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Glossary

Personal finance terms, explained simply.

The terms used on the journey, explained simply. Click a link to read the article that goes deeper into the subject.

4% rule
A benchmark according to which withdrawing 4% of your capital in the first year, then that amount adjusted for inflation, has historically allowed capital to last at least thirty years. Learn more
APR (TAEG)
Annual percentage rate: the total cost of a loan, including interest and the main fees, expressed as an annual percentage. Learn more
ASIC
A machine designed solely to mine a cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. Learn more
Asset
In Robert Kiyosaki's sense, something that puts money in your pocket every month: a profitable rental property, shares that pay dividends. Learn more
Bullet loan
A loan on which you pay only interest, repaying the capital in one go at maturity. Learn more
Cadastral income
A notional rental income set by the Belgian tax authorities, the basis for taxing most lettings to individuals in Belgium.
Capital gain
The profit made by selling something for more than you paid for it.
Compound interest
Interest earns interest in turn: capital grows faster and faster over time. Learn more
Crowdlending
Lending to a company or developer through a crowdfunding platform. Learn more
Debt-service ratio
The share of net income spent on loan repayments. Learn more
DePIN
Decentralised physical infrastructure network: individuals install hardware (antenna, sensor, server) and are rewarded in tokens. Helium, Ambios and ThreeFold are examples. Learn more
Dividend
The share of a company's profit paid out to its shareholders.
Emergency fund
A reserve of three to six months of expenses, available immediately. Learn more
ETF
An exchange-traded fund that tracks an index, for example hundreds of companies worldwide, at low cost. Learn more
FIRE
Financial Independence, Retire Early: a movement aiming for early financial independence through a high savings rate. Learn more
FOMO
Fear of missing out on an opportunity, which pushes people to buy at the top. Learn more
FSMA
Financial Services and Markets Authority, the Belgian financial regulator. Learn more
Halving
The halving of a cryptocurrency's mining reward, at scheduled intervals. Learn more
Hashprice
What one unit of mining power earns per day. Learn more
Holding company
A company whose main activity is owning shares in other companies. Learn more
LBO
Leveraged buy-out: buying a company financed largely by debt that is repaid from the company's own profits. Learn more
Liability
In Kiyosaki's sense, something that takes money out of your pocket every month. Learn more
Liquidation reserve
A Belgian mechanism for setting aside company profit and later distributing it at a reduced rate. Learn more
Loan-to-value (LTV)
The amount borrowed divided by the property value; the National Bank of Belgium expects banks to limit loans above 90% (own home) and 80% (buy-to-let). Learn more
Loss aversion
The tendency to feel a loss more strongly than a gain of the same amount. Learn more
Mastermind
A small group of people who meet regularly to make progress towards their goals. Learn more
MiCA
The European regulation governing crypto-asset service providers. Learn more
MLM (multi-level marketing)
Direct selling in which distributors are also paid on the sales of the people they recruited. Learn more
Net yield
The return after all costs, charges and taxes, unlike the advertised gross yield. Learn more
Passive income
Income that does not depend directly on your working time: rent, dividends, interest, royalties.
Pay-as-you-go pension
A system in which current workers' contributions pay current pensions. Learn more
Ponzi scheme
A fraud in which early investors' ‘returns’ are paid with later investors' money. Learn more
Pyramid scheme
A scheme in which most gains come from new participants joining rather than from real activity; banned in Belgium and the EU. Learn more
Rat race
A cycle in which every rise in income is absorbed by higher spending, so you never break free from your salary. Learn more
Registration duties
A regional tax paid when buying property in Belgium. Learn more
REIT (SIR / GVV)
A listed property company that lets a portfolio of properties and distributes most of its income. Learn more
Replacement rate
The share of your last salary replaced by your pension. Learn more
Sequence risk
The danger that a sharp market fall at the start of withdrawals depletes capital. Learn more
Stablecoin
A cryptocurrency designed to keep a stable value, often equal to one dollar or one euro. Learn more
Stock exchange tax (TOB)
A tax paid in Belgium on every purchase and sale of securities.
Vendor loan
The part of a company's price that the seller agrees to be paid later. Learn more
VVPRbis
A Belgian regime of reduced withholding tax on dividends from small companies, under conditions. Learn more
Withholding tax
Tax deducted at source in Belgium on dividends and interest, in principle 30%.