Today’s “Client of the Month Award” goes to Mrs. S. because of how she stepped out of her comfort zone and decided to understand her investments.
Who handles the money?
For convenience, many couples select one partner to handle the investment decisions. It’s OK to do that if that person has more expertise or enjoys dealing with the family’s finances…. Read more
People struggle to find a good birthday gift for their parents, but my children know the trick. They can always buy me a book by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l. From their most recent present, Lessons in Leadership, I discovered that Rabbi Sacks’ conclusion, “Seven Principles of Jewish Leadership,” corresponds to some of the most important financial planning lessons. … Read more
“My mother has enough money,” a client told me recently. “She just doesn’t seem to be as happy as she used to be.” He explained that although she is financially secure, due to the corona epidemic, she hardly leaves her house and has limited personal interactions. He was worried about her quality of life. … Read more
For decades, as a financial planner, I have helped clients set up their investment portfolios with the most important part being the emergency fund. In fact, on many occasions I have written here and spoken on The Goldstein On Gelt Show about putting aside three- to six-months’ worth of spending in an easily accessible,… Read more
While you read this, I’m celebrating the wedding of my daughter and new son-in-law. As the flowers wilt and echo of the wedding march fades, I pray the newlywed’s love and commitment only strengthen.
Being an experienced financial professional and a concerned parent, I’d like to offer a few tips on how to maintain financial harmony in a marriage…. Read more
World chess champion Susan Polgar once told me that all games of chess will end up as a draw unless one side makes a mistake. After she checkmated me, Susan pointed out that my pieces weren’t coordinated. She explained that individually, every piece on the board is relatively weak. However, when they properly work together,… Read more
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
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
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
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
