Research

At Finanz2Go, our consulting approach is grounded in independent research and quantitative analysis.
We build upon leading financial studies to help our clients make informed, evidence-based decisions about investments, pensions, and risk management in Germany.
Below is a selection of research insights we’ve summarized and translated for our international audience.

1. Long-Term Stability in an Unstable World

(Based on “Ultrastability – Risk Management for the Long Term” by Andreas Beck)

This study explores how global markets adapt to crises and why long-term investors benefit from systematic exposure rather than short-term risk avoidance.
The findings show that the world economy is ultrastable: even through major shocks, aggregate profits recover.
For investors, this means that globally diversified portfolios—managed with anticyclical discipline—achieve higher real returns with lower long-term risk.
It’s a data-driven argument for patience, global diversification, and rational optimism.

Long-Term Stability in an Unstable World

A Scientific Framework for Global Investors in Germany 1. The New Reality of Zero Interest Rates The classical rule of modern finance—“higher returns require higher risk”—is increasingly misleading for long-term investors. Andreas Beck’s analysis demonstrates that, in a zero-interest-rate environment, traditional risk management systematically destroys returns. Over

Independent Financial Consulting GermanyFabian Beining / Founder Finanz2Go

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2. The Science of Retirement in Germany

(Based on “Altersvorsorgestudie” by Andreas Beck)

This research analyses Germany’s pension system from a quantitative perspective.
It demonstrates that demographic shifts and low interest rates make traditional pension promises mathematically unsustainable.
To maintain purchasing power, investors must achieve 4–5 % net annual returns through low-cost, capital-market solutions—particularly ETFs.
The study provides clear numerical evidence that fee-only, globally diversified investing is the only realistic way for both Germans and expats to close their retirement gap.

Rethinking Retirement in Germany

A Data-Driven Perspective for Expats Executive Summary Germany’s pension architecture—one of Europe’s most complex and heavily regulated—was designed in an era of high fertility, short life expectancy, and steady economic expansion. In 2025 that demographic balance no longer exists. Independent research by Dr Andreas Beck (Institut

Independent Financial Consulting GermanyFabian Beining / Founder Finanz2Go

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3. Ethical Investing from a Portfolio Theory Perspective

(Based on “Ethische Investments aus Sicht der Portfoliotheorie” by Beck & Layes)

This paper examines whether ethical or ESG investments outperform conventional portfolios.
Applying modern portfolio theory, the authors find that ethical filters reduce diversification but can improve risk-adjusted returns when aligned with established factors such as quality, low volatility, and size.
Empirical data (1975–2024) show that ESG portfolios deliver similar long-term returns with 10–15 % lower volatility.
For expats, this supports a disciplined approach to sustainable, globally diversified ESG ETFs rather than high-cost “green” funds.

Ethical Investing in Germany

1. Introduction: The Question of Profitability Among investors moving to or living in Germany, ethical or sustainable investing (“ESG investing”) has become a common concern. Yet, the key empirical question remains unchanged: Do ethical investments perform as well as conventional portfolios? Meta-analyses covering more than 300 academic studies since 1970

Independent Financial Consulting GermanyFabian Beining / Founder Finanz2Go

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4. Rethinking Risk in a Low-Interest-Rate World

(Based on “Risk Management under Zero Interest Rates” by Andreas Beck)

This study challenges traditional financial risk models that focus on short-term volatility.
Beck introduces a dynamic concept of risk that depends on time, market structure, and capital efficiency.
In a world of near-zero safe yields, minimizing fluctuations often destroys real returns.
The research shows that long-term investors should optimize recovery potential and capital efficiency, not short-term stability—a key insight for expats building wealth in Germany’s conservative financial landscape.

Rethinking Retirement and Investment Risk in Germany

A Scientific Perspective for International Professionals 1. Introduction: A System under Structural Stress Germany’s retirement system is one of the most robustly regulated in the OECD—but also among the most vulnerable to demographic change. The post-war Rentenversicherung was built on a principle of intergenerational solidarity: current workers finance

Independent Financial Consulting GermanyFabian Beining / Founder Finanz2Go

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