Introducing the DivChallenge Public Portfolio

I’ve mentioned before that one of my problems is that I have so many brokerage accounts, and some are easy to access, while others are more difficult. This was partly what made reducing the amount of cash I was holding (my original challenge) so difficult.

One of the more difficult brokerages is HSBC. The fees to invest money with them are insanely high – 1% upfront fee. That means investing €100,000 costs €1,000!!!! Plus, the investment options are terrible – all high-fee mutual funds costing 1%-2% per year in fees. I felt stuck!

Last week, I decided to sell my Middle East and India mutual funds, freeing up some money in that account. I didn’t want to buy anything right away due to the 1% fee! So it’s still sitting in cash.

It finally hit me last week that I should move my money out of HSBC. I don’t need that account at all. It serves no purpose to me.

So, I’m moving that money over to Revolut — and while doing that, I’ve decided to make part of my investing journey public.

Here’s the plan: I’ll be putting €250,000 into a mix of stocks and ETFs inside this account. Think of it as my “fun portfolio.” The majority of my wealth will stay right where it belongs: in low-cost, boring index funds like the S&P 500. But with this account, I want to experiment a little — pick a few individual stocks where I see long-term value, sprinkle in some crypto, and make investing fun again.

So, come along for the ride. Most of my portfolio will remain behind the curtain, but this account will be public. Wins, losses, lessons — I’ll share it all here.

Current Public Portfolio:

• Cash: €250,000

I’ll decide on my first investment in the next post.