Patrick DeBattista - Finance For You, Valletta (2026)

24/10/2026

Budget 2027 is on Monday. So is my birthday.

So I wrote my wish list for . Six presents, and not one of them is a cheque.

As I put it in the article: “We are excellent savers, but poor investors.”

Last year, 73% of us put money into a savings account. Only 27% invested. Meanwhile, €27 billion sits in Maltese bank accounts, and inflation takes a slice of it every year.

My six wishes:
1. Turn savers into investors
2. A Maltese Stocks and Shares ISA
3. Pensions that work for the self-employed
4. Financial literacy for everyone
5. Wake up our capital markets
6. Let your portfolio help you buy a home

None of these needs a big cheque. I believe they would do far more for our long-term financial wellbeing than another round of handouts.

Which one would you unwrap first? Comment 1 to 6 below.

Read the full article on Times of Malta: https://timesofmalta.com/article/birthday-wish-list-budget-2027.1135430

23/10/2026

Overpay your mortgage… or invest the difference? 🏠📈

Same mortgage: €300,000 at 2.6%, €1,200 a month.

Sam overpays €300 every month. He’s mortgage-free in 22 years and saves €38,000 in interest. Then he invests €1,500 a month for the last 8 years and ends up with about €195,000.

Ivan invests that same €300 every month instead, assuming 7% a year (less than the stock market has made in the past). He pays off his mortgage at 30 years… and his portfolio is worth €366,000.

That’s over €170,000 more, even after Sam saved €38,000 in interest. 🤯

Team Sam or Team Ivan? Tell me below 👇

Follow for more financial knowledge you never learned.

Not investing advice. Educational purposes only.

FinancialFreedom

22/10/2026

Think a €100,000 deposit is enough to buy a €400,000 rental property in Malta? Think again.

Buying a buy to let property comes with hidden costs that can add thousands to your budget, from stamp duty and notary fees to insurance and higher mortgage interest rates.

Before you invest in property, make sure you understand the full cost and calculate your rental yield based on everything you spend, not just the purchase price.

Looking for alternative ways to invest with lower fees and less hassle? Join my online Investing Bootcamp, where we’ll open your investing account, build your portfolio, and create a plan tailored to your financial goals.

Comment BOOTCAMP and I’ll send you all the details.

Would you invest €400,000 in a rental property in Malta, or would you consider a diversified investment fund instead? Let me know in the comments.

21/10/2026

Revolut goes down, and suddenly, accessing your own money becomes a problem. But what actually happened, and were you affected?

In this video, we look at the Revolut outage, what it means for customers, and why relying on digital banking can raise important questions about access to your money.

Want to take control of your financial future? In my online Investing Bootcamp, we’ll open your investing account, build your portfolio, and create a plan tailored to your goals.

Comment BOOTCAMP and I’ll send you all the details.

Were you affected by the Revolut outage? Share your experience in the comments.

Malta

21/10/2026

Revolut goes down, and suddenly, accessing your own money becomes a problem. But what actually happened, and were you affected?

In this video, we look at the Revolut outage, what it means for customers, and why relying on digital banking can raise important questions about access to your money.

Want to take control of your financial future? In my online Investing Bootcamp, we’ll open your investing account, build your portfolio, and create a plan tailored to your goals.

Comment BOOTCAMP and I’ll send you all the details.

Were you affected by the Revolut outage? Share your experience in the comments.

20/10/2026

€100 a month now… or €200 a month from 40? 🤔

Using what the US stock market actually did:

Anna started at 30 with €100 a month. She paid in €37,000. Today it’s worth €262,000.

Ben waited until 40 and invested €200 a month. He paid in €50,000. Today it’s worth around €243,000.

Ben put in €13,000 more… and still ended up with less. ⏳

But there’s a catch nobody talks about: fees. A €5 fee per trade is 2.5% of Ben’s €200, and 5% of Anna’s €100, gone before her money is even invested. Over 30 years, that’s around €13,000 less for Anna.

The smaller your trade, the more you pay. Choose your platform and your investments well.

Do you know what your platform charges? Tell me below 👇

Follow for more financial knowledge you never learned.

MaltaFinance

19/10/2026

Should you follow your parents’ advice and buy a garage to rent out?

A follower told me their 70-year-old dad tells them every Sunday to spend their €50,000 savings on a garage for rental income.

As much as our parents love us, taking this type of traditional financial advice can be a costly mistake. Let’s look at the actual numbers.

A small lock-up garage costs around €46,000. Add 5% stamp duty (€2,300) and notary fees (~€1,300), and your €50,000 is gone before you even get the key.

If you rent it for €150 a month, that’s €1,800 a year. After paying 15% tax, insurance, and repairs, you’re left with around €1,300—a return of under 3% per year, assuming it's never vacant. Plus, your entire €50,000 is tied up in a single, illiquid asset that takes time, effort, and management to maintain.

That same €50,000 could be invested in a globally diversified portfolio, giving you ownership in thousands of companies worldwide with lower costs, higher liquidity, and less overall risk.

Before following traditional advice, ask yourself: is it really the best option for you, or is it just the only option they knew?

In collaboration with Lovin Malta and MeetInc.

Want to invest with confidence and a clear plan? Join the next investing bootcamp: https://patrickdebattista.com/events/

Save this post for later and share it with a friend who needs to hear this.

18/10/2026

What’s the fastest way to go broke?

Did I miss anything? Share it in the comments!

17/10/2026

My country is the 13th most expensive place in the world to eat out.

But that's not the record that worries me.

Malta keeps topping other lists too, and not the ones you'd want:

- The highest adult obesity rate in the EU: More than 1 in 4 adults are obese.
- The highest car ownership rate in Europe, and ranked second in the world for traffic congestion.
- The lowest green coverage in Europe (4.3% versus 39% in Europe).

When are we going to admit that our physical, mental and financial wellbeing are all tied together?

It's hard to be financially well-off when you can't take a simple walk in a green space near your home.
But it's one thing complaining. Here's what you can do about it.

Would you add anything to the list? Mention it in the comments!

17/10/2026

My country is the 13th most expensive place in the world to eat out.

But that’s not the record that worries me.

Malta keeps topping other lists too, and not the ones you’d want:

- The highest adult obesity rate in the EU: More than 1 in 4 adults are obese.
- The highest car ownership rate in Europe, and ranked second in the world for traffic congestion.
- The lowest green coverage in Europe (4.3% versus 39% in Europe).

When are we going to admit that our physical, mental and financial wellbeing are all tied together? It’s hard to be financially well-off when you can’t take a simple walk in a green space near your home.

But it’s one thing complaining. Here’s what you can do about it.

Would you add anything to the list? Mention it in the comments!

Patrick DeBattista - Finance For You

24/10/2026

23/10/2026

22/10/2026

21/10/2026

21/10/2026

20/10/2026

19/10/2026

18/10/2026

17/10/2026

17/10/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request