (+0,58 %) -26 % (main share portfolio)
• $NKE (+0,03 %) -25 % (main share portfolio)
• $NOVO B (+1,09 %) -21 % (main share portfolio)

Asset allocation

My asset allocation is as follows:

• ETFs: 38.3 %
• Equities: 59.0 %
• Crypto: 2.60%
• P2P: less than 0.01%

Investments and subsequent purchases

Here is a small overview of what I have invested via savings plans according to my fixed planning.

• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: €1,030
• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, incl. reinvested dividends: €1,140
• Savings ratio of the savings plans to the fixed net salary: 49.75

In addition, there were the following additional investments from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:

• Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as cashback annuities from refunds: € 79.00
• Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as a cashback annuity from bonuses/incentives from the KK: € 20.00
• Subsequent purchases from other surpluses: € 30.00
• Automatically reinvested dividends by the broker: € 3.01 (this function is only activated for an old custody account, as I otherwise prefer to manage the reinvestment myself)

Additional purchases were made:

• Number of additional purchases: 3
• 55.00 € for $JEGP (+0,13 %)
• 
  44.00 € for $GGRP (+0,69 %)
• 
  30.00 € for $FGEQ (+0,56 %)
• 
  295.08 € for $DXSA (+0,34 %) (funds from the sale of a $ETH (+0,18 %) tranche)

If you want to know how my cashback pension tops up my share and ETF pension, please write it in the comments.

Passive income from dividends

My income from dividends amounted to €128.42 (€92.61 in the same month last year). This corresponds to an increase of +38,67 % compared to the same month last year. The following is further key data on the distributions:

• Number of dividend payments: 22
• Number of payment days: 12 days
• Average dividend per payment: € 5.83
• average dividend per payment day: € 10.70

The top three payers are:

• $IWDP (+0,67 %)
• 
  $ISPA (+0,37 %)
• 
  $ZPRG (+0,18 %)

My passive income from dividends (and some interest) mathematically covered 14.94% of my expenses in the month under review.

Crypto performance

My crypto portfolio was characterized by the partial sale of a $ETH (+0,18 %) tranche as part of my "crypto succession strategy". Around € 298 in Etherium was taken off the table.

Here are some key figures:

• Monthly performance portfolio: +0.29 %
• Performance since inception: +134.35 %
• Share of holdings for which the tax holding period has expired: 98.55 %.
• Crypto share of the total portfolio: 2.20 %

The sale of the tranche explains the decline in the crypto share from 2.6% to 2.2%

As a "follower" of the crypto cycle, I am increasingly accepting the idea that the cycle is still in tact, but is expanding. The reason for this should be the ETF purchases and the activities of the crypto treasury companies. Retail still seems to be asleep. The playing field is very exciting, if only from a macroeconomic perspective. I can only advise looking into the cycle and issues such as money creation and the correlation between the M2 money supply and $BTC. Although I am not a fan of cryptocurrencies, I think they are a sensible component of a balanced portfolio.

Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks

A comparison of my portfolio with two important ETFs shows

• TTWROR (current month): +1,01 %
• $VWRL (+0,81 %) : -0,33 %
• $VUSA (+0,69 %) : -1,13 %

Outlook and a private bonus

My Carousel posts of the portfolio review and budget review always start on the hook slide with a background image from my month. These are usually places I've visited or moments that have moved me. This time it's the same, although a CT scan would almost be more appropriate.

A chest CT confirmed what I had been wondering about for some time: my ascending aorta is dilated. This is a consequence of my congenital heart valve defect. Fortunately, it was discovered early before it could develop into an aneurysm, dissection or even rupture. A classic chance discovery, a stroke of luck. I was able to keep the heart valve "in check" for a long time, and fortunately there are currently no worse findings for it. But the diagnosis of the ascending aorta now brings certainty: an operation will certainly be necessary at some point.

Why am I sharing this here? Because it has taught me humility once again. The diagnosis isn't nice, but it's not a surprise either. Perhaps my v. A. more active lifestyle since corona has contributed to the fact that it is stable today and still allows me to do a lot: sporting activity, which I have fought my way back over the years. The restrictions that already apply to avoid pressure peaks on the aorta are minimal. My quality of life is still very high.

My conclusion: Keep fit, go for check-ups and take your body seriously. Invest in your health and fitness. Our deposits are only worth as much as our health allows us to enjoy them.

So I will be able to visit the cardiologist and radiologist even more regularly in future, an honor! (irony off). Everything will be fine!

👉 You want my review as an Instagram post?

Then follow me on Instagram:

📲 In addition to the portfolio and extra budget review, you'll also find regular posts there: @frugalfreisein

Please pay close attention to the spelling, unfortunately there are too many fake and phishing accounts on social media. I have already been "copied" several times.

👉 How was your August at the depot? Do you have any tops and flops to report?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

BEFORE: I have completely revised my portfolio review. There are now even more in-depth figures to see and I have greatly reduced the body text. Only my introduction is a little more detailed. The visual overview on Instagram has also been completely revamped. There is also a budget review, which I am not publishing here as a post. However, I have included a few key figures from this one in the portfolio review.

I am very happy about likes here at GQ and on both IG posts, as the complete renewal has cost me a lot of nerves and time. 🙃 If you also want to know how my personal finances have developed, I'd like to refer you to my personal budget review on Instagram.

In future, I will publish my detailed assessments on individual topics that were previously part of the review (such as crypto cycles or my succession strategy for crypto) separately in individual posts on GQ. Perhaps as a kind of supplementary post.

Are you missing important key figures or do you have suggestions for optimization? Constructive suggestions are always welcome.

For me, May was characterized by calm and composure, because I kept the noise of the markets and US trade policy away from me. I can do no more than simply buy more. I like to refer here to the stoic way of thinking, which focuses on prioritizing what you can influence. And that is my personal development. So that meant doing sport (at home with YouTube cardio and strength, abs, core, running), stockpiling Instagram posts so that I have some breathing space in the summer and delving deeper into the topic of AI. And the tax return was also completed. Meanwhile, dividends have been stable with the second strongest month ever, which was April. Time for a deep dive into my figures.

Overall performance

My portfolio performed well in May. Bit by bit, we are fighting our way up from the tariff lows. The key performance indicators are

• TTWROR (month of May): +4.83 %
• TTWROR (since inception): +65.84 %
• IZF (month of May): +74.24 %
• IZF (since inception): +9.94 %
• Delta: +€3,368.39
• Absolute change: +4,486.96 €

Share allocation & performance

Which shares performed particularly well in May? Which are at the top of the chain and which at the bottom? Which were the biggest losers?

Size of individual share positions by volume

Share: Share of total portfolio in % (portfolio)

• $AVGO (+0,21 %) : 2,71 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-1,81 %) : 2,12 % (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,71 %) : 1,83 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+1,41 %) : 1,69 % (main share portfolio)
• $FAST (+0,58 %) : 1,59 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume:

Share: Share of total portfolio in % (securities account)

• $SHEL (+0,22 %) : 0,44 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $HSBA (+1,12 %) : 0,54 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $TGT (-0,58 %) : 0,62 % (main share portfolio)
• 
  $DHR (+1,17 %) : 0,66 % (main share deposit)
• 
  $NKE (+0,03 %) : 0,67 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual shares

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $AVGO (+0,21 %) : +245 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-1,81 %) : +190 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+1,41 %) : +108% (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,71 %) : +79% % (main share portfolio)
• $RSG (+0,09 %) : +60 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $DHR (+1,17 %) : -58 % (main share portfolio)
• $TGT (-0,58 %) : -40 % (main share portfolio)
• $NKE (+0,03 %) : -39 % (main share portfolio)
• $CPB (-0,41 %) : -34 % (main share portfolio)
• $UPS (+0,58 %) : -30 % (main share portfolio)

ETFs vs. shares

The breakdown of ETFs vs. shares across all portfolios is 38.8% to 61.2%. This differs slightly from the breakdown of my ETFs to equities savings plans (43% to 57%).

Investments and subsequent purchases

Here is a small overview of what I have invested via savings plans according to my fixed planning.

• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: €1,030
• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, with reinvested dividends: €1,140
• Savings ratio of the savings plans to the fixed net salary: 49.75

In addition, there were the following additional investments from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:

• Subsequent purchases as a cashback annuity from refunds: € 70.50
• Dividend automatically reinvested by broker: € 2.99

Additional purchases: as one-off savings plans as part of my cashback pension, reinvested discounts from previous grocery and drugstore purchases and a refund from the health insurance bonus program.

• Number of additional purchases: 2
• 30.00 € for $JEGP (+0,13 %)
• 
  40.50 € for $GGRP (+0,69 %)

If you want to know how my cashback pension tops up the share and ETF pension, please let me know.

Passive income from dividends

My income from dividends amounted to € 163.13 (€ 89.68 in the same month last year). This corresponds to an increase of +42.32 % compared to the same month last year. The following is further key data on the distributions:

• Number of dividend payments: 11
• Number of payment days: 21 days
• Average dividend per payment: € 14.83
• average dividend per payment day: € 7.72

The top payers are:

• $DHL (+1,61 %)
• 
  $IMEU (+0,77 %)
• 
  $IWDP (+0,67 %)

My passive income from dividends (and some interest) mathematically covered 21.08% of my expenses in the month under review.

Crypto performance

My crypto investments also moved a little:

• Monthly performance portfolio: +0.72%
• Performance since inception: +70.90%
• Proportion of holdings for which the tax holding period has expired: 100%. This means that there have been no additional purchases for over a year.
• Crypto share of the total portfolio: 2.23%

I find the topic exciting, but it is very underrepresented in my overall portfolio due to my strategy. Profits have long since been realized, my focus here has long been elsewhere. Accumulation will take place in the coming bear market.

Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks

A comparison of my portfolio with two important ETFs shows:

• TTWROR (current month): +4.83%
• $VWRL (+0,81 %) +6.10%
• $VUSA (+0,69 %) : +6.89%

Outlook and conclusion

According to the tax estimate, I can expect a tax refund. When this arrives, part of it will be donated and the rest will of course be reinvested. May was also a no-spend month for me and, as a convinced frugalist, this went off without a hitch. I was able to reflect more closely on my spending behavior and even found further potential despite my basic low spend attitude. Now I'm preparing a Hartz IV/citizen's allowance experiment for at least 3-4 months (or more) for the second half of the year. Simply because I feel like challenging myself. My planned expenses and provisions according to the budget only just exceed my theoretical entitlement to citizen's allowance. More info coming soon on Instagram. After March and April, I was again able to record expenses of less than €1,000 per month in May. This will change in June due to a large annual insurance premium, but maybe I'll be lucky and stay at a maximum of €1,100 to €1,200. As in the previous months, I will continue to use the early summer in June for hiking, swimming and day trips.

👉 You want my review as an Instagram post?

Then follow me on Instagram:

📲 As well as the depot and budget review, there's also: @frugalfreisein

• One-pagers and carousel posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on topics such as wealth accumulation, frugalism and minimalism
• more story insights in the future
• Mindset, motivation & money-saving life hacks for your own journey

How was your May at the depot? Do you have any tops & flops to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Spring is in full swing, my tomato plants are flowering and soon there will be delicious "yields". Time for a look back at May.

➡️ Shares

With an incredible +148% $AVGO (+0,21 %) in my portfolio. The model student is not only the performance winner, but also the heavyweight in terms of portfolio volume among the individual shares. The share has long since cracked the €1,300 mark in terms of volume and is continuing its journey. I am not letting this horse out of the stable á la Beate Sander. I could well imagine that a split is imminent here, after the $NVDA (-0,56 %) recently completed. Otherwise there is hardly any news, the performance of the good stocks continues to rise and the negative performance of my flop stocks is steadily improving. Thus $DHR (+1,17 %) only at -24% instead of -30%. That's how it has to be. You can just feel a moderate wave lifting the boats. In favor of the ETFs, I will leave the comments on the stocks short this time.

➡️ ETFs

With this review, I'm going to take a closer look at my ETFs. I originally started with a 50/30/20 strategy on the MSCI World, EM and Europe, which I later supplemented with an Immo and Small Cap ETF. So the MSCI World with the MSCI EM ETF formed the core portfolio and the other ETFs were small satellites around it.

As these were almost all accumulators at the time and I quickly realized that I could build up additional income by saving in distributing ETFs, I quickly said goodbye to the accumulators. I also moved my ETF custody account to a neobroker. This is where I now manage my large ETF portfolio, which will form the absolute basis of my retirement provision. So if the dividends are not enough, or if I have to sell the portfolio and a sale is unavoidable, then the shares will be sold off piece by piece first and the ETFs will only be touched later. This portfolio contains the $VWRL (+0,81 %) , $VHYL (+0,71 %) , $VUSA (+0,69 %) , $ISPA (+0,37 %) , $IMEU (+0,77 %) and $IWDP (+0,67 %) . The current portfolio content consisting of an All World ETF and geographic and/or thematic shear points around it does further justice to the core-satellite concept. All these ETFs are saved monthly and all pay out dividends.

My first old portfolio naturally still contains residual holdings. These have been converted into distributing ones where appropriate and are shown in detail in the $EXXT (+0,46 %) , $ZPRG (+0,18 %) , $ISPA (+0,37 %) , $SPYW (+0,41 %) , $SPYD (+0,2 %) . The portfolio volume is in the four-digit range. The $ZPRG (+0,18 %) is saved. Further cashback flows into one-off savings plans, which replenish one of the other positions. The core task of this portfolio is to generate cash flow, so share price growth is less important to me. I am currently reinvesting the distributions. I could also imagine diverting this as a boost to my nest egg, as a kind of "inflation compensation". It's good that you can set up savings plans and standing orders at the click of a mouse these days, which gives me the flexibility that I base this portfolio on.

My second old custody account used to be the main custody account for the shares, which have long since been with a neobroker and are saved there. I bought two new ETFs here in May, which I also save a small amount of money in each month. They are the $FGEQ (+0,56 %) and $TDIV (-0,15 %) . Here I have the same idea as above. Simply generate cash flow that is reinvested but can be used in other ways if necessary, e.g. to contribute to my fixed cost lump sum.

I can certainly simplify my ETF portfolios considerably and close the old portfolios completely. But I don't want to and won't do that. It's a great feeling when money rains down from the sky every month on all banks/brokers. I want to retain the flexibility of multiple brokers so that I can react quickly if a broker cancels my contract (for whatever reason). In addition, operating this infrastructure does not cost me any fees.

➡️ Distributions

I received 21 distributions on 10 payout days in May. This time, the German values also fell $SAP (+1,41 %) and $DHL (+1,61 %) to book. May was strong in terms of dividends and was almost on a par with June last year. With the past month, I am already well above the dividend that I expect on average according to my planning.

Outlook: According to my forecast thanks to GQ, June 2024 will eclipse everything by far. Depending on the distributions in the fall, I may be able to increase the size of my planned dividend reinvestment. That puts me in a good mood!

➡️ Cashback

I found a few returnable bottles and cans along the way while hiking and on the way home. Especially on men's day. Without me actively looking for them. The deposit was taken away these days. I may invest the proceeds once again in $SOL (+0,4 %) invest it again.

I haven't redeemed any Payback points this month, but I have been busy collecting them.

➡️ P2P loans

With the exception of Bondora Go&Grow, the interest and redemption stream has now dried up on all platforms. EstateGuru also abruptly introduced a new price list at the end of the month, to the detriment of us investors of course. I didn't like this and it only confirms my intention to exit this asset class. There will be news here next month.

➡️ Crypto

It's a case of wait and see. There is no other way to describe the situation. A look at the $BTC (+0,21 %) -price shows the sideways movement and resistance at USD 71K. We must remain patient.

➡️ Outlook

The tax refund is on its way and will be invested. Part of it will even be donated. You'll find out what next month. I might also introduce you to a great project that is definitely worth donating to.

The trees are already green in all their glory, it's getting significantly warmer again and the Easter bunny has long since done his job. More people are taking advantage of the good weather to go hiking and the first home-grown tomato plants have been sold. Time for a look back at April.

➡️ Shares

As an analogy to shares, Beate Sander once said that she doesn't let her best horses out of the stable, and I see it the same way when it comes to shares. The tax consequences would be too disadvantageous for me just to take profits. In terms of volume $WMT (+0,71 %) has returned to third place in terms of volume, and the following places in the top league don't show any major change either. These boring shares, such as $FDX (-0,08 %) , $NOVO B (+1,09 %) , $FAST (+0,58 %) , $NFLX (-1,81 %) and so many others appeal to me. They grow steadily and generate sales, pass on the cost increases to the end consumer and just keep digging their moat. Even the back seats, the $HTGC (+1,37 %) or $CP continue to fit into the concept for me.

Looking at the performance makes me proud of my rockets $AVGO (+0,21 %) and $NOVO B (+1,09 %) which can boast more than +100% performance. Also $NFLX (-1,81 %) is up almost 75%, a share that many people wrote off not so long ago.

And my flops? $DHR (+1,17 %) , $SBUX (-2,23 %) and $NKE (+0,03 %) are my 3 stocks with -20% to -30% price performance. That still leaves me cold. Starbucks stores are still well stocked, Nikes are still selling and Danaher will continue to find sales for its biotechnology and diagnostics products.

This month I have again bought individual shares of $HTGC (+1,37 %) to further increase the income stream.

I am focusing on the dividend growth strategy, but also have stocks that pay out nothing or a lot, as there is not only black and white, but also many shades of gray in between.

➡️ ETFs

This month, €133 from refunds, expenses and cashback from Payback went into the $ISPA (+0,37 %) and the $IWDP (+0,67 %) . I see better times ahead for both dividends and real estate. We still need to be patient until this sticky inflation is over. That will take some time yet. But that suits me. Favorable entry prices are perfect for building up assets.

➡️ Dividends

I received 22 distributions on 7 payout days. This is a good result for a month that is poor in dividends for me.

➡️ Cashback

REWE had another great Payback campaign. They gave 20% back for redeemed points. I like to call Payback a money-printing machine because of promotions like this. Every cent counts when building up your wealth. So I redeemed the equivalent of 26 euros in Payback points at REWE and immediately moved them from my grocery account to a clearing account in line with my cashback pension strategy. Again, more money to invest instead of spending it. I also received a voucher from Penny for €5, which I will redeem in May. Payback is currently running another campaign with multiple points vouchers.

Mother Nature provided me with beer bottles as cashback while I was hiking and on my way home from work. The full deposit bottle bag will be taken away in May. It's not a lot of money, but at least a little more for the depot than planned.

➡️ P2P loans

In April, only interest and repayments were paid out at EstateGuru. I deducted all cash balances from all platforms. It was 20€. Better to have than not, they were included in the ETFs I bought.

➡️ Crypto

I sold my first home-grown tomato plants at the end of April. I used the proceeds to buy $SOL (+0,4 %) bought tokens. Why? Solana will be the only coin that I will not sell tax-free and I also see greater potential for price appreciation here. In contrast to $ETH (+0,18 %) it is performing. But this is not investment advice, I could be wrong. Otherwise I'm in a "beware" position with regard to my strategy and will wait and see.

➡️ Mail from the landlord and compensation

My landlord, a municipal housing association in a large city in eastern Germany, has recommended that I voluntarily increase the advance payment for hot water and heating due to increased producer prices, expiring state subsidies and the expiring reduction in VAT. According to my calculations, I can expect a cost increase of €9 and €17 per month. As my reimbursements from the utility bill are decreasing over the years, I have decided to increase the advance payment for hot water and heating by €15 from June 1.

This way, I can secure the refunds for the next few years, which I always use to make additional purchases. This means that in future my warm rent will be 19.5% of my net salary with a travel allowance from my employer. Living at €409.96 warm in my 49 m² prefabricated apartment is still very cheap, without a doubt. I think many others can only dream of that.

At the same time, my municipal utilities have reduced the price of electricity considerably. According to Check24, there are two cheaper providers, but I've never heard of them. My working price is now even cheaper than that of other well-known providers such as Vattenfall. The annual electricity bill I received in April included a €147 refund, so it was now time to reduce my advance payment. The increase in the above-mentioned ancillary costs was offset by further reductions in my flat-rate provisions. I can still maintain my investment rate from my net salary of €1,000 and I'm very happy with that.

➡️ Outlook

There will be more dividends again in May thanks to my German payers $SAP (+1,41 %) and $DHL (+1,61 %) . I also hope to receive my income tax refund. Have a great month of May. Don't forget your mothers.

Hello Getquin Community,

I have listened to your opinions on my portfolio and have reconsidered my savings plans.

My savings plans are currently at 325€

13x 25€

5 of these are different ETFs

$IWRD (+0,85 %)

$IWDP (+0,67 %)

$VHYL (+0,71 %)

$EXXW (+1,18 %)

$SPYM (+1,17 %)

I am now considering restructuring and building up more focus and a larger core of ETFs.

I am considering increasing the first 3 ETFs to €50 and leaving the others at €25 and then adding 4 individual stocks for €25 each.

But I am still looking for an ETF with countries from Europe.

What do you think of this plan?