Where do I learn about the specifics of investing in Europe?

March 9, 2007 1:00 PM

Where do I learn about the specifics of investing in Europe?

After reading articles such as this and this I'd like to get my feet wet and invest some of my own money. Currently, I'm thinking of saving 10% of my income and investing it in index funds for the long run. The problem is that all the articles I've read are written from an American perspective while I'd like to learn about the specifics of investing from a European standpoint. Which books/blogs/magazines/brokers do you recommended?

posted by koenie to work & money (2 comments total)

What The Wall Street Journal is to the US, the Financial Times is to European business.

BusinessWeek and The Economist will also help you understand the global economy in general, and international investing specifically.

These will give you broad insight however to invest like a European would be very, very difficult. I'm American, have lived in England for about ten years, and find many views of Europeans on investing very different. The culture of holding equity - very pervasive in the US - isn't so widespread in some European countries.
posted by Mutant at 1:27 PM on March 9, 2007

If you want to invest in an index fund, you need to know next to nothing. You're also being much smarter than anyone who chooses a fund manager.

You don't need to read blogs / books / magazines.

Go into a few banks (online or in real life). Ask for what tracker funds they offer. You want something that tracks the FTSE-100 or the FTSE-All Share (for the UK) or the FTSE Eurotop 100 (for Europe) Choose the one with the lowest administration funds. Ignore the crap they'll try to spin you about their "managed growth funds". (They'll get commission for selling you these.) Give them a cheque. Repeat every month for ten years.

I personally use the HSBC trackers though I've not kept up to date about whether their admin fees are still the lowest.
posted by TrashyRambo at 3:15 PM on March 9, 2007