Paul Downes, QFA EFA - Expat Financial Planner
Financial Clarity for Expats in Germany
Helping international families and professionals achieve financial success in Germany
About me
Dublin to Berlin & beyond
Welcome to my personal page, where I want to provide some good general information and tips (not financial advice!) I've picked up during my time in Germany.You could say this career started early for me. Some of my first memories are sitting in my dad’s financial planning office in Dublin as a 5-year-old, playing with the copy machine while his team did their best to keep me entertained. Later, I started learning the ropes more seriously — spending summers and weekends helping out with insurance files to earn pocket money. It was a true family business: my mum, dad, and sister all working under the one roof.After leaving school, it became a lot more serious as I joined the company officially, got trained up and earned my qualifications.Having moved to Germany for family reasons in 2010, I soon joined CR & Cie, where I've been proud to serve expats ever since. Coming from a small country where I could get almost anywhere with a car — and my tools of the trade were my trusted Nokia 6310 (giving away my age), a pen and a notepad — it was a real eye-opener stepping onto the much larger stage that is Germany, and quickly adapting to a much more tech-based approach to offering advice. Doing business by video calls and online platforms was my daily bread long before Zoom et al appeared.It's been a privilege helping artists, engineers, and IT professionals navigate the unique financial challenges in Germany — and working with a great team of colleagues at CR & Cie. In recent years, I’ve also teamed up with partners at the Kompass Group and founded My Mortgage Germany UG in Berlin.While mostly based in Berlin, I practise what I preach and try to travel as much as I can — mostly these days in the beautiful countries of Ireland and Romania. Outside of work, I’m infinitely learning and enjoy following mentors in my profession through podcasts and newsletters. I'm passionate about music, a fan of Liverpool FC, “The Dubs,” and a bit of Irish rugby too. But more than anything, I’m driven by (and love) the people around me — family and friends.
Financial Planning is an art, not science...
Philosophy
# Personal finance is… well, just that — personal. Everyone’s needs are different.# “Having a plan is better than no plan.” This is my philosophy. Having a financial plan in place is one of the most important steps on your path to financial success.# Don’t get lost in the long grass — returns, alpha, fees, politics, war, inflation… the list goes on. Take action. Create a financial plan for yourself. Action trumps all of the above.# Control what you can control. For what you can’t, it doesn’t matter.# I do not — and will not — recommend any financial product until I fully understand someone’s individual circumstances and, more importantly, their life goals.# It’s your future — let’s plan for the future you want.
"Finance is personal"
How can I can help you...
# Lifestyle financial planning
# Retirement planning
# Investment planning
# Risk management
# Legal, liability & legacy
# Health insurance
# UK pension transfers
# Company benefits
# RSU planning
What happy clients say
"Great experience
Paul did an outstanding job for me. He was exceedingly diligent, competent, patient, and inventive. He solved problems."
Nick, Berlin
"Great German Finance advisor!
Paul is extremely knowledgable, friendly, and efficient!"
"Happy Customer"
"Fantastic German mortgage advice and support
Paul was absolutely instrumental in securing finance on our property purchase in Germany."
Seb, UK
Disclaimer
This website is operated by Paul Downes in a personal capacity and is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, insurance, legal, investment, or tax advice. No regulated financial services are offered or provided directly through this website.All regulated financial services will be provided exclusively via licensed entities, such as CR & Cie, a brand of ZVO GmbH, My Mortgage Germany UG, or other authorised partners. Engagement for any regulated advice will occur separately and under the legal and regulatory framework of the relevant licensed entity, not via this website.Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All decisions regarding financial matters should be made in consultation with a licensed advisor based on your individual goals, risk tolerance, and personal circumstances.