Read Doug’s articles originally printed in The Jerusalem Post.
Profile Perspectives
Proper financial planning can change your relationship with money.
How to Grow Your Money Twice as Fast: Save More
What’s the best way to save, and how much money should you save?
Most of the clients that I speak with have saved a lot of money in their U.S. bank and brokerage accounts. As such, we normally talk about the best strategies they can use to invest that money. But for folks who haven’t accumulated a lot of savings,… Read more
Are Foreign Investments Good for Your Retirement Portfolio?
Do you want to minimize risk in your retirement accounts? If so, consider diversifying your holdings to include foreign investments.
Investing internationally may boost your returns and minimize risk, as you’re “geographically diversified” and not relying on any single country’s economic performance. Geographic diversification can be achieved by buying foreign stocks,… Read more
Why Bonds Are Considered to Be a Safe Investment
Is there a safe investment that carries little risk?
Bonds are often described as a “safe investment” since, compared with other investments, they have a smaller risk of losing principal. However, just because some people call them “safe,” that does not mean they cannot lose money. Bonds are popular because they distribute interest payments on a set schedule,… Read more
Inheritance Anxiety Is A Real Thing… How Not To Worry About Your New Money
What would be your first reaction if you received an inheritance?
When a client received an inheritance from her elderly aunt, she told me:
“I thought she was going to leave everything to my cousin. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that any of it would come to me. Although the extra money will come in useful,… Read more
The Best Way to Update Investments in an Inherited IRA
If you inherit an IRA (Individual Retirement Account), it’s important to be aware of the regulations concerning transferring the account to you, the “beneficiary.” In addition to your financial advisors guiding you through the technical requirements for processing the account, they should help you with any possible emotional angst you inherited along with the monetary. … Read more
What Are the Tools You Need to Plan For Retirement?
When you plan for retirement, you must have the right tools. What are the most important things that you need?
An emergency fund
Before you begin saving for retirement, create an emergency fund for unexpected expenses. This way, you will always have money available in a crisis and you won’t need to withdraw from savings or take a loan…. Read more
Does Your Brokerage Firm Know Your Address?
Is your investment account in jeopardy because of your address? If your American brokerage firm no longer wants to hold your account because your legal address is not in the United States, you may find useful information in this free Profile Toolkit.
Financial companies follow strict regulations for all their clients…. Read more
Do Exchange Traded Funds Belong in Your Investment Portfolio?
What is an ETF?
An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is a security that owns a basket of assets (like stocks or bonds), the ownership of which is divided into shares. It is often compared with an “open-end mutual fund,” which is also a basket of assets. One of the main differences between the two,… Read more
Why Money Transfers Aren’t as Easy as They Used to Be
If you attempted a money transfer recently, you may have been surprised at the amount of documentation you were asked to provide.
Any financial institution can ask for proof as to why you’re moving money. They do this to make sure that they are in compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations.
Even law-abiding citizens may need to submit extra proof when they want to transfer funds from one financial institution to another,… Read more
What Happens When You File U.S. Taxes From Abroad?
American citizens living overseas often need to file U.S. taxes from abroad, even if they don’t owe any money. If you live in Israel, gathering the information you need to complete your taxes from Israeli banking and financial institutions can be tricky since foreign institutions don’t produce 1099 forms. So what is an American living abroad to do?… Read more