Posts by Dirkjan

Dirkjan Vis is the owner of Eurolutions, the company behind websites such as investmentplatforms.eu, crowdfundmarkt.nl, investeerders.nl, and several other titles.

Since 2002, Dirkjan has been active as an independent entrepreneur. Additionally, he is an investor and business angel. He also serves as a board member and secretary at BAN Nederland, the trade association for business angels.

On investmentplatforms.eu, he writes about the steps he has taken as a business angel and provides insights on making investment decisions via online platforms, whether in stocks, cryptocurrencies, real estate, or other investment opportunities.

Dirkjan’s LinkedIn profile
Dirkjan in a Dutch video about real estate investing

Esketit review

By Dirkjan - last updated on 24 March 2026.

Esketit is a P2P platform where you can invest in short-term loans with interest rates up to 12 percent. We rate the platform 7. Returns are high and stable, and the platform is easy to use. AvaFin, the owner of Esketit, no longer offers loans itself. Since 2025 the platform has been working with 5 other loan originators.

EstateGuru review

By Dirkjan - last updated on 11 August 2025.

EstateGuru is a crowdfunding platform for mortgage secured real estate loans. In our latest review, the platform scored a 7. As an investor, you can start from 50 euros and spread your investments across several countries. The platform has been active since 2014 and had some difficult years, but the new strategy seems to be working.

Mintos vs PeerBerry

By Dirkjan - last updated on 16 June 2025.

Mintos and PeerBerry are large platforms for peer-to-peer lending in Europe. Both focus on private investors. The editors of InvestmentPlatforms.EU compared them based on return, offer, ease of use and risks. We use both platforms. Mintos is our favorite, but the offer and simplicity make PeerBerry a strong platform.

Mintos vs Bondora

By Dirkjan - last updated on 15 June 2025.

Mintos and Bondora have been two of the most well-known platforms for loan investing for years. Both focus on small retail investors, but their approaches are different. The editors of Investment Platforms.EU compared them on return, offer, ease of use and risks. Mintos is our winner, although we also see the advantages of Bondora.

DEGIRO vs Interactive Brokers

By Dirkjan - last updated on 26 May 2025.

DEGIRO and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) are two large online brokers. For trading in shares, ETFs or options only, DEGIRO is the winner in our test. However, we also see the advantages of Interactive Brokers. In this overview, we compare them based on their range of products, ease of use, fees and investment info.

How to start investing in stocks

By Dirkjan - last updated on 24 April 2025.

Beginner’s guide to European stock markets. Investing in stocks on the AEX, CAC or DAX is easy, and you can do it too. It might feel scary at first, because there is a risk of losing money. But with patience and some diversification, that risk becomes smaller. First tip: start small, and do not wait too long to make your first investment.

eToro vs Trade Republic

By Dirkjan - last updated on 17 August 2026.

eToro and Trade Republic are both popular with young investors. However, we see many differences between the two brokers. eToro is ideal for those who want to learn and try out different things. Trade Republic is simpler and more focused on regular monthly investing. eToro offers more features, while Trade Republic is usually cheaper.

Broker fees

By Dirkjan - last updated on 16 April 2025.

Not all broker fees have the same effect on your returns. Learn what kind of fees brokers charge, which ones can really affect your returns, and how to find the cheapest broker for your investment style. Choose a broker that matches how you invest, and avoid losing returns you could have kept.

Scalable Capital vs Trade Republic

By Dirkjan - last updated on 14 September 2026.

Scalable Capital and Trade Republic are European brokers that mainly focus on passive investors who want an easy-to-use platform and invest a lot in ETFs. For that reason, Investment Platforms.EU recommends both platforms. However, there are some important differences, and Scalable usually comes out best in their tests.

Scalable Capital review

By Dirkjan - last updated on 22 September 2026.

Scalable Capital is a European broker where you can invest in shares, ETFs and crypto. In our latest review, Scalable scored a 7,5. We are positive about how easy it is to use, the range of options and the low fees. The free plan already has low costs, and for 4,99 euro per month, all transactions from 250 euro are free.