Should you be investing in cryptocurrencies?
Over the past number of years cryptocurrencies have surged into the limelight, being viewed by many as the wave of the future, a must-have for any investor. They have continued to gain legitimacy with recent support from the upcoming American administration, and seem set to become even higher profile once Donald Trump becomes US President. […]
The ABCs of the S&P
In recent years Israel’s investing landscape has changed dramatically. A much larger percentage of our pension funds and the local mutual fund industry, are invested in stocks abroad, with a large focus on the S&P index. As many have asked if the hype is justified, I thought it would be beneficial to share some background […]
Products of Our Upbringing
Our relationship with money is a complex web of emotions, beliefs, and attitudes that have been woven together through our upbringing and years of experiences. From a young age, we are exposed to various personal financial situations that leave a lasting impact on how we perceive, understand and work with money. These experiences shape our […]
Lessons from my car
A while ago our dependable car, which had served us faithfully for over a decade, started showing its age. As time passed, we had to invest increasingly larger amounts of money, until we finally reached the conclusion that we needed to make a change. However, that decision sent us down a path where countless other […]
Overthinking your financial plan
As with most things in life, there are differences of opinion as to how to create a financial plan in the most effective and efficient manner. Some financial planners belong to the school of thought that says the more detailed it is, the more effective it will be. Their modus operandi is to put together […]
Can FIRE work for you?
Ask many people and they’ll tell you that their dream is to retire early. To have enough money to spend decades relaxing, enjoying their freedom and fulfilling their dreams. Did you know that there is a huge and growing group in America who are proponents of that very idea? They are members of an increasingly […]
Are forced retirement savings enough?
Eight years ago, when the Israeli government began the current obligatory pension system, it was seen as very positive step and a huge relief to many who felt that now they automatically had an effective retirement plan in place, and could cross retirement planning off their ‘to do’ list. But whereas it is an essential […]
Just ask!
How many times do we lose out due to questions we either didn’t think of, or were embarrassed to ask? This is true of virtually all aspects of life, but my focus here is on the financial. Just recently some acquaintances of mine, a married couple, approached me with a dilemma. They are both working […]
Planning for the unplanned
The past few months have been emotionally draining – almost constantly, and sometimes simultaneously – devastating, uplifting, worrying and inspiring. And unfortunately, in addition to all those emotions that so many families are experiencing, people are also suffering from their very worrying financial situation, as their incomes have been cut. Even under ‘normal’ circumstances there […]
Victory in the Small Claims’ Court
After successfully completing a five month ordeal with a major telecommunications provider, I felt the need to share the experience and its lessons in order to help you with your daily interactions with companies, big and small, in Israel. Upon my return to Israel last summer, I noticed a very large, completely unexpected, charge on […]