Best European Finance Blogs and Resources for DIY Investors

European DIY investors face a problem American investors rarely meet. Most finance blogs online are written for US readers. They discuss 401(k) plans, Roth IRAs and US-domiciled ETFs that Europeans often cannot buy. This guide lists the resources that actually work for investors living in the EU, the UK and Switzerland.

The list mixes tools, official registers and independent blogs. Each entry answers a practical question a European investor will face sooner or later.

How we selected these resources

Every resource on this list meets four criteria:

• European focus. It covers UCITS funds, EU regulation or European tax rules, not US products.
• Verifiable data. It publishes numbers you can check against a primary source.
• Independence. It does not sell its own investment products.
• Free access. The core content is available without a subscription.

None of these resources is investment advice. They help you check facts before you decide on your own.

1. Revenue.land: a practical hub for European DIY investors

Revenue.land is an independent English-language blog for investors living in Europe. It covers the practical side of investing from the EU: brokers available to European residents, their real costs, and how investments are taxed in different countries.

The site is written by an investor active since 2006. It publishes data collected directly from brokers and official sources.

2. justETF: the reference ETF screener for Europe

justETF lists ETFs available on European exchanges. You can filter funds by index, domicile, replication method, distribution policy and total expense ratio (TER).

The screener answers the first question every European ETF investor asks: is this fund available to me? A US ETF may not appear at all, because EU rules require a Key Information Document (KID) that most US issuers do not produce. justETF shows UCITS alternatives instead.

Use it to compare costs between funds tracking the same index. A difference of 0.10% in TER looks small, but it compounds over 20 or 30 years.

3. ESMA registers: check who you are dealing with

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) maintains public registers of authorised investment firms. Before you open an account, check that the broker is authorised and in which country.

Each country also has its own supervisor: the FCA in the UK, BaFin in Germany, CONSOB in Italy, CNMV in Spain and the AMF in France. Their online registers confirm licences and list warnings about unauthorised firms.

This check takes five minutes. It is the single most effective protection against investment scams.

4. Your national tax authority

Taxes on investments differ widely across Europe. The same ETF can be taxed in very different ways in Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK.

The primary source is always your national tax authority. HMRC publishes guidance on reporting funds for UK investors. Other European tax agencies publish similar guidance on capital gains, dividends and foreign accounts.

Blogs and forums explain the rules in plain language. But when a rule matters for your tax return, read the official text or ask a qualified tax adviser.

5. Bogleheads Wiki: passive investing principles

The Bogleheads Wiki is a free reference built by volunteers who follow John Bogle’s low-cost index investing philosophy.

Most of the wiki targets US investors. Its sections on non-US investing still cover topics Europeans need: UCITS funds, fund domicile, withholding tax on dividends and asset allocation. The forum also has an active section for investors outside the United States.

Use the wiki for principles. Then check the European details against local sources.

6. Morningstar Europe: fund data and documents

Morningstar runs country-specific sites across Europe with fund data, historical returns and analyst ratings. Use it to check a fund’s track record, its holdings and how it compares with its category.

For the legal details, always read the fund’s own documents. Every UCITS fund must publish a KID, a factsheet and a prospectus. Issuers such as iShares, Vanguard, Amundi and Xtrackers publish them on their websites.

7. Investor compensation schemes

What happens if your broker fails? In the EU, the Investor Compensation Schemes Directive sets a minimum protection of €20,000 per investor. Many countries offer more. In the UK, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)covers eligible investments up to £85,000.

This protection covers a broker’s failure, not market losses. Your securities should also be held separately from the broker’s own assets. Check both points on your national compensation scheme’s website before you choose a broker.

Other European blogs worth following

A few independent blogs cover personal finance from a European angle. Each reflects its own country’s rules, so adapt with care if you live elsewhere.

• Monevator (UK): long-running blog on passive investing for British investors.
• The Poor Swiss (Switzerland): detailed guides on Swiss brokers, the three pillars and taxes.
• Jean Galea (Malta): investing and financial independence from a European resident’s perspective.
• Finanzfluss (Germany): German-language education on ETFs and personal finance.

For P2P lending, Explore P2P remains a useful reference. Its guide to Mintos loan originators is one of the most cited resources in the P2P community. Some ratings are no longer updated, so compare them with current Mintos data before you invest.

How to use these resources together

A simple routine covers most decisions:

1. Find the fund on justETF and compare costs.
2. Read the KID and factsheet from the issuer.
3. Check the broker on the ESMA or national register.
4. Verify the tax treatment with your national tax authority.
5. Check the protection offered by your compensation scheme.

Each step relies on a primary or independent source. This keeps your decisions grounded in facts, not in marketing.

Conclusion

European investors do not need US-centric advice. The best European finance resources combine free tools, official registers and a few independent blogs that understand local rules. Start with the primary sources, use blogs to understand them, and always verify before you invest.

This article is for information only and does not constitute investment or tax advice.

Compiled by Sal Cocurullo, founder of revenue.land and independent investor since 2006, with input from revenue.land readers