Oct 6, 2026 · 5 min · 7 segments
Moving to Israel? Before you pack your bags, think twice about packing up your investment portfolio, too. Doug breaks down why U.S. brokerage accounts may still make sense after making Aliyah, the tax…
Douglas GoldsteinHostHe said to me, I've been working hard and saving for retirement, but I just don't know how much money I actually need to retire in Israel.
Two people can retire with very different amounts of savings and still have equally workable retirement plans.
Why? Because the number in your investment account is only one part of the picture.
If those income sources cover most of their regular expenses, they may not need to draw very much from their investments each month.
Other people may rely much more heavily on a 401k, IRA, or brokerage account to support their retirement.
If your investments need to cover a larger part of your monthly spending, then naturally you'll need more invested.
How much do you plan to spend? Are you traveling, helping your children, giving to charity, going out to restaurants? All of that matters when figuring out how much you need for retirement.
The amount that covers your expenses today may not cover the same lifestyle 10 or 15 years from now, so inflation has to be part of the calculation too.
If you need your investments to help pay your monthly expenses, the question becomes, how much can you reasonably take out each year? That depends on how your portfolio is invested, how long you expect the money to last, and how much flexibility you have with your spending.
The goal is to create a withdrawal plan that supports your lifestyle without putting too much pressure on your portfolio.
So instead of asking, what number do I need to retire in Israel? Start with a different question.
How big is the gap between the income I'll have and the amount I expect to spend? That gap tells you a lot more about what your investments will need to do.
He said to me, I've been working hard and saving for retirement, but I just don't know how much money I actually need to retire in Israel.
Two people can retire with very different amounts of savings and still have equally workable retirement plans.
Why? Because the number in your investment account is only one part of the picture.
If those income sources cover most of their regular expenses, they may not need to draw very much from their investments each month.
Other people may rely much more heavily on a 401k, IRA, or brokerage account to support their retirement.
If your investments need to cover a larger part of your monthly spending, then naturally you'll need more invested.
How much do you plan to spend? Are you traveling, helping your children, giving to charity, going out to restaurants? All of that matters when figuring out how much you need for retirement.
The amount that covers your expenses today may not cover the same lifestyle 10 or 15 years from now, so inflation has to be part of the calculation too.
If you need your investments to help pay your monthly expenses, the question becomes, how much can you reasonably take out each year? That depends on how your portfolio is invested, how long you expect the money to last, and how much flexibility you have with your spending.
The goal is to create a withdrawal plan that supports your lifestyle without putting too much pressure on your portfolio.
So instead of asking, what number do I need to retire in Israel? Start with a different question.
How big is the gap between the income I'll have and the amount I expect to spend? That gap tells you a lot more about what your investments will need to do.
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