Here is my December 2020 Passive Income Update.

Similar to the last 6 weeks, I am still stuck in the hamster-wheel working 48-hour weeks. But end is in sight. Most of my work wraps up by the end of the year and next year will be quieter – which I am actually extremely grateful for.

My work-life balance for most of 2020 was actually an absolute dream. I worked 20-25 hour weeks and had plenty of time for outdoor activities, exercise, traveling, reading, etc. The pandemic has taught me to slow down.

In terms of passive income, November was a really good month. My total passive income in November 2020 was 925.29 EUR (1,120.32 USD):
– P2P lending: 530.77 EUR
– Real Estate Lending: 59.36 EUR
– ETF Dividends: 66.19 EUR
– Stock Photos/Videos: 268.97 EUR

Total Passive Income from P2P Lending, P2P Real Estate Lending, ETF Dividends and Stock Sales.
Total Passive Income from P2P Lending, P2P Real Estate Lending, ETF Dividends and Stock Sales.

Sedona, Arizona during a morning hike in November 2020.

Passive Income Breakdown:


December 2020 P2P-Lending Interest Rates
December 2020 P2P-Lending Interest Rates

P2P & Real Estate Lending Overview – December 2020 Passive Income Update

As part of my December 2020 passive income update, here is a quick overview of passive income that I was earning this past month from three (3) P2P Lending and two (2) Real-Estate P2P Lending platforms that I am currently investing in.


  • Mintos: The 32,100 EUR that I invested on Mintos gradually over the five past years, have since grown to 42,789 EUR. While some loan originators are struggling (As of December 2020, the amount of 2,786 EUR is currently “in recovery”), I am more than happy with that performance.

    I am auto-invested in loans from 27 loan originators (all with ratings 7 and 8 ) in 20 countries. Certain loans are up to 60 days delayed (especially now during COVID-19), but all loans have a buyback guarantee which is working well.

    I adjusted my auto-invest portfolios after Mintos changed their ratings to the new scale (investing in loans with rating 7 and 8) in November, adjusting the minimum interest rate to 10.5%. As a result my interest income on Mintos in November was 404.45 EUR (=self-calculated interest rate of 11.45%.
My Mintos Dashboard December 2020
My Mintos Dashboard December 2020

  • Twino: A great month for Twino! My total investment on Twino is 13.500 EUR and my monthly interest on the platform climbed to 126.32 EUR (= 10.50% p.a.). The average loan duration of my loans on Twino is currently 6.51 months. All loans are with Buyback and Payment guarantee.

    I am still planning to increase my investments on Twino early next year, once my salary arrives.

    What else? TWINO has launched a referral program. New investors who sign up with this link (https://financialfreedomjourney.eu/Twino) and invest at least 100 EUR, will get a 15 EUR bonus (as well as I receive a 15 EUR bonus).
My Twino Dashboard December 2020
My Twino Dashboard December 2020

  • EstateGuru: Besides Mintos and Twino, EstateGuru is another key investment pillar of mine. My total investments on EstateGuru are 16,000 EUR which are invested in 47 real estate projects in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, all of which are performing on time. Which is fantastic.

    My average interest rate on EstateGuru is 10.57% p.a. For me EstateGuru is a great platform to diversify my risk by investing in real estate loans that are secured with a first-rank mortgage (physical security).

    As I mentioned in previous posts, almost all my loans on EstateGuru are either bullet or full bullet loans, which means that either principals or both interest+principals are being paid in full at the end of the loan period. Unfortunately, that means that some months I receive large interest and principal payments, some months I receive nothing. In November, I received 59.36 EUR in interest payments.

    What else? My EstateGuru review explains details as well as shows how to receive a 0.5% bonus as a new investor in the first three months. EstateGuru currently has some new loans available (11.5% p.a. & 12.00% p.a.).
My EstateGuru Dashboard December 2020
My EstateGuru Dashboard December 2020

  • Swaper: Despite my positive experience on Swaper, I decided to gradually leave the platform due to its small size in comparison to Mintos, Twino, and EstateGuru. I put my auto-invest on hold in June and have gradually withdrawn the returning principal, buyback and interest payments. All withdrawals arrived in my bank account within 48 hours.

    I started investing on Swaper in August 2018 and have only made good experiences with Swaper over the past two years. My total investment reached 14,000 EUR at one point and my total accumulated interest after two years of investing on Swaper is 2,503.60 EUR (= 13,58 % XIRR) which is an incredible result.

    What else? Swaper is still running its promotion offering new investors who sign up through this link and invest 5000 EUR or more a 16% interest rate on all new investments during the first three months. The bonus will be activated after the first successful payment.

  • CrowdEstate: As I have mentioned in previous posts, my experience on CrowdEstate is very mixed and I am on my way out. I have 5 investment projects remaining, 3 of which are significantly delayed (90+ days) and bankruptcy has been filed against one borrower (H.M Seafood OÜ).

    I suspended my auto-invest on CrowdEstate in January 2020 and withdrew my first 600 EUR in early February and another 450 EUR in March. The transfer arrived the next day, which was great. After my withdrawal, I still have a total of 950 EUR invested in CrowdEstate, which I will slowly withdraw as princial and interest payments are arriving. I have the option to sell my remaining loans on the secondary market for a 2% sell free, which I decided to not do as I am in no rush.

One of my favorite running routes in Tempe, Arizona.

ExchangeTraded Funds (ETF) Update – December 2020 🥳

Even in times of COVID-19, I hold onto my opinion that investing in the MSCI World ETF back is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to save & invest long-term (e.g. for retirement) while earning passive income from dividends.

Why would I say that? Since I started investing in the MSCI World ETF in 2016, the value of the ETF has increased by 47.47% (despite the recent coronavirus-related shock in stock markets). The shares that I bought originally for 145.09 EUR a piece are currently valued at 204.51 EUR. Read more in my ETF portfolio post.

As of today, I am holding 94,248.07 EUR in MSCI World and MSCI Emerging Market ETFs. The value of my ETF portfolio increased by 8.30% in November 2020, which brings the year-to-date balance to 4.73% which is very decent given the situation the world is in.

My ETF Portfolio since beginning of this year (c) justetf.com
My ETF Portfolio since beginning of this year (c) justetf.com

My 1,000 EUR monthly ETF savings plan

Many of you will know about my 1,000 EUR monthly ETF savings plan which I talked about in my January 2020 Blog Post. It’s automated, runs in the background, and keeps buying MSCI World ETFs worth 1,000 EUR on the first of every month. It’s a fantastic way of cost-averaging and keeps me committed to my financial savings goals. Thanks to my savings plan, this year I have saved 11,000 EUR.

More about my ETF savings plan and why it was such a great idea to go back to an automated saving plan in this blog post.


That’s it for my December 2020 Passive Income Update! If you are interested, please follow my journey on my Facebook page Financial Freedom Journey for more frequent updates. And as always: If you have any questions or comments, please pop them in the comment section below. Or get in touch via Facebook or Email.

Stay healthy and enjoy the first days of fall!
Peter 👋