When working on financial plans for clients the trickiest issue that usually comes up is inheritance. Inheritance is one of those issues that no one really wants to talk about. A large US insurance company put it this way, ”Inheriting money is bittersweet. Although someone you cared about is gone, that person thought enough of […]
One of my favorite episodes of the sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ was where George Costanza, down on his luck, decided to do the exact opposite of what his instincts would normally dictate. His ‘do the opposite’ philosophy ended up getting him the beautiful women and a coveted job with the New York Yankees. Investors can learn a […]
This article appeared in The Jewish Week’s Aliyah supplement We all remember the old joke, “How do you become a millionaire in Israel? You come with two million!” While that used to be true, today Israel’s economy is flourishing and both economic and employment opportunities abound. Israel has gone from being just a tourist destination […]
Whether it’s from high divorce rates, living longer than their husbands, or getting married later in life, more and more women are finding themselves in charge of their own finances. As such, women need to be able to stand on their own two feet when it comes to money matters. In a growing number of […]
The Arab world has been shaken. Large protests in Tunisia, million-man marches in Egypt, and a new government in Jordon created to try and stave off protests. Are these protests the precursor to democracy taking over from dictatorships? Are they the beginning of a massive takeover of power by radical Islam? While only time will […]
The current visit to Washington D.C. of Chinese President Hu Jintao has once again brought increased attention to U.S./China relations. While those relations are chilly at best, the state of the Chinese economy is anything but. As the world continues to be mired in an economic slowdown, and even the rosiest of scenarios has stronger […]
As life expectancy continues to increase, the burden of both financially and physically caring for aging parents is one of the most important and pressing issues for adult children that exists today. I often see families torn apart by this responsibility. It’s sometimes difficult for families to retain harmony and still provide the necessary care […]
I know that being an optimist is not nearly as popular as being a pessimist when it comes to stock market prognosticating. After all, it is more exciting to read about the coming economic catastrophe that will send the global economy into an inescapable black hole than read about continued stock market gains. Pundits spewing […]
“Tens of thousands of Israelis may see their pensions cut as the veteran pension funds have once again fallen into large deficits. The pension funds are now facing an actuarial deficit of more than 5% and will have no choice but to cut their benefits to members. Retirees collecting pensions will immediately see their monthly […]
Global real estate markets have been crushed. With prices in some markets 50% lower than they were a few years ago, real estate seems to be cheap. Owning property is part of most asset allocation models, meaning that it serves as a good diversification tool. Even the Talmud is ‘pro’ real estate. The Talmud (Bava […]
