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Everyone loves a good rule of thumb. It makes it so easy to compare your situation to a clear benchmark. The goal of this guide is to help you understand and apply some of the most common financial rules of thumb—and to see how they may differ for those of us living in Israel. Important: … Read more
A Roth IRA is an incredible US retirement account that lets you invest every year and watch your money grow — completely tax-free — for life. It’s easy to manage, can be opened with little to no fees, and offers powerful long-term benefits. But what happens if you make Aliyah? Will Israel agree that it … Read more
One of the most dangerous words in personal finance is “inertia”. Making a change is hard, making a change is scary. Procrastinating these decisions indefinitely always seems like the easier choice. But it doesn’t have to be that way – you don’t need to be stuck. The goal of this guide is to walk you … Read more
You probably have heard by now, dual US-Israeli citizenship can bring a lot of tax headaches to the table. For “mixed couples” – where one spouse is a US citizen while the other isn’t – it can be even more complicated. The goal of this guide to present some of the important aspects of financial … Read more
Welcome to your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about Keren Hishtalmut. Keren Hishtalmut (KH) is a great tax-free investment account, available to many employees (at the employer’s discretion) and to all self-employed individuals. Contribute the maximum you can to it (though read on for self-employed US citizens). Optimize your fees, think carefully … Read more
This article is based on a paper by Nick Maggiulli of Virtus Investment Partners. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This is not investment advice, is for general purposes only, and does not take into account your individual needs, investment objectives and specific financial circumstances. Let’s say you want to invest and can … Read more
Since starting this blog, I’ve received many thoughtful questions about the financial challenges Olim face. One topic that comes up repeatedly is how to think about bonds within an investment portfolio. Should Israelis be buying shekel-denominated bonds or U.S. dollar bonds? And how should Americans in Israel approach Israeli bonds while avoiding the PFIC tax … Read more
I often hear from Olim and prospective Olim who are eager to move their investments quickly out of the U.S. and into what they think of as the “Israeli markets.” For many, there’s a strong and understandable desire to participate in the miracle of the “Start-Up Nation.” Others want their investments better aligned with the … Read more
Currency rates are often top of mind for many people in Israel. For those of us with income and/or savings outside the country, there’s a real concern that the shekel could continue to strengthen, reducing the value of our assets held abroad. American retirees in Israel who rely on low-risk retirement savings and Social Security … Read more