Goldstein on Gelt

Traditional investing focuses on individual funds, bonds, and stocks. Top-down investing is actually based on a market overview. But, how does an investor know a trend when they see one? Callum Thomas is the founder and head of research for Topdown Charts, a company specializing in macroeconomic studies. Callum defines top-down investing and explains how data is the most important tool for a top-down investor. He talks about how geopolitical events, could affect data. If you like to stick to the numbers in your financial planning, then tune in to learn more about this analytical investing approach.

Doug has put together a one-page resource for recent widows and widowers. The loss of a spouse and tough emotions come hand-in-hand. Many people have the extra stress of financial issues. Doug's resource Answers to Tough Financial Questions for Widows and Widowers is a primer to navigating the financial side of losing a spouse. Free Download: Answers to Tough Financial Questions for Widows and Widowers To learn more about Callum Thomas visit Topdown Charts or follow his company on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you're not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug's free ebook The Retirement Planning Book.

Every investor needs an investment strategy, and there are many good strategies an investor can consider. Do you know your options and what each investment strategy can offer you? Tune in to learn more about the most common choices. Colleen Jaconetti is a certified financial planner and senior investment analyst with Vanguard Investment Strategy Group. She lays out the most popular investment strategies that investors use in everyday investments. She focuses particularly on the "Dynamic Retirement Spending" strategy, an investment strategy that can give an investor "the best of both worlds" in financial planning. She explains what the strategy is and why it is the most balanced option for an investor.

Doug has put together a list of tips called The Best Way to Invest an Inheritance: What You Should and Shouldn't Do with a Windfall.* (*meant as link) He lists all the reasons why getting a sudden windfall like an inheritance can be stressful and lead to bad decisions. To dive deeper into this subject, register for Doug's webinar called How to Invest an Inheritance. Learn more about Vanguard Investment Strategy Group at their website. For more information about Colleen Jaconetti, read some of her blogs for Vanguard's site. If you're not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug's free ebook The Retirement Planning Book.

Who is managing your money? Who is giving you financial advice?

How do you know you're asking for advice from the right source?

Any financial advice you receive should be customized and personalized to meet your current financial situation.

The free resource Is The Right Company Managing Your Money explains how all of your investments should be reviewed and by who.

Download the free resource: Is The Right Company Managing Your Money?

Recently received an inheritance in the United States?

Have you recently received an inheritance from the United States but are living in Israel? Every inheritance is different. Someone may inherit two brokerage accounts and an IRA while someone else's inheritance is completely different. Know where to find the right advice.

What should you do with your inheritance?

Receiving an inheritance can be complicated especially if you receive a U.S. inheritance and are living in Israel. But it doesn't have to be. The Inheritance Book was written for every Israeli citizen that recently received an inheritance from America.

Just because stocks are tumbling doesn't necessarily mean that all is lost. Sophisticated investors know how to use a down market to up their portfolio.

Listen to the podcast to learn three ways that you can benefit from a falling market.

1. Pretend you're a farmer and harvest! Tax loss harvesting means selling stocks at a loss and matching that loss against capital gains to minimize capital gain taxes. No one likes to pay taxes, and no one likes stocks to lose value, but tax loss harvesting manages to lessen the negative blow of two potentially unpleasant situations. While savvy investors often use tax loss harvesting at the end of the fiscal year, you can implement this strategy anytime.

2. Take advantage of the stock sale. What does it mean when the market is oversold? Simply put, it means prices have dropped further than they probably should have. When the markets climb, investors who want to lock in their profits sell their stocks. If too many investors sell at once, the market drops; it is oversold. Turn this to your advantage, and talk to a licensed financial advisor about buying additional shares at the lower price.

3. Keep a large cash reserve. Some investors want every penny of their savings invested, thinking that means their money is working the hardest. However, if you don't have available cash to buy a bargain (see the point above), you might lose out when a buying opportunity presents itself. Note that a large cash reserve meant for investment is not an emergency fund.

No need to get down about a down market, there are strategies that you can use to your advantage.

If you're not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug's free ebook The Retirement Planning Book.

The funny thing about writing a will is you invest time and effort in its creation, and yet you never benefit from it. If you want to make life easier for your heirs, it is an important document to prepare… correctly. While you work with your lawyer to write a will, keep in mind that at the end of the day, it needs to "work." By "work" I mean that it needs to make sure that distributing your assets to your heirs goes smoothly and it won't be challenged by a potential inheritor.

I'm not a lawyer, so I can't advise on the legal issues involved with writing a will. Nonetheless, I have much experience on the practical side of a will, guiding the transferring of assets to the intended.

After working for nearly three decades helping people receive bequeathed assets, I have three suggestions of things to include/not include in preparing a will.

Listen to the podcast to learn these three practical tips, and then download a pdf that you can give to your lawyer explaining why your will should reflect these points.

Wishing everyone a long, healthy, and productive life.

Can money buy happiness?

In this week's show, Doug and his son, Efraim, discuss spending habits, and if people generally make good choices.

Imagine hearing a financial planner tell you that it's important to spend the money that you have in order to make you happy. Remember the famous dilemma: should you buy a cup of coffee every day, or should you save those few dollars and invest them so you can buy something bigger in the future? What will make you happier?

People who have more money, aren't necessarily happier than people who earn less. What should you buy to make you happy? Although having an iPhone is nice to have, what studies have shown is that when you donate money and help others, you feel better and more fulfilled.

Outsourcing, buying time and delegating tasks is another way to use your money wisely. Have you ever considered spending your money to free up your time so you have more time to do what you like to do?

It's important to remember that money isn't the main goal, it's one of many tools that you can use in order to make you happy.

As the Jewish saying goes "Who is rich? The one who is happy with what he has."

Click here to get Doug's e-book "The Constant Happiness Gratitude Journal"…it might just make you happier.

Efraim is a business student, former IDF officer, and an entrepreneur, creator of "A Day with an Officer." Contact him at: [email protected]

Congratulations!! You just had a child! How can you ensure that they will be financially secure throughout their life?

Today, Doug speaks with Efraim, who is preparing to be a young father, about tips and tricks for the best way to financially prepare for a growing family, and how to educate young children about money, so you can best raise financially savvy kids

As parents, we want the best for our kids, but it's important to remember that a parent isnot obligated to hand over $1M to their children when they grow up. Perhaps the best gift a parent could give their children is to educate them so they will be able to manage on their own. It's never to young to begin teaching your child about money; even a 5-year-old can understand basic concepts, and as they grow older, they can understand more.

Make sure to listen to Doug's three tips on what to teach your kids on handling their own money.

Don't forget to model good financial behavior for your children, and put aside money for their future needs. When saving, it is a good idea to invest in an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund)?

Life insurance is something that is crucial for young parents or a young couple to have when they are planning on having kids, so if heaven forbid something happens, your kids will have something to help them get back on their feet.

Let me know how your children react to your implementing the three tips on handling their own money.

Efraim is a business student, former IDF officer, and an entrepreneur, head of "A Day with an Officer." Contact him at: [email protected]

Everyone talks about the stock market, so you may ask yourself, "Should I buy stocks?"

Historically, investing in stocks has been a great way to build wealth. But how do you know how much you should pay for a stock? If the price is always changing, how do you know you're getting a good deal? It all boils down to the main question: Why should someone even buy a stock at 90 or more times earning?

When trying to evaluate a stock, there are many factors to consider. Perhaps the most important point to keep in mind is "what will the future income of the company be?"

This week's show focuses on how to understand a stock's earnings. Doug and Efraim present easy to follow example, to help you understand the core issue.

For example, buying a stock for $10 a share when the returns are $1 per year, may seem like a bad investment (because you lose $9) but, in year 11, you (hopefully) will profit $1.

Why are people willing to pay more than what they are getting? Quite simply, it's because they are optimistic and believe that in the years to come, they will make their initial investment back… and then more.

Efraim is a business student, former IDF officer, and an entrepreneur, head of "A Day with an Officer." Contact him at: [email protected]

Does the price of a stock really matter? Many people look at the price of a share before deciding whether to buy that particular stock. Should you follow your instinct and consider the price of a stock before deciding whether to buy it or not?

When buying a stock one of the factors that one needs to take into consideration is the PE ratio, the price per-earnings ratio of the company. The PE ratio is the calculation of how much a company earns divided by the price of the company. Listen to today's episode to learn how to calculate a company's PE.

Once we understand why people are willing to pay 10, 30, or even 400 times earnings, ask why should someone do that? If I can pay a cheaper price for a similar stock, why should I buy the more expensive one?

The answer is different people look at stocks differently. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; what is important to one person may not be as important to someone else. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if the PE ratio is very different, probably the stocks aren't exactly the same.

When investors are willing to buy stocks at higher PE ratios, it's often because they believe that the company will increase its earnings, and, once that happens, the initial price of the stock will rise, and they can walk away with a profit.

Let us know if you look at the PE ration before you buy a stock.

Efraim is a business student, former IDF officer, and an entrepreneur, head of "A Day with an Officer." Contact him at: [email protected]

If you're not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug's free ebook The Retirement Planning Book.

Periods of high inflation are tricky for investors because people don't know how much their dollars will be worth in the future.

Today, Doug talks about the two main myths about how to invest when inflation is high:

1. Buying gold – Some people believe that the price of gold goes up during periods of high inflation. But that's not always true.
2. Buying real estate - Some people think that in times of high inflation it is a good idea to invest in real estate. Doug explains why it is important to be careful that you aren't buying into a bubble which is reminiscent of the 2008 crash.

Have you considered that being invested in the stock market could be a hedge against inflation? Equities may be a good inflation-fighting strategy since being in the market when inflation is high is "riding the wave" of the money that's being pumped into the system. But be careful!

Efraim is a business student, former IDF officer, and an entrepreneur, head of "A Day with an Officer." Contact him at: [email protected]

If you're not already receiving updates on new episodes, sign up now, and as a special bonus, receive Doug's free ebook The Retirement Planning Book.