Episode 09 — The Currency Question

Episode 12 — The Platform

The engine is built. Now it needs a home. Choosing a platform feels like a small administrative step. It is not. The platform you choose determines what instruments you can access, the fee structure that will quietly compound against or in favor of your returns for the next 20 years, and the regulatory protections covering your assets if something goes wrong. In this episode, I give you the framework. I cover the legal structures protecting investors across the EU, Switzerland, the UK and the US. I walk through the five types of platform — and which fits a deliberate low-cost passive strategy. I break down every fee component most parents overlook when comparing options: transaction commissions, custody fees, inactivity fees, and currency conversion costs. And I share a five-step decision process you can apply to any platform, anywhere. At the end, I tell you what I personally use — not as a recommendation, but as an example of how this framework plays out in practice. I'm Jorge and I'm here because your child deserves the advantage we never had. We are done hoping for the best. We are building it. Subscribe to Beyond PiggyBanks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. The clock is ticking.

Episode 11 — The Tax Layer

The recipe is built. But every portfolio exists inside a tax environment — and that environment can quietly take a meaningful portion of everything you have built, or barely touch it at all. In this episode, I give you the map. Four questions every parent needs to answer for their own country: How are capital gains and income taxed? Does your country have a tax wrapper for children or long-term investing? Should you choose accumulating or distributing funds given your tax situation? And what reporting obligations apply to foreign holdings? I also cover tax loss harvesting — what it is, when it is worth considering, and when it is irrelevant. Tax rules vary by country and change over time. This episode does not give you the local roads — it gives you the map so you know exactly what to look for and what questions to bring to a local advisor. Beyond PiggyBanks is a podcast helping parents build long-term wealth for their children through simple, practical strategies. No jargon. No products. Just the knowledge you need to give your child the financial advantage we never had.

Episode 10 — Building the Portfolio: The Recipe

Nine episodes of preparation. Today, everything comes together. In this episode, I walk through how to actually build a portfolio for your child — turning the theory into real percentages, real allocations, and a real engine. Before you can build, you need to answer three questions: What is your objective? How long do you have? What is your risk tolerance? Everything follows from there. I walk through two real examples. A five-year-old with a 15-year engine handover goal, and a thirteen-year-old with a seven-year target amount goal. Same ingredients, different proportions, different recipes — and I explain exactly why each choice was made. I also cover how often to review, how the allocation shifts gradually as your child grows, and what the whole system actually looks like in practice once it is running. The allies are in place. The dangers are named. The ingredients are understood. The vehicle is chosen. Now we build. Beyond PiggyBanks is a podcast helping parents build long-term wealth for their children through simple, practical strategies. No jargon. No products. Just the knowledge you need to give your child the financial advantage we never had.

Episode 09 — The Currency Question

Your basket grew 8%. The market went up. And you still lost money. That is currency risk — and it is one of the most underestimated forces in long-term investing. Not because it is complicated. Because it is invisible. In this episode I explain the difference between transaction currency and base currency, why the same basket can produce very different results for investors in different countries, and what two tools are available to manage the risk. Including hedged ETFs — what they are, how they work, and whether the cost is always worth it. Plus — why the US dollar is almost unavoidable in a globally diversified portfolio, and what that means for you. The ingredients are known. The basket is understood. The currency question has been addressed. I'm Jorge. I'm here because your child deserves the advantage we never had.

Episode 08 — The Toolkit: ETFs Explained

You know the ingredients. Now you need a way to carry them home. In this episode I explain what an ETF actually is — the pre-arranged basket that makes diversified investing simple, accessible, and low cost. I cover the difference between index-tracking and actively managed ETFs, and why the universe of available baskets is bigger than most people realize. If you thought of it — there is probably a basket for it. I also walk through the five things that matter when evaluating any ETF: TER, liquidity, assets under management, accumulating versus distributing, and base currency. Each one explained simply, with no jargon. And I explain why past performance is one of the most misused pieces of information in investing — and what it can actually tell you. The ingredients are known. The basket is ready. I'm Jorge. I'm here because your child deserves the advantage we never had.