Read Doug’s articles originally printed in The Jerusalem Post.
Profile Perspectives
Proper financial planning can change your relationship with money.
Is The Right Company Managing Your Money?
A tax lawyer recently called me to ask if I could help one of his clients who is inheriting “all sorts of stuff from America.” That “stuff” turned out to be brokerage accounts at two different firms and a retirement account (IRA). “To make matters worse, Doug,” the lawyer told me,… Read more
3 Steps to Stop Your Retirement Nest Egg from Breaking
A retired couple met me in my Jerusalem office and within minutes of sitting down, it was clear that they each had drastically different views about how to handle their retirement nest egg. The husband wanted to invest heavily in the stock market and the wife wanted more conservative investments to protect their nest egg from breaking…. Read more
Americans and Mutual Funds – What You Need to Know
Are you having difficulty buying American mutual funds?
Recently, many people contacted me after receiving a letter from their existing American brokerage firm saying, “You can no longer purchase shares in U.S. mutual funds.”
Who says you can’t buy shares in certain U.S. mutual funds?
Ultimately, the compliance division (lawyers) of the mutual fund companies must decide where they want to do business…. Read more
How to Diversify a Million Dollar Portfolio
Last week I heard from a client who just got a million dollars from cashing out his company’s stock options. Since he had over a million dollars to invest, he wanted to diversify the assets wisely. He pointed out that he had made so much money because it was all invested in one stock,… Read more
Are You Worried About Your Stocks and Market Risk?
If the market goes up, and your stocks make a profit, do you still need to worry about stocks and market risk?
Some folks would say, “Awesome!” But others would worry and think, “What goes up must come down.” Worse yet, people with appreciated stocks realize that if they sell their positions in order to lower the risk,… Read more
Will Your Money Take You to the Moon and Back?
I just saw some of the fantastic “selfies” sent back from Space IL’s Beresheet. As of this writing, it is set to land on the moon on April 11th.
While this is certainly a giant step in Israeli aviation history, it is also a powerful lesson in the power of small steps and compound interest…. Read more
Do These 4 Things to Have a Financially Successful Retirement
To make sure you have a financially successful retirement in Israel, follow these easy tricks.
- Have an emergency fund. No matter how much planning you do, something will likely come up: a health care emergency, a child in need, or a house repair. Many folks must scramble with each surprise occurrence.
4 Times You Should Speak with a Financial Professional
“I wasn’t sure if I should speak with a financial professional,” a new client explained, “because I didn’t think there was anything you could do.” She continued, “But then I read your article, Retirees Fired by Their Brokers in America, on the same day that I got a letter from my brokerage firm telling me that since I live in Israel,… Read more
How to Claim an Inheritance from Abroad
If you’ve ever tried to claim an inheritance from abroad, you know the confusion can feel overwhelming. While the deceased may have meant for you to be an heir, the funds don’t magically end up in your account. You’ve got to deal with quite a lot of paperwork and plenty of notarized signatures…. Read more
Retirees Fired by Their Brokers in America
More and more Americans living in Israel have recently “been fired” by their brokers in America. Their advisors, with whom they may have worked for decades, have informed them that their brokerage firm will no longer service accounts with non-American addresses. Although people of all ages have been ousted, retirees have been hit the hardest…. Read more