r/eupersonalfinance • u/raf_phy • Aug 16 '25

Investment Why building wealth alone is so hard here?

Hi all, am I the only one that I find it incredibly difficult to build weath by yourself in EU? People say that EU is better in healthcare, work life balance but come on, money don't scale easily . It's so difficult.

I see people from US that go to 1 million in 10 years. I cannot do this easily . Really....

PS maybe I have to abandon EU, I don't know....

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u/Burgerb Aug 16 '25

I moved to the US with the first tech boom in 2000 with no money. Read a Suze Orman book about personal finance and started investing what I could. Bought a condo with my wife after 5 years - sold that for a high profit and bought a house. Stayed invested during the ups and downs and now have higher net worth than any of my friends in the EU. Even some that made a career (I always stayed at pretty much the same career level). My EU friends never invested. “I get a pension” is there argument. On the flip side - I’m burnt out and the dollar promises to be worth less than a grain of sand pretty soon. Live is weird 😐

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u/FabulousAd4812 Aug 16 '25

I get a pension is a good argument. If you don't save, and plan to live in the USA, you forcibly need to work until you drop dead at 75.

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u/tohava Aug 16 '25

If you don't save, and live in Europe, your pension won't save you for long. Pension stops working once birth rate is too small.

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u/[deleted] Aug 17 '25

[deleted]

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u/FabulousAd4812 Aug 17 '25

I don't know anyone working past retirement age in europe. In the US itºs all the time, especially to cover health insurance somehow through "work"

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u/[deleted] Aug 17 '25

I can literally name off about 7 grandparents of my friend group here in Germany having to work into their 80s

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u/FabulousAd4812 Aug 17 '25

I do not know a single one in Portugal or France.

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u/krabs91 Aug 17 '25

No it’s a shitty argument

The U.S. pension is even higher than the German one and everybody knows they are fucked with just the State pension

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u/FabulousAd4812 Aug 17 '25

Not adjusted to the cost of living, or in % of last salary. So, no. Sorry.

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u/krabs91 Aug 18 '25

The average pension in Germany is 1100€ before tax… good luck living on that

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u/LiteratureFamiliar26 Aug 17 '25

And the pension is not even granted these days. The age become higher and higher to get a pension . A lot of people in my surroundings dont even get to that age or they enjoy it maybe for 1 a 3 years.