How to protect your money from inflation

For much of the 2010s, inflation was something many European savers and investors barely had to think about. That has changed. The inflation surge of the early 2020s was followed by a period of cooling price growth, but inflationary pressures have remained an important concern — from energy and food costs to wages, housing, government spending and an increasingly uncertain global trade environment.

For personal finances, the lesson is straightforward: inflation risk is back on the agenda. Even relatively moderate inflation, sustained over many years, can substantially erode the purchasing power of savings.

So what can you actually do about it?

In this meetup, we’ll explore how inflation affects your savings, investments, income and long-term financial plans, with a particular focus on the Netherlands.

We’ll discuss the different ways people try to protect their purchasing power, including:

• Cash and savings accounts — when does interest compensate for inflation, and when does holding cash become expensive?
• Stocks and ETFs — why equities are often considered a long-term inflation hedge, and why that protection can be unreliable in the short term.
• Bonds — what happens to bonds when inflation and interest rates rise, and how inflation-linked bonds work.
• Real estate — does owning a home really protect you from inflation?
• Gold and commodities — useful insurance, speculative assets, or a bit of both?
• Debt and mortgages — why inflation can sometimes work in the borrower’s favour.

Rather than trying to predict the next inflation number, the goal of the meetup is to understand how different assets behave under inflation and how those pieces can fit into a resilient personal financial strategy.

Disclaimer: we do not offer financial advice! Any information shared in this event is solely for educational purposes.

Note: To support the organizational costs of this event, we kindly ask you a small donation of 0.5 euros.