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 (-0,94 %) : 2,71 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-0,38 %) : 2,12 % (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,17 %) : 1,83 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+0,52 %) : 1,69 % (main share portfolio)
• $FAST (+2,38 %) : 1,59 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume:

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

• $SHEL (+1,04 %) : 0,44 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $HSBA (+1,45 %) : 0,54 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $TGT (+4,53 %) : 0,62 % (main share portfolio)
• 
  $DHR (+2,51 %) : 0,66 % (main share deposit)
• 
  $NKE (+2,44 %) : 0,67 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual shares

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $AVGO (-0,94 %) : +245 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (-0,38 %) : +190 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+0,52 %) : +108% (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,17 %) : +79% % (main share portfolio)
• $RSG (+0,38 %) : +60 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $DHR (+2,51 %) : -58 % (main share portfolio)
• $TGT (+4,53 %) : -40 % (main share portfolio)
• $NKE (+2,44 %) : -39 % (main share portfolio)
• $CPB (+1,51 %) : -34 % (main share portfolio)
• $UPS (+1,84 %) : -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 (+1,35 %)
• 
  40.50 € for $GGRP (+1,65 %)

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 (+1,58 %)
• 
  $IMEU (+0,54 %)
• 
  $IWDP (+1,01 %)

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 (+1,44 %) +6.10%
• $VUSA (+1,54 %) : +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 (-0,94 %) 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 (+3,19 %) 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 (+2,51 %) 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 (+1,44 %) , $VHYL (+1,23 %) , $VUSA (+1,54 %) , $ISPA (+1,19 %) , $IMEU (+0,54 %) and $IWDP (+1,01 %) . 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 (+1,73 %) , $ZPRG (+0,73 %) , $ISPA (+1,19 %) , $SPYW (+0,57 %) , $SPYD (+1,22 %) . The portfolio volume is in the four-digit range. The $ZPRG (+0,73 %) 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 (+1,55 %) and $TDIV (+1,68 %) . 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 (+0,52 %) and $DHL (+1,58 %) 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 (+0,84 %) 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 (+1,18 %) -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 (+0,17 %) 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 (+1,9 %) , $NOVO B (+3,18 %) , $FAST (+2,38 %) , $NFLX (-0,38 %) 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 (+3,15 %) or $CP continue to fit into the concept for me.

Looking at the performance makes me proud of my rockets $AVGO (-0,94 %) and $NOVO B (+3,18 %) which can boast more than +100% performance. Also $NFLX (-0,38 %) is up almost 75%, a share that many people wrote off not so long ago.

And my flops? $DHR (+2,51 %) , $SBUX (+3,9 %) and $NKE (+2,44 %) 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 (+3,15 %) 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 (+1,19 %) and the $IWDP (+1,01 %) . 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 (+0,84 %) 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 (+0,81 %) 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 (+0,52 %) and $DHL (+1,58 %) . 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 (+1,48 %)

$IWDP (+1,01 %)

$VHYL (+1,23 %)

$EXXW (+0,35 %)

$SPYM (+0,73 %)

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?

Hello

I would be delighted if you could give me a few tips on my portfolio. I want to invest another 1500-2000€ by the end of the year, but firstly I don't know what to invest in and secondly it should match the portfolio.

$IWDP (+1,01 %) / $AD (+0,37 %) I also want to take some profit from Amazon, but keep a small position. However, I also put every other position to the test if necessary.

I would like to have every sector covered with dividends and above all I want to keep the positions of $ARCC (+1,46 %) unf $O (+0,63 %) as they have become too large for me.

Any suggestions / ideas?

Thanks for any tips!

All the best

J.

(One idea was P&G, but was that still missing the utility sector or should that be left out?)

Thanks to all Mieter😮‍💨.

Real estate must also not be forgotten💸

Before the Yanks agree on the #debtceiling, I added to $IQQ6 last week.

I'm assuming a small rally is in store after hike or temporary suspension. Let's see if I'm right...no advice.

Purchase decisions off-plan No. 1 - certainly controversial. But see great opportunities here, think the fall is over and it soon sweeps up again.