Everything you wanted to know
about Wealth Strategy, investments and pension

"Regular" financial advice answers one-off questions — which insurance, which fund, when to redeem. Wealth Strategy starts somewhere else: what do you want to achieve over the next 10–20 years? How much are you accumulating, from where, and where does it take you? Every shekel has a role, and every layer (pension, investments, insurance, taxation) has a timeline and a target. The end result is a written document — a work plan for the hundreds of thousands of shekels that will be decided over the next 20 years. To schedule an introductory meeting — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

Absolutely — this is exactly the audience I built the service for. Families in Israel with a net worth of ₪500K–5M need the same holistic thinking that the Rothschild Family Office gives its clients, and this service brings them that approach. Accessible starting from the wealth you already have today, control of your money stays entirely with you, and at the end of the process you have a personal strategy document. To check whether it's a fit — contact Ido Sidi.

Market Timing is an attempt to predict when the market will rise or fall. Studies show that investors who try to time the market lose significant returns over the years — because the natural tendency is to sell at the bottom and buy at the peak. Market Pricing, by contrast, examines price versus value: does the asset reflect a reasonable reality relative to its earnings, its alternatives, and your goal? My approach is based on pricing — probabilistic decisions over time that hold up beyond next month's headlines. For a deeper dive — read the full article on the blog.

A holistic portfolio manages all of a family's wealth together: securities investments, pension, managers' insurance, training funds and insurance coverage. One strategist holds the full picture, and so everything is synchronized: the coverages are coordinated (each insurance complements the coverage already paid for within the pension), the investments are integrated (one allocation across all the wealth), and taxation is planned in advance (a withdrawal order that maximizes your wealth throughout retirement). The service suits families with 4+ different financial assets, or anyone going through a significant life event. For a deeper look at the approach — read the Wealth Strategy page.

Life insurance is worth buying the moment you have dependents — a spouse, children, or parents who rely on your income. The younger you are when you buy, the lower the premium and the better your health, which allows for better terms. Most people don't know they already have life insurance coverage inside their pension fund — it's worth checking how much it is before buying an additional policy. To assess your personal need — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

The cost of life insurance depends on age, health status, coverage amount and policy term. At age 30, you can obtain coverage of one million shekels for just ₪100–200 per month. As you get older, the cost rises significantly — which is why it pays to lock in terms while young. It is important to compare between companies and not settle for the first offer. To receive several offers from the market — contact Ido Sidi.

The public HMO provides basic coverage under the national health basket — surgeries, medications in the basket, and specialist physicians with a waiting period. Private health insurance adds: expensive medications outside the basket, surgeries in private hospitals, choice of a specific surgeon, and fast ambulatory services. The HMOs also offer supplementary health services (sheban) that are worth considering before buying private insurance. For personal advice on the level of coverage that suits you — contact Ido Sidi.

A pension fund is a collective product with relatively low management fees, insurance coverage set by age, and a retirement annuity calculated according to the life expectancy of all members. Managers' insurance is a personal policy with an annuity coefficient guaranteed in advance — a significant advantage in old policies bought before 2013. With old policies it is usually worth staying; with new ones — a pension fund is usually preferable. For an analysis of your personal policy — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

A training fund (keren hishtalmut) is the most tax-exempt savings instrument available to an Israeli salaried employee. Employer contributions (up to 7.5% of salary) are not counted as taxable income. After 6 years you can redeem the money fully exempt from capital gains tax — up to the ceiling set by law. You can also leave the money and keep enjoying the tax-exempt growth. For advice on choosing a track and making the most of it — contact Ido Sidi.

Disability insurance is relevant to anyone whose income depends on their ability to work — and that's almost everyone. The chance of being affected by long-term disability is significantly higher than the chance of dying during working age. The self-employed and independent professionals are at especially high risk because they have no protection from an employer. Salaried employees may have partial coverage through their pension fund — it's worth checking whether it is sufficient. To check your personal level of coverage — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

An investment provident fund allows withdrawal at any time and offers a key tax benefit: if you convert the accumulated savings to an annuity at retirement age — the gains are completely exempt from tax. A mutual fund is a more flexible instrument with no restrictions, but without special tax benefits — and you pay 25% capital gains tax on every gain. For the long term with the intention to retire — an investment provident fund is usually preferable. For advice on the instrument that suits you — contact Ido Sidi.

When changing jobs there are several options: leave the existing pension and open a new fund with the new employer, transfer all the money into one fund, or consolidate everything into a fund of your choice. An improper transfer can harm your insurance seniority and cause the loss of coverages that have accumulated. It is not advisable to transfer without professional advice. For help with a proper transfer — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

An independent pension advisor is licensed by the Ministry of Finance and does not earn a commission on selling products — they charge a direct fee from the client only, and so their advice is objective. An insurance agent earns a commission from insurance companies for every product they sell, which may create a conflict of interest. Ido Sidi is both an independent advisor and a licensed agent — a combination that allows him to give the most complete picture. For questions about the approach — contact Ido Sidi.

The maximum management fees set by law are 0.5% of accumulated savings and 6% of every ongoing deposit. In practice, you can negotiate much lower management fees — sometimes 0.1%–0.2% of accumulated savings. A difference of 0.3% on accumulated savings of one million shekels is ₪3,000 a year — over 20 years that adds up to tens of thousands of shekels. It's worth checking what you are paying now. To check your management fees — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

Yes — early retirement is possible. The minimum retirement age for a pension fund is 60, but the annuity will be lower the earlier you retire. Early and proper planning — including savings outside the pension and tax optimization — can make a sustainable retirement possible at age 60–62. The earlier you start planning, the more room you have. For early retirement planning — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

The self-employed are required to make pension contributions under the mandatory pension law. In addition, contributions to a pension and a training fund qualify for a tax deduction — an immediate tax saving on every shekel contributed. The choice between a pension fund and managers' insurance, the type of insurance coverage and the investment track — all are critical for a self-employed person who has no employer looking out for them. For pension planning for the self-employed — contact Ido Sidi at +972-52-595-0558.

An equity track invests 75%–100% in stocks and suits young people with a horizon of 20–30 years. A general track diversifies between stocks, bonds and real estate and suits middle age. A conservative bond track suits those close to retirement who want to preserve their wealth. Most people stay in the default track their whole lives — and lose enormous returns over time. To choose the right track for your age and goals — contact Ido Sidi.

Term life insurance is pure life insurance with no savings component — you pay a fixed monthly premium, and in the event of death the beneficiaries receive a lump sum. It is significantly cheaper than life insurance with savings and suits anyone who needs maximum protection at minimum cost — for example, young parents with a mortgage. To examine the right insurance protection for you — contact Ido Sidi.

The first meeting includes: a review of your current pension and insurance situation, an initial diagnosis of management fees, insurance coverage and risk exposure, and an initial check of the potential for improvement. By the end of the meeting you will know exactly where you stand and what can be improved. The meeting usually lasts 60–90 minutes. To schedule a meeting — call +972-52-595-0558 or send a WhatsApp message.