Read Doug’s articles originally printed in The Jerusalem Post.
Profile Perspectives
Proper financial planning can change your relationship with money.
How a CD Ladder Can Protect Your Retirement When You Live in Israel
A client called recently to review her accounts. She and her husband are both in their sixties. She still teaches full-time, and he’s retired. Their combined Israeli pensions are modest. They own their home outright and live simply. She wanted to know if they would be okay.
Their U.S. account held over $700,000 in Certificates of Deposit (Bank CDs) structured as a ladder,… Read more
Israeli Investments and U.S. Taxes: What Americans Living in Israel Need to Know
A couple sat across from me explaining that they had sold their home in Israel, downsized, and now had a significant sum sitting in their Israeli bank account. They also held another chunk of money in an Israeli investment portfolio they hadn’t examined in years.
“We don’t really need the money right now,” the husband said…. Read more
How Market Headlines Push Investors Into Costly Portfolio Mistakes
“Should we sell tech? Buy commodities? Move more money to savings?” A couple in their early 60s arrived at a portfolio review ready to rethink almost everything. Geopolitical tensions and market swings had turned ordinary fluctuations into warning signs.
Yet their own situation was unchanged. They had diversified portfolios, stable income,… Read more
Moving From Bond Funds to CDs for Steady, Reliable Income
A client called before leaving for vacation. His IRA held a short-term Treasury bond fund, and he had just wired in a sizable amount of cash. “What’s best to do with the new money?” he asked.
We talked through the alternatives and he clearly stated that he wanted this portion to be conservative…. Read more
When Cash Sits Idle in an Israeli Bank: What Americans in Israel Often Miss
A client called recently with good news. After more than 15 years at a tech company, he had cashed out his options following an acquisition. After taxes, he had a significant sum in dollars sitting in his Israeli bank account. But when he looked at what the bank offered for a dollar-denominated deposit,… Read more
Technology Holdings Jumped Sharply. Should You Rebalance or Stay the Course?
A client called early one morning. His technology holdings had jumped sharply over two days, and he started asking whether this was a peak or just the beginning of more gains. It wasn’t panic, but rather the recognition that when gains come fast, something usually follows.
We walked through his portfolio…. Read more
Why Inherited Wealth Doesn’t Fix Financial Worry… And What Does
A client called recently to check in on her account. After we reviewed her portfolio, she paused and said something I hear often: “I’m still scared about money.” This was someone with a well-structured portfolio worth well over a million dollars, earning reliable income, and carrying no debt. The numbers said one thing…. Read more
Market Volatility Has You Worried? Why Long-Term Investing Still Looks Good
A client called recently, unsettled by the headlines. Markets were choppy, pundits were predicting the worst, and the urge to pull back felt overwhelming. It was a familiar conversation. Every few years, there is a new reason to panic: A pandemic, trade wars, rate hikes, tariffs, a debt crisis overseas. Each time,… Read more
When a Wire Request Triggers Alarm Bells
The email looked routine: a wire transfer request to pay for a family safari in Kenya. But something felt off. When we received the message from a longtime client asking us to send funds to a third-party account in East Africa, we didn’t process it. We picked up the phone instead. … Read more
When Mutual Funds Trigger Unexpected Tax Bills for Americans in Israel
A couple came to me with a portfolio they had accumulated over many years, long before we began working together. They asked about their previous year’s large tax bill. “We haven’t sold anything nor withdrawn money from the account,” they said. “So why do we owe capital gains tax?”
When I reviewed the paperwork with them and their accountant,… Read more