{
  "id": 9930968,
  "title": "Geldanlage: Aktien, Anleihen, ETFs, Optionen: So klappt es mit dem Nebenverdienst ohne Arbeit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/geldanlage-aktien-anleihen-etfs-optionen-so-klappt-es-mit-dem",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-26T06:59:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/anlagestrategie/passives-einkommen-so-realistisch-ist-der-geldstrom-ohne-arbeit-wirklich/100188789.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Psychologists know: Even before considering a passive income, the brain responds with feelings of joy. Generating regular income without effort is possible, though initially requiring effort. The Handelsblatt demonstrates four investment strategies to achieve this. Bonds promise highly calculable passive income. Investors can best benefit from this trend by understanding the opportunities. Many companies offer steadily increasing dividend payouts. Learn how to make dividend stocks a passive revenue source. However, you can extract more from your stocks than just dividends, such as through call options. Funds and ETFs can also yield high dividend yield returns for passive income. The notion of passive income triggers feelings of luck in most people's minds. No more deadlines, only doing what one feels like, without the nagging question of \"Who pays?\" This allure likely explains the success of many self-proclaimed financial strategists who promote passive income ideas on social media. \"Psychologically, the idea of passive income primarily taps into three desires: security, freedom, and relief,\" says Valentin Haas, a psychologist and executive coach. He knows this phenomenon from countless sessions: When someone constantly feels like they're on a hamster wheel, the mere thought of the reward for a brief respite triggers a sense of joy. Dopamine is released because we believe we have found an escape, even though the situation hasn't changed. \"Videos, success stories, and promises like 'Save sum X and you can live off it forever' generate a real Dopamine boost,\" says the psychologist. However, upon closer examination, few concrete details emerge. Still, few questions have concrete answers. Whether passive income can work depends on various factors: personal current income and expenses, how and with what rules wealth is built, and finally, how to create an ongoing income stream. To distinguish the different paths to passive income, the Handelsblatt consulted several experts and presents four investment strategies that can all lead to the goal. First, clarify whether passive income should be the sole source of income or used as supplemental income in retirement or even a few years before. Passive income for early retirees Living solely off of one's own wealth is usually only possible for inheritors and heirs. For everyone else, creating wealth first is necessary. However, it is not impossible to live off this wealth with proper financial planning. Passive income should be distinguished from income that replaces one's own earnings, whether for retirement or earlier. For early retirees, living solely off of one's own wealth is often only possible for those who inherited a lot of money, started a business, or made an invention and sold it at a good price. As a salaried employee, it is difficult. \"A person who plans to retire on sheer frugality and wise investing by the age of 50 must work extremely hard,\" says Michael Huber, head of the VZ Vermögenszentrums in Germany. Even for high earners, this path is arduous. An example calculation, based on optimistic assumptions, shows how challenging this may be: A young person earning 3000 euros net in 25 years of age and a salary that increases by 5 percent annually ends up with nearly 10,000 euros net by age 50. Assuming the person lives frugally and manages to invest half of the net salary each month in a tax-free ETF plan with a 7 percent return after costs, after 25 years, they have saved approximately 1.75 million euros, excluding taxes. While this appears to be a large sum, it is reduced by inflation. At a 2.5 percent inflation rate, 1500 euros today would cost over 2700 euros in 25 years. At age 50, the person wants to receive half of their last net income each month, which would be 5000 euros. In 25 years, this amount would have a purchasing power of about 2800 euros from today. The person needs 6000 euros per month to cover living expenses, including a spouse's share of health insurance and other social contributions. This \"retirement\" must increase by 2.5 percent annually due to inflation. This may seem insignificant, but with 70 years old, the person would need to withdraw 9340 euros monthly. If the 1.75 million euros are not reinvested from the start, the money will only last 19 years. With a 3.5 percent return during the withdrawal phase, the money will last until the 77th birthday. After that, the person will have to rely solely on their statutory pension, which, given early retirement, will not be very high. This calculation is particularly tight given the increasing life expectancy and assumes that salaries continue to grow, saving is disciplined, and inflation remains relatively constant. For Michael Huber, this scenario is too uncertain, especially with the unpredictability of savings rates.",
  "summary": "Nichts tun und das Geld fließt trotzdem: Damit die Verheißung vom passiven Einkommen wahr werden kann, gilt es, häufige Fehler zu vermeiden – und sich von einer Illusion zu verabschieden.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}