haha, as if there are ANY other investments in the world where people SHOULD put their life savings into? Bitcoin maybe? Or government bonds? Very safe you know 
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Long term, index funds are very reliable
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Portugal, though the securities market is small, has CMVM approved long-term index funds. Some of which are suitable for the GV post RE rules changes.
Yes. I put mine in a globally diversified index fund. The key point here is diversification and Iām investing for the long term, 20-30 years plus. It could fluctuate wildly in that time, but will grow over time.
Putting your savings in a single marketās index fund for only10 years is not low risk though.
Many people have their life savings invested in their home equity, if theyāre lucky enough to have thatā¦
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Not sure if Mr or Mrs Sawyer Wildgen is a member of NG forum. If you are here, pls give us a shout .
da brainwash of he/she Wildgen is realz
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@ohbee Do you have any serious thoughts about this?
New law for cultural āGolden Visaā - The Portugal News
I am also curious if whatever org you donated to is in contact with you to keep you updated on how your donation is being used? If not, seems they are missing a big PR opportunity. Why are they pushing this new ābureaucracy-freeā plan without cleaning up the SEF mess first.
The disconnect between GV promoters (including this new ācultural Golden Visaā idea) and reality (threads on this forum) is mind-blowing 
āHey you, apply for the Portuguese Golden Visa so you canā¦ā
- Spend 2-3 years waiting for any review of your application (thread here), because itās still 2021 at AIMA
- Once pre-approved, perhaps spend another year+ waiting for a biometric appointment (here)
- (more time passesā¦)
- After you finally get your first residency card and think youāre done, spend months trying to renew it at Years 2, 3 and 5 (here and here)
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Given the instability of the program and its uncertain future, my thoughts are that people should choose a pathway that allows them their money back if they desire.
My donation was for a specific project. And no, they donāt follow up at all. Which adds to the feeling of being swindled, as I would expect more than nothing from any org which receives such a large donation. Maybe it is small potatoes for them.
As an experiment, I emailed my contact to see if she will even reply. Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesnāt.
Thatās why I think it might be best to invest in open-ended funds with no minimum holding period and that is liquid enough that you can sell it back/to another buyer. This will be handy if/when one decides to back out/give up due to the long wait or in case of extreme need/emergency such as health related issues that would make one need the funds back.
Hello everyone,
Iām new to the Golden Visa (GV) process and recently opened an account with Millennium BCP.
Iāve opted for the GV through donation, but after reading through this forum, I feel pretty scared and worried about proceeding further. Iāve already engaged a law office, made payments, and signed numerous documents. Now, Iām torn between continuing with the investment or retreating from the process altogether.
Additionally, I was wondering if there is any WhatsApp group where people share their daily updates and experiences regarding their GV journey. Connecting with others going through similar experiences and gaining insights from their journeys would be immensely helpful.
Any sincere advice would be pretty much appreciated!
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Your biggest worry should be Millennium BCP (haha, just kidding, I am experiencing a very lengthy issue with them at the moment with no signs of life on their endā¦).
On a serious note, what are you scared of?
Do you have a particular urgency to obtain legal residence? Or citizenship? Everyone has got slightly different objectives in pursuing GV, so firstly you need to be clear on yours and then youāll get rid of your worries one by one.
For starters you are already in a favorable position against most as you donāt need to worry about ROI like some other folks investing in funds or even properties.
Regarding the Whatsapp etc. - you have found it already, itās all here 
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I faced challenges with Millennium Bank, and it took nine weeks to open an account. I plan to transfer funds, but Iām uncertain about potential charges for incoming international transfers and currency exchange fees, as I will transfer USD to my Euro account in Millennium.
Iāve seen mixed feedback regarding the Golden Visa process. While some regret Portugalās lengthy and inefficient process, others express concerns about its stability. These uncertainties have left me feeling apprehensive.
Iām not in a rush to obtain the Golden Visa.
Sort of like saying I have heard mixed messages about the sea worthiness of the Titanic. Based on my experience, if you have misgivings at this stage after reading through this forum then the Golden Visa is probably not for you. Everything you would need to know is contained in these forums.
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There is a whole thread on this forum about money transfers, including US ā PT transfers in particular. Use search and youāll be fine.
Regarding you feeling apprehensive already even before you properly started - I would actually recommend you go ahead as this process will act like a cure against excessive anxiety or fearfulness, regardless of the outcome.
Other things in life will pale in comparison so you would become a happy-go-lucky kind of fella.
(I am actually being serious on this one)
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Yea, it took me 1 day to open my account back in 2021, but since then I observed that so-called ācomplianceā has gone totally berserk, and I am not surprised it is now taking 9 weeks to openā¦ Since late last year MBCP started blocking every incoming transaction and asking all the same ācomplianceā questions every single time, despite having my previous answers to hand.
My recommendation would be to open another bank account as a backup, e.g. Activo (no fees) or CGD (low fees). Or you can use Wise or Revolut as backups if thatās to your liking.
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I would absolutely not do a donation given the way youāll be treated through the process (largely, delays, but also uncertainty to a point)
At least with some of the investment options you can get your money back if you need to cut and run
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As someone who donated, I 1000% agree. Choose a path that doesnāt flush your money down the toilet.
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You are evil! 