How to Start Investing in Germany (2026)

Germany is Europe’s biggest ETF savings-plan market by a wide margin, yet most of the investing content aimed at Germans is either dry data tables or hype. This guide is the version I would give a friend: how to actually start, what the marketing tends to skip, and the tax allowances you shouldn’t leave on the table.

1. Decide what you’re doing first

If your goal is long-term wealth, whether that’s retirement, a house or financial independence, you almost certainly want a broadly diversified, low-cost UCITS ETF bought regularly through a savings plan (Sparplan), rather than stock-picking or trading. Boring is the point.

2. Choose a broker

German neo-brokers compete on €0.00 ETF savings plans, so the “free” headline is table stakes. What actually differs is execution venue choice, app quality, custody arrangements, and how the broker makes its money. Compare them honestly on our broker comparison, including the downsides.

3. Set up your Sparplan

Pick a low-TER, accumulating, broadly diversified UCITS ETF, set a monthly amount (even €25 works), and automate it. Then leave it alone. Use our fee calculator to see why a 0.2% versus 0.8% all-in fee is worth tens of thousands of euros over 30 years.

4. Use your tax allowances

In Germany your Freistellungsauftrag shields investment income up to the annual Sparer-Pauschbetrag from tax, so set it up with your broker and you won’t be taxed unnecessarily. Be aware of the Vorabpauschale on accumulating funds. A full country tax guide is coming, since this is the underserved, high-value detail where Stonekeel goes deep.

The short version

Diversified low-cost UCITS ETF, a €0 Sparplan at a broker that fits you, tax allowances set, then automate and ignore. That’s it. The hard part is just starting.