Did You Get an Unpleasant Surprise From Your Stateside Broker?
By Douglas Goldstein, CFP® - helping olim handle U.S., IRA, investment, and brokerage accounts from Israel
When your stateside broker sent you a surprise letter, did it contain good news? Many Americans in Israel (and non-Americans, too) have received a letter from their U.S. investment firm or bank informing them that they need to close out their account. In some cases, the brokerage firm does not shut down the account, but limits its services because the client no longer lives in the United States.
10-step solution
I recently produced a toolkit, which you can download for free, which answers the most common questions about handling American accounts from Israel. One of the most popular sections of the toolkit is called, “10 Steps to Opening a U.S. Brokerage Account.” Get this great resource at www.Profile-Financial.com/Toolkit.
A quick and easy solution
Though some investment problems may be insurmountable, don’t worry if you get a letter from your U.S. brokerage firm about needing to transfer your account. If the firm doesn’t want to work with people who live overseas, it’s probably best for you to avoid keeping your account there. Maybe the firm doesn’t understand some of the basic, yet very critical, regulations that a licensed cross-border financial advisor would know, such as which mutual funds you could buy, which ones you absolutely need to avoid, and how to continue investing like you always have done in a diversified portfolio.
On the other hand, a “cross-border friendly” company can open an account for you in your own name in the United States and simply transfer the assets from your current brokerage firm to one with the know-how and experience to help out. These firms can manage your account because they have taken the time to fully understand the rules and regulations and have designed the systems to help people open and maintain investment accounts in the United States.
Have you received a letter telling you to get out? Let me know the details by calling (02) 624-2788 or emailing me at doug@profile-financial.com, and let’s find the best solution for you.
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.
How to Grow Your Money Twice as Fast: Save More
By Douglas Goldstein, CFP® - helping olim handle U.S., IRA, investment, and brokerage accounts from Israel
What’s the best way to save, and how much money should you save?
As a panelist on the “Money Tree Investing Podcast,” I recently answered a question about how to invest monthly savings. Here’s what I advised:
Save more
Before discussing specific investment tactics, I suggested doubling the amount of money the listener was saving. My experience as a financial advisor has taught me that many folks don’t save as much as they can. One common rule of thumb is to save 20% of your income. If you reach that level or more, you’re well on your way to building serious wealth.
Choose investments carefully
There are two principles that every investor should follow:
Once you have accumulated savings and determined how you should invest, take the next step and open a U.S. brokerage account to help further your financial goals. For resources on how to do this, download the free Profile Toolkit, a guide to opening U.S. brokerage accounts from overseas. Download the toolkit at www.Profile-Financial.com/toolkit.
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.
If you worked in America before your move to Israel, chances are you have an IRA account. What should you do with this American account if you live an ocean away?
Should you transfer your retirement accounts to Israel?
An IRA is an “Individual Retirement Account.” There are several categories of IRA, including traditional, Roth, Simple, and SEP IRAs. The main differences between them relate to when taxes are paid. (Check with your accountant about your own situation since this article does not constitute tax advice.)
Another common type of retirement account in the United States is the 401(k), which is a “defined contribution” plan. Contributions to the account are deducted from your paycheck and you only pay tax on them when you make a withdrawal. Sometimes contributions are matched by employers, which make it an especially sweet way to save. However, when you work in Israel, you normally cannot continue contributing to the plans (unless you are employed by an American company). However, if you had such a plan in the United States, you can often roll it over into an IRA and easily manage it from Israel.
Useless or useful?
Having American retirement accounts when living in Israel can be useful. One reason is because the money invested can continue to grow. If you were to withdraw the savings and deposit them in Israel, depending on your age, you may be hit with penalties and taxes on the amount withdrawn.
A second benefit of having American retirement accounts while living in Israel is that the savings are held in America, and that means easier reporting on American taxes. Your pension plans produce IRS-friendly tax reports so you save yourself (and your accountant) hours of paperwork.
Also, American retirement accounts are already in Uncle Sam’s purview, and therefore don’t need to be reported on FBAR forms.
Everything changes when you move abroad
If you made aliya, the incongruity of the tax laws in America and Israel create certain complications that affect how retirement accounts are run and their tax status. Work with an international brokerage firm that understands the regulatory requirements of dealing with cross-border clients. In this way, you get the best of both worlds. You can live in Israel – and still benefit from your American retirement accounts.
To learn more, download the Profile Toolkit, a guide to handling your U.S. investments from Israel at: www.Profile-Financial.com/toolkit
Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd. 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