Geldanlage: Aktien, Anleihen, ETFs, Optionen: So klappt es mit dem Nebenverdienst ohne Arbeit

Psychologists know that simply thinking about passive income triggers feelings of happiness in the brain. While the regular money stream without work initially requires effort, it is indeed possible. Handelsblatt demonstrates four investment strategies to achieve this. Bonds promise predictable passive income. Investors can maximize this trend by investing in dividend stocks and call options.

Funds and ETFs can also generate high dividend yields for passive income. When these two words are mentioned, most people's minds go blank. No more deadlines, just doing what feels right without worrying about the question, "Who pays?" The appeal and success of many self-proclaimed financial strategists promoting passive income ideas on social media likely stems from this.

According to Valentin Haas, a psychologist and executive coach, the desire for passive income taps into three main wishes: security, freedom, and relief. When someone feels permanently trapped in a hamster wheel, even the thought of relieving the situation can trigger a sense of happiness, releasing the dopamine hormone. However, those who delve deeper into the options often find little concrete information.

Yet, few questions have concrete answers. Whether passive income can work depends on several factors: personal income and expenses, how wealth is built and the rules applied, and finally, how to structure wealth to generate a continuous income stream. To distinguish the various paths to passive income, Handelsblatt consulted several experts and presents four investment strategies that can lead to this goal.

To start, passive income that flows entirely without effort is only possible for inheritors and heirs. For everyone else, creating wealth first is necessary, but it's not impossible with proper financial planning. Passive income should first be distinguished between whether it's meant to be the sole source of income or to supplement other income sources like salary or pension in retirement or even a few years before.

Living solely off one's own wealth is usually only possible for those who inherited a lot of money, started a business, or invented something and managed to sell it at a good price. For employees, it's particularly difficult. Planning to retire at 50 by saving and investing wisely from the age of 25 requires enormous effort, even for people with above-average salaries.

A calculation based on optimistic assumptions shows that a young person earning 3000 euros net in 25 years with a 5% annual salary increase will have saved 1.75 million euros, adjusted for inflation. However, with a 2.5% inflation rate, this amount will only cover a 1500 euro monthly cost in 25 years. At 50, the person would need 5000 euros monthly to cover their expenses, which in 25 years would only have the purchasing power of around 2800 euros.

To have a buffer, financial planner Stefanie Kühn recommends saving 6000 euros per month, which will increase by 2.5% annually due to inflation. This "retirement" fund will need to last until the person turns 70. With 1.75 million euros at the start of withdrawals, the money will only last until the age of 77 if not reinvested. At that point, the person will have to rely solely on their statutory pension, which will not be very high because they only worked until age 50.

This calculation is very tight given the increasing life expectancy, and it assumes constant interest rates, disciplined saving, and relatively stable inflation. For Michael Huber, these uncertainties and factors make it too risky.