“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
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
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
While some people set up their investment portfolio in order to grow their bottom line, others want their investments to provide a steady income. If you want your dollar deposits to provide income, take the following three steps:
#1. Create an “income oriented” financial plan
Look at the overall economy when creating your financial plan…. Read more
The past few weeks I’ve written a lot about bonds and considered whether bonds should be in your investment portfolio. Many people love the income and relative safety bonds provide, but other people hate them. It’s important to understand why investors love and hate bonds.
Predictable interest rate
LOVE: Folks who despise uncertainty buy bonds because of the “fixed income” schedule…. Read more
Do you remember the good old days of getting high interest rates on your dollar deposits?
Remember when you used to look forward to getting your monthly statement because the high interest earned made a substantial difference in your bottom line. This doesn’t necessarily only have to be a memory of the past – you can still get high interest on dollar deposits if you know where to shop…. Read more
Recently, I met a widow who wanted to boost monthly investment income she received from her portfolio. We had a lengthy meeting, but here’s the bottom line: consider bonds.
What’s the easiest way to buy bonds?
“Isn’t there an easy way for me to get monthly income from my portfolio… kind of like a pension?” my client inquired…. Read more
A recent widow in her seventies came into my office in Jerusalem for an initial meeting on how to increase her investment income. She said that the $25,000 per year from her portfolio and pensions was simply not enough income to maintain her lifestyle.
The pension stopped – Oy!
Her husband’s pensions stopped when he died,… Read more
Many American brokerage companies have stopped servicing their clients who have foreign addresses, including those who made aliya. These firms have decided that government regulations have simply made the job of maintaining clients overseas too complex. For some people, it may seem like bad news when their broker sends them a letter saying,… Read more
I recently met with a woman who wanted help understanding and organizing her money, specifically her U.S. dollar investments.
“I’m totally overwhelmed with statements,” she told me as she emptied envelope after envelope onto my desk. “I have no idea what I own and I don’t know how to read all this stuff.”
By the time our meeting ended,… Read more
