4-Minute Money Ideas

How to Keep Financial Harmony in Your Marriage

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

What's the best way to achieve financial harmony in a marriage?

When two people get married, they don't only join their lives together, but also their money. If differences in money attitudes and practices are not addressed early on, people can become set in their ways, making it more difficult to overcome any disagreements. However, where there is love, there are also ways to heal the financial divide.

Find shared values and purpose Couples need to come together with a shared vision of their future based on joint values. If they share a mission and purpose, their decisions will have greater clarity and conviction and it should be easier to maintain financial harmony. Shared goals can provide the motivation to spend/save according to an agreed-upon plan.

Create a plan At the core of any successful enterprise – be it a business or marriage – is a spending plan or budget. With shared goals and purpose, couples can better prioritize their spending and find it easier to agree on financial decisions. Budgets should be created as a couple and tracked together monthly.

Keep separate finances When finances are merged, it can sometimes lead to a struggle for control. Make sure that money doesn't become a power issue. While both partners don't need to balance the checkbook or pay the bills, everyone needs to be happy with the division of labor.

Making joint spending/saving decisions is important. However, not every financial decision needs to be approved by your spouse. Allowing some individual control over a personal spending budget can go a long way to relieving the stress of having to account for every shekel spent as a couple. Decide on an amount where each person can spend without having to "check in" with the other.

Read my blog, ProfilePerspectives.com/sharedsavings, for an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of maintaining a shared savings account.

Communicate! As with any other issue in marriage, open and honest communication is the key to finding financial harmony. Couples who make time to discuss money issues regularly usually achieve a financial consensus.

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

What You Should Know About Low-Risk Investments

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

Recently, a new client told me that his portfolio mostly contained low-risk investments. When I saw that the majority of his investments were mutual funds, I asked him why he believed mutual funds were "low-risk," as his funds contained stocks. What he was missing was the mutual funds contained stocks which are risky, so even though the funds were diversified, he was exposed to a lot of risk.

What is a low-risk investment?

An example of a low-risk investment is a bank deposit, or CD (certificate of deposit). A CD pays a fixed interest rate and matures on a specific date. It is "safer" than a stock, the value of which can fluctuate dramatically, since if the CD investor holds the CD until maturity, he knows he'll get his principal and interest paid in full. Investors looking for a low-risk investment that produces income choose CDs because they pay interest on the original deposit.

Furthermore, CDs are normally insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000 if the bank fails and doesn't pay back the initial deposit on maturity.

However, though a CD carries a low level of risk, you can still lose money if you sell it before its maturity date. Moreover, if rates of inflation are higher than interest rates, the real value of your money diminishes compared to the original purchase. Additionally, CDs also include an element of liquidity risk, especially if you invest in a long-term CD.

What to think about if you want to invest in CDs

There are many reasons to invest in a CD. It may be worth forfeiting the possibility of higher returns in the stock market for relative peace of mind in preserving your principal.

If so, consider buying CDs through your broker, as CDs purchased through a brokerage account can offer higher returns than if you buy them as an individual through a retail bank.

To learn more about CDs and other low-risk investments, listen to my podcast at: GoldsteinOnGelt.com/low-risk

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

Can I Safely Withdraw My Principal in Retirement?

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

As a cross-border financial advisor, one question I hear nearly every day is, "Can I afford to withdraw my principal in retirement?" For most of my clients, the short answer is, yes, but it is important to know how much and from which accounts you can dip into your principal.

When withdrawal is part of a strategy The financial planning industry's "4 Percent Rule" is commonly applied in determining how much principal you can draw down annually without risking outliving your money. Based on historical worst-case scenarios for a portfolio allocation of 60% stocks and 40% bonds over the last 100 years, 4% is considered a safe withdrawal rate in most situations. However, since each person's situation is different, don't rely on a rule of thumb as customized financial plan.

A simple calculation to determine how much capital would be needed to generate a desired level of income using the 4% strategy is to multiply your income need by 25. For example, if you need $100,000/year in retirement, you would need $2.5 million of capital at a withdrawal rate of 4%.

When withdrawal can be done conservatively According to a survey by AARP, only a quarter of retirees dip into their principal, largely due to their fear of outliving their assets. Many retirees simply adjust their spending to be able to live off their income, even though they may have adequate principal to use. However, if withdrawing principal is done properly, with caution and attention to tax efficiency, retirees should have nothing to fear.

Determining how much principal you can safely withdraw each year should be an annual calculation. Factors such as your living needs, interest rates, market performance, inflation, and your general outlook on the future will affect the calculation. Work with your financial advisor to review your retirement income plan throughout your retirement. To learn more about income planning, download the Retirement Planning Book (for free) at Profile-Financial.com/rpb

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

How to Invest When You Can't Predict Market Direction By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

If you're thinking of investing in stocks but you're concerned about which direction the stock market will move, here's what you need to know:

If you are a new investor with a long-term perspective, it shouldn't matter which direction the stock market moves in the short term. What you should know is that a bull market (up market) generally follows a bear (down) market. On average, bear markets in the United States last about 11 months, while bull markets average 32 months. In the past, the average bear market decline was 27%, while the average bull market gain was 119%, though past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

Remember that historically down markets were temporary. More importantly, not only does a bull market erase declines, but in the past, the gains of the previous bull market were extended significantly. Will it always be that way? Unfortunately, no one knows.

Diversification is key to long-term performance

The key to capturing the upside returns of the stock market while minimizing downside risk is diversification. Diversification is a strategy that recognizes the uncertainty in how stocks from various sectors will perform at any time and it tries to balance your portfolio by spreading out risk among various assets. Instead of buying dozens of individual stocks, you can diversify with index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

With ETFs and index funds, your investments can be allocated among different types of stock indexes to achieve a risk/return profile that matches your own risk tolerance.

If you work with a licensed financial advisor who understands your objectives and risk profile, you can create a diversified portfolio that is tailored to your needs. Learn more about investing in stocks by watching this 10-minute video.

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

Why You Need to Talk to Your Adult Children about Your Finances By Douglas Goldstein CFP® - helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

Do you find it difficult to discuss with your adult children what should happen with your finances towards the end of your life?

If so, you're not alone.

People don't like thinking about their own mortality or losing control. Moreover, as family relationships aren't always easy, discussing issues such as power of attorney, healthcare proxies, and estate planning can get very complicated. For these reasons, many families push off this conversation for as long as possible.

If you don't speak with your adult children about your finances, they may have difficulty picking up the pieces and taking care of you and your affairs if you become too infirm to take care of yourself. The emotional and monetary effects of taking care of an elderly parent without any direction can be very hard, especially if your adult children are raising families of their own at the same time.

How to have "the talk"

The best way to let your adult children into your finances is to talk with them. If you can't physically do that for any reason, compose a list of all your assets, where they are, what you want to happen when you're no longer able to look after yourself, who would take care of you, and other important issues. Make sure to sign the appropriate documents so your children have the legal means to make financial decisions on your behalf (Power of Attorney, Trading Authorization, etc.)

If you have a financial advisor, invite your adult children to the attend meetings. Let them know who helps you with your finances and who to ask for reliable, objective advice when necessary. While you can't ever know exactly how long you will live or stay healthy, taking a disciplined approach and sharing your financial situation, goals, and strategies can save a lot of heartache for everyone down the road.

For more about why sharing your finances with your adult children is so important, listen to Tim Prosch, author of The Other Talk, on The Goldstein on Gelt Show at here.

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

Steps You Need to Take 5 Years before Retirement

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

Will you have "enough" money to live comfortably? The months and years before retirement may be filled with trepidation and financial worries. In order to minimize financial concerns before retirement, here are some steps you should take in the five years leading up to it:

Organize your assets for tax efficiency Most retirees underestimate the impact taxes will have on their retirement income. If you have an idea of what your retirement tax bracket will be, work with your advisor to arrange your assets in a way to create the greatest tax efficiency when you start withdrawing. Selling assets might trigger large capital gains taxes, and there may be additional taxes on pension payments.

Know your pension options For some people, delaying taking Social Security or other pensions until as late as possible might make sense. Learn more about timing claiming benefits at: Profileperspectives.com/social-security. Be sure to check with your Israeli pension advisor in Israel about taking Bituach Leumi and withdrawing your work pension as a lump sum or in monthly payments.

Don't be too conservative While it may be tempting to reduce your exposure to risk-based investments pre-retirement, if you get too conservative, you could inadvertently diminish your portfolio's capacity to generate enough income to meet your needs. A balanced and diversified portfolio of both stocks and bonds may be your best strategy for maintaining capital growth while reducing portfolio volatility. But beware of taking risks without consulting with a licensed advisor first.

Find your retirement ambition Studies show that retirees who stay engaged and productive are happier in all aspects of their lives. Explore new interests that can be enjoyed now and more fully developed as you cross the retirement threshold. These might include volunteering, mentoring, or starting a new hobby or business.

The five years before retirement is a critical period for ensuring a smooth transition into your next stage of life. Get in touch if you're concerned about how to handle your investments for retirement: [email protected].

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

How to Choose the Right Financial Advisor for You

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

Choosing the right financial advisor can be like seeking the right life partner. Your financial advisor needs to be the perfect match for you and your situation. Your advisor must be knowledgeable, honest, reliable, and, most importantly, have your best interests in mind.

There are many financial professionals, who all offer a range of services and expertise. How should you choose? When considering whether to work with a prospective advisor, ask yourself these questions:

Is this financial advisor qualified?

Before you set foot inside a financial advisor's office, make sure that he is licensed and has expertise with the types of investments that interest you. You can check out his qualifications, background, and experience through the online checking facilities provided by FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) in the United States and ISA (Israel Securities Authority) in Israel.

Who is the topic of your first meeting?

If your prospective financial advisor spends a lot of time talking about himself and his credentials, but doesn't ask you about your investment goals and current financial situation, then choose someone else. The main subject of your first meeting should be you. A financial advisor needs to learn about you, your specific needs, goals, and the ultimate purpose of your investments.

Talking with you or at you?

When a financial advisor speaks with you about investments, make sure you understand how these investments work and why he suggested them. Not everyone understands financial jargon, so make sure everything is explained clearly. If you don't feel comfortable asking questions, interview another advisor. During your conversation (and yes, it should be a conversation and not a monologue!), make sure that you feel comfortable. You should leave the meeting with a sense that your finances are in good hands.

What else do you need to know about finding the perfect (financial) match? For more ideas, read this: Profile-Financial.com/pick-advisor

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

What You Need to Know About Rolling Your 401(k) to an IRA

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

When you change jobs, everything you need to take with you can be neatly packed into a box – except your retirement plan. When you leave your job, you need to think about rolling your 401(k) into an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). If you left your job to make aliya, this question becomes even more crucial, as cross-border financial regulations come into play with keeping the tax-beneficial status of American retirement accounts.

What are your options? If you leave your American job to move to Israel, you have four options for your 401(k):

• Keep the money with your former employer's 401(k) plan, • Roll your funds into an IRA, • Roll your money into your new employer's plan if it's allowed, • Cash out your 401(k) plan by withdrawing all your money (not recommended). The best course of action depends on your financial situation, your attitude about managing your own retirement funds, where you will live, and the specific plan options available to you. What are the pros and cons of rolling your 401(k) plan into an IRA?

Advantages of an IRA Rollover There are several reasons why rolling your 401(k) into an IRA may be advantageous. An IRA gives you more control over your specific investments, as they tend to offer more investment options than a typical 401(k) plan. Furthermore, you can easily manage an IRA from overseas.

Disadvantages of an IRA Rollover If you want access to your retirement funds before age 59½, you may prefer to keep your funds in your 401(k) or roll them into your new employer's 401(k) plan (if available). If you are younger, you might want to take advantage of the fact that 401(k) withdrawals are allowed at age 55. Or, if you are happy with your current investments, it may be better to leave them where they are rather than rolling them over to somewhere else.

Before changing any retirement plan, make sure to consult with a financial advisor and tax professional to understand the tax consequences of any move you make. To learn more about IRAs, read: ProfilePerspectives.com/401-and-ira

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

How to Make a Good Investment Decision

By Douglas Goldstein CFP®- helping olim handle their U.S. investments from Israel

Since one person's good investment choice may be a huge mistake for someone else, what factors should you consider when deciding upon a potential investment?

In investing, the only hard and fast rule is that past performance never guarantees future returns. Though you should try to understand why a security acted in a specific way in the past, the most important thing you can do is make sound decisions based upon your personal situation. To help you make an even clearer decision, use an investment evaluation tool like the one available at Profile-Financial.com/investment-evaluation

All too often, folks lose money as a result of not asking the right questions. So, when deciding what to invest in, ask yourself:

What is your net worth?

Why is knowing your net worth important? Before you invest your money, you need to know how much you really have. This doesn't only refer to savings, but also to other assets such as real estate and collectibles (if you would ever consider selling them). Knowing your total net worth helps you create an asset allocation model and understand how the new idea would fit in your big picture.

What is your tolerance for risk?

Risk tolerance is very individual. If you are close to retirement, your risk tolerance level may be lower than that of a younger person because you have less time to recoup any potential loss. Sometimes even younger folks don't have the stomach for market volatility and they need to choose more conservative investments, too.

What is the purpose of the investment?

Are you investing for growth, to maintain your principal, or to generate income? Growth investments increase your wealth through long- or short-term appreciation. These investments include mutual funds and various types of stocks. Income investments, on the other hand, generate steady income through interest or dividend payments. Examples include dividend stocks or bonds. An income investment may not be suitable for growth investing, and vice versa.

To find out what other questions you should ask before making a financial decision, check out the free investment evaluation tool at: Profile-Financial.com/investment-evaluation

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.

Was Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote fighting imaginary windmills or market volatility when he said, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket?" Putting all of your assets in one basket doesn't keep them as safe as you might think because there is always a risk that you might lose them all at once.

The way to counter this is the investment strategy of asset allocation. Asset allocation, or diversification, may be even more important than picking the "right" stocks.

The idea is to diversify your money among different types of assets, such as equities, fixed income, and cash and its equivalents, rather than putting all your money into one single asset class.

Minimize potential losses

The main reason for practicing asset allocation and having a diversified portfolio is to minimize potential losses. If you invest in a single asset class, and it does badly, you could sustain a heavy loss. However, if you spread your investments among different asset classes, if one class performs poorly, your losses could be mitigated by holdings in different, hopefully better-performing asset classes. For example, historically, when bonds tend to have low interest rates, stocks rise in value, and in periods of high interest rates, bonds outperform stocks. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

How to determine your asset allocation

How do you choose which asset classes to invest in, and in which proportions? This depends on your personal situation and goals. If you want to save for a specific, short-term goal, you would put more of your money into liquid assets that minimize jeopardizing the principal, such as certificates of deposit (CDs), money markets, or cash. However, if you are investing for the long term, you might include a larger proportion of stocks and other growth investments in your portfolio. As the goal is more long term, you have more time to ride out market fluctuations.

To find out more about asset allocation and the importance of having a diversified portfolio, read my blog: Profile-Financial.com/asset-allocation

Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. www.profile-financial.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Call (02) 624-2788 for a consultation about handling your U.S. investments from Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not those of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates. Neither PRG nor its affiliates give tax or legal advice.