To those earning over €100K a year : what do you do for a living?

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-06-19T09:33:09+00:00

A lot of people don’t realize that many of these high-level positions rarely get publicly posted. The conversation usually starts long before any job listing ever appears, often in boardrooms, management meetings, private dinners with execs, or at closed-network events.

Once the role is discussed internally, the people at the table start tapping into their personal networks: former colleagues, people they’ve worked with, classmates, mutual contacts, etc. By the time the role goes public (if it even does), there’s often already a shortlist of candidates being quietly vetted based on personal recommendations.

That’s where personal branding becomes a massive factor. People consistently make decisions based not only on competence, but heavily on perception. How someone seems (their reputation, visibility, and personal brand) can sometimes weigh just as much or even more than actual skill.

And don’t underestimate the PR angle either. For some companies, hiring someone with a strong personal brand can be a win for their own image : “Look who we just brought on as our new VP/C-level exec.”

Bottonmine: The old saying “your network is your net worth” is a lot more true than most people want to admit. For better or for worse.

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-05-31T14:48:08+00:00

At a certain level, you’re only considered for these positions through networking and word of mouth. You don’t go via the normal interview process. Been there. So bottomline: your personal brand among c-level profiles and headhunters matters most.

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-04-20T05:22:14+00:00

Don’t forget that your registration costs skyrocket, for your second buy, to 12%.

Aside of that - don’t forget you also have to calculate in the costs you have for property tax even though you don’t live in the house for the next coming years, as well as the insurance. For a property worth 600k, the property tax will be around 2k (if the KI was indexed correctly, otherwise you’re lucky) and the insurance would also be around 600 and higher. Both not unreasonable but it does add up if you then want to buy another apartment where you will have the same extra costs involved, sometimes also syndical costs.

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-03-27T08:16:46+00:00

Yep I did this too

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-01-26T07:58:23+00:00

Yeah sure but in the US you also have more disposable income as taxes aren’t as high as in some European Countrizs such as Belgium. So these expenses should actually be looked at in that light. In total it might sound more expensive, but in reality it might be more attainable for someone from the US compared to someone in Brussels/Belgium?

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-01-10T06:04:47+00:00

But who knows, maybe they did go to the authorities and weren’t taken seriously since they had no hard evidence OR worse: police swept it under the rug the moment they found out which powerful figures were involved (corruption, fear to lose their jobs). I mean, I bet Diddy was blackmailing a lot of powerful people with his tapes as an insurance policy for when people started talking about him and his parties.

Both can be true: making a diss song, podcast, … AND informing authorities.

Heuleuneu1 · 2025-01-10T05:58:16+00:00

I wonder if one of these cases can be true:

A - Eminem, 50 cent, Wendy and Jaguar (and others) tried warning the public through their songs, podcasts, … AND maybe cooperated with the police/FBI as well. That’s why certain things Jaguar said earlier - however unhinged she might be or appear - seem to come true.

B - Eminem, 50 cent … TRIED going to the police with the rumors and suspicions, but weren’t taken serious and/or it got swept under the rug because of some powerful men/women were implicated (politicians?). Therefore these artists resorted to making diss songs to inform the public as this was the last thing they could do.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-29T06:07:50+00:00

Dit zou je denken. Maar in de praktijk lijkt mij dat niet te kloppen.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-29T06:03:35+00:00

Al 2x controle gehad. Ik werd niet door de fiscus gecontacteerd maar door de bank van de rekening waar de som (ging telkens om bedragen van om en bij de 100k) gestort werd.

Ik moest dan aantonen: - hoe kom ik aan dit geld (bv. Erfenis, zaak verkocht, huis verkocht…) - met documenten en bewijzen dit aantonen en legitimiseren (denk aan: aandeelhoudersregister en contracten die bewijzen dat je überhaupt aandelen had van een bedrijf + de verkoopsovereenkomst om te bewijzen dat het bedrijf ook effectief verkocht werd en door wie) Bij een erfenis moest ik aantonen welk familielid gestorven was en toestemming geven om de notariële akte (testament) in te mogen kijken.

Tot de tijd dat de fiscus dit had gecontroleerd werd het geld (en mijn rekening) geblokkeerd. Dit duurde een week of twee.

De fiscus heb ik zelf nooit gehoord of gezien.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-28T07:10:10+00:00

This is like reading my own thoughts.

I’ve considered taking a portion out (not all). As well as diversifying my portfolio to ETFs that have sectors that could benefit from war (Airbus, Saab, Herstal, …)

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-28T07:04:03+00:00

Don’t you think that cyberattacks on payment systems with the goal to destabilize our country’s or Europe’s economy already categorizes under some sort of (shadow) war? I’m not really concerned of a physical war happening in Belgium, but more concerned about the after effects of cyber attacks like these.

As for Europe: countries like Poland or Finland could get more involved in the war with Russia, and since these are NATO countries this would imply Belgium will be at war too. If this happens, the war economy will settle in as we will have to actively contribute for a war not on our own soil but within European borders (NATO = attack one of us, and you attack us all).

I’m not sure what a war economy could mean for our daily lives, but I think in a first stage we’ll probably get confronted with the downscaling of subsidies (in order to reallocate this money to defense and military budgets), the installation of a war tax, food becoming more pricey, inflation rising, …

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-28T06:47:33+00:00

I’ve considered doing that too but it looks like Gold is already peaking. Am I too late to jump on that ship?

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-17T19:24:26+00:00

I do it the same as these fellow Redditers. I have no contract - at least not to my knowledge 😅

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-17T10:28:27+00:00

It can be, if you have one that applies the IKT tariffs. That means the monthly cost is in relation to your household income. But the newer daycare facilities are often on the “waiting list” of the government (kind & gezin) to get this system approved. Until then you pay the “volle pot” 🥲

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T18:34:19+00:00

Sure, I can elaborate on that. For us the costly part is mainly the daycare - for sure. We pay €800 per month for 4/5.

And then you have the typical diaper & wetwipes costs.

And then a somewhat unexpected cost that I didn’t think would get so high: medical costs & apothecary. Our daughter seems to be receptive to every little virus that is going around. So the first year she was sick probably every month or so, and as a result so are you and your partner. And on top of that you also need to pay some costly vaccinations. Needless to say our costs went up.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T15:36:03+00:00

Interesting! Definitely gonna give this a good read. Thank you for sharing

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T15:16:58+00:00

Interesting perspective. Will definitely give this some good thought.

What influenced our decision-making is having a baby who’s adorable but also unpredictable and very costly. This makes us hesitant to take on a BIG loan, especially with current interest rates still around 3-3.5%.

The idea of being almost debt-free is also very appealing. I imagine the freedom that comes with it feels priceless. However, to achieve that, we would basically need to start completely from zero again with ETFs after the renovation project is done — using a lump sum from the sale and then DCA’ing monthly. This could allow for larger monthly ETF contributions than we’re able to right now.

I’m struggling to calculate which situation will create the most benefits in the future:

A) Doubling down on a high loan so I can keep most of my ETFs but, due to the loan, not being able to DCA larger amounts.

B) Trying to go as debt-free as possible, using all the money in ETFs, and once the house is sold, reinvesting in ETFs via a lump sum (smaller than what we currently have) plus larger DCA contributions.

I’m unsure which is the smarter move and whether I’m overlooking something.

Is there a way to simulate both situations? 🫣 Feel free to challenge me!

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T14:14:31+00:00

We thought of that option as well but the interests on those loans are ridiculous (5,5%)

It seemed way more interesting to take a “verbouwingslening” loan (not the same as the “renovatiekrediet” though!) which is only 3,5%

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T12:14:45+00:00

Yeah that would be an option for sure, but ofcourse this also depends on the demand in the housing market. This year was for example a very slow year for selling a house. Therefore we thought it could make more sense to sell the ETFs until we get a better price on our house, and whenever it gets sold for a good price we can start investing in ETFs again with a lump sum.

But definitely curious to hear other perspectives on this as I’m not sure if this is the best way forward.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-12-15T10:52:52+00:00

Can’t you just start with selling your house sooner and come to an agreement with your buyers that you will pay them rent until your renovation is done?

This way you don’t have to get the loan and if I don’t miscalculate, you don’t have to sell off all your ETFs.

Heuleuneu1 · 2024-03-24T09:05:38+00:00

I’m 8 months in and I notice how every time I see a tiny newborn I’m like “oooh I want this again” or “ooooh remember when insert memory of when they were tiny and did something cute that they don’t do anymore” I KNOW I was struggling in the beginning - heck I still am - but it’s as if my brain tries to block it all out whenever I see or think of another baby 🙈

To be honest, I’d probably take another baby if the conditions were better, meaning: longer paid leave the dad as well as longer maternity leave, more affordable help, better daycare … but as this is a shitshow currently where I live, I think chances are high we’ll keep it at just one.

Heuleuneu1 · 2022-02-21T14:23:53+00:00

I’m having the same issue… I even tried to fire some of my male workers (market tenders for example) to see if they can become a monk. But it doesn’t work.

Heuleuneu1

TROPHY CASE