Simplicity
We explain in plain language, define each term the first time it appears, and avoid complicated products.
Lechatan Bekavod
A simple guide to long-term investing: why to start early, how passive investing works, what to check, and how to open an account. No promises of profit, and no need to be a stock-market expert.
About 15 years ago I attended a lecture on financial education. The lecturer presented what he called "the eighth wonder of the world": compounding. He explained how money invested over time, where the gains themselves keep earning gains, can grow significantly over the years.
The idea intrigued me. Later, mainly during my undergraduate studies at the Technion, I went deeper into economics, finance and the capital markets. The more I learned, the more I understood that this is an option worth knowing about: long-term investing, done thoughtfully and with diversification, does not have to be reserved for experts or the wealthy.
And yet I found that many people barely know about this option. Some are afraid of the stock market, some see it as a complicated world full of unfamiliar terms, and some simply don't know where to start. Often it is exactly this lack of knowledge and access that makes people give up in advance on learning about investment options that might suit them.
Today, more than ever, technology and digital tools have made access to the capital markets simpler and more convenient. But technical access alone is not enough. It is important to understand what you are doing, what the risks are, what options exist and what to check before making a decision.
That is why I founded Lechatan Bekavod. My goal is to make knowledge and tools accessible, to explain the world of investing in simple, clear language, and to show that it can be learned step by step, even without being a market expert.
I believe that when it comes to major financial goals in life, such as our children's weddings and helping them set up their homes, it is worth learning about the options as early as possible rather than waiting until the last minute. There are no promises here of getting rich or of guaranteed returns, only a wish to give you knowledge, tools and a better starting point for planning the future.
I invite you to read, learn, ask questions and get to know a world that may have seemed distant and complicated until now. You may discover it is far more accessible than you thought.
I want to stress: investing in the capital markets involves risk, and you can lose money. This site is for educational purposes only. I am not an investment adviser, and every investment decision should be made after learning and examining your personal situation and needs.
Long-term investing, done thoughtfully and with diversification, does not have to be reserved for experts or the wealthy.
OUR GOAL: To encourage families to take their financial future into their own hands: learn the principles, understand the risks and choose wisely, only through regulated institutions, and steering clear of dubious products and promises of quick profit.
We explain in plain language, define each term the first time it appears, and avoid complicated products.
Investing in the capital markets carries a risk of loss. We show it openly, alongside the costs and the site's commercial relationship.
There is no personal recommendation here. The goal is to give you tools to understand the options and decide for yourself.
Children's weddings, helping a young couple get started and other large family expenses are goals you can prepare for in advance. Saving early lets you build a habit and deposit amounts that fit your budget over time, instead of trying to find a large sum at the last minute. Investing in the capital markets may help build wealth, but it involves volatility and the possibility of loss.
More years until the goal means more time to plan, adjust and correct along the way.
There is no single monthly amount that suits everyone. What matters is that it fits your budget and that you can keep it up over time.
Don't invest money you will need soon, or money needed for everyday expenses or your emergency fund.
Compounding in the capital markets is essentially a cumulative growth effect. The gains an investment earns stay invested, so they too may generate further gains over time. That way money can grow not only from the original amount, but also from the gains accumulated along the way.
Important: this is not guaranteed interest, interest on a loan, or interest paid to anyone. It is an effect that occurs when investment gains remain invested. In the same way, declines in the value of the investment affect the whole amount too.
Suppose you invest ₪1,000 once, leave it alone, and it grows by 10% every year. This is a hypothetical assumption only: in reality returns change from year to year.
Notice: you didn't add a single shekel, yet the yearly gain kept growing. That's because the gains from earlier years stayed invested, and now they are "working" too.
| After | Gain that year | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ₪100 | ₪1,100 |
| Year 10 | ₪236 | ₪2,594 |
| Year 20 | ₪612 | ₪6,727 |
| Year 30 | ₪1,586 | ₪17,449 |
Without this effect, that is, earning 10% each year only on the original ₪1,000, you would have ₪4,000 after 30 years. The difference up to ₪17,449 is entirely gains on gains.
Why 10%? The S&P 500, an index of about 500 of the largest US companies, has returned roughly 10% a year on average over almost a century, including dividends and before inflation, tax and fees. That average includes very hard years: in 2008, for example, the index fell about 37%.
This illustrates past returns. It is not a forecast or a promise. Investments can also lose money, and actual results may be much lower. You can test scenarios yourself in the calculator below. Source for the historical figure: annual S&P 500 return data since 1928 published by Prof. Aswath Damodaran of NYU.
Note: This is an illustration only, based on a constant return assumption you chose. In reality returns are not constant, there may be years of declines and losses, and the result may be lower than the amount deposited. The calculation excludes tax, fees, inflation and volatility, and is not a forecast or a recommendation.
Not every fund necessarily holds every share in the index, and changes to the list of companies depend on the index rules and the fund's tracking method.
Don't depend on a single company.
A broad index may include many companies, from different sectors and sometimes different countries, so one company's troubles have less impact on the portfolio. Keep in mind: diversification does not prevent declines in the market as a whole.
Check how much you pay over time.
Costs are usually charged even in years when the investment fell, and they add up over the years. Worth checking:
You don't have to trade every day.
The passive approach aims to reduce attempts to time the market and frequent trading. It still requires understanding what you buy and reviewing the plan periodically.
Set a plan and avoid impulsive reactions.
Review the plan when your goals or financial situation change, not because of every news headline. Decisions made in panic during declines, or in excitement during rallies, can hurt the result.
Stocks can fall sharply, even in a broad index. There is no guarantee the market will recover by the time your family needs the money. So distinguish between money for everyday expenses and emergencies, money for near-term goals, and money you might consider investing for the long term.
Keep it somewhere liquid and stable that fits your needs. Investing in stocks is no substitute for an emergency fund.
A volatile investment may force you to sell at a loss, at exactly the wrong time.
You can learn about investment options, but match the level of risk to your goals, time horizon and ability to bear losses.
If a ₪100,000 portfolio falls 30%, it is worth ₪70,000. To get back to ₪100,000 it needs to rise about 42.9%. This is a mathematical illustration only, not a forecast or a claim about any particular event.
A fall in the value of an investment is an unrealized loss: your money is worth less, but as long as you haven't sold, the loss is not final and may change with the market. Selling during a decline can lock in the loss and miss a future rise, if there is one. On the other hand, continuing to hold does not guarantee a recovery either.
Historically, broad stock indices in major markets have recovered from sharp crises and even reached new highs, though sometimes it took many years. That's why long-term investors look at their investment over a horizon of years, not by short-term swings. Past performance does not guarantee similar results in the future.
Avoid frequent trading and decisions made in panic, and review your plan from time to time and as your goals and personal situation change.
Before transferring money, check who you are dealing with and who regulates them. The Israel Securities Authority lets you check license holders and regulated entities, and the Capital Market, Insurance and Savings Authority has information on provident funds and insurance companies.
Be especially wary of "investment groups" on social media, leveraged forex trading presented as a way to save, and anyone calling themselves an expert without stating a license. Regulation does not remove market risk and does not guarantee returns.
Open an account, deposit money, choose a fund and buy. Each step has a short explanation and a checklist, and you can go through them at your own pace.
What do you want to fund, in how many years will you need the money, and how much can you deposit each month without hurting everyday expenses and your emergency fund?
Don't take a loan in order to invest, and don't deposit money needed for living costs or upcoming expenses.
There are several ways to invest for the long term, and none suits everyone. This guide focuses on the first: a self-directed investment account.
Whatever the route, regulation does not remove market risk and does not guarantee returns.
The process takes place on the financial institution's website: reading the terms, filling in details, identification and documents as the company requires, and receiving approval. How long it takes and whether the account is approved depend on the company.
The account is opened on the company's website, and the company is responsible for the process and terms.
Once the account is approved, transfer money from your bank account to the investment account, using the transfer details the brokerage provides. The money shows up as an available balance and is not yet invested in anything.
Currency: a fund traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange is bought in shekels. A fund traded abroad is usually bought in dollars, so you'll need to convert shekels to dollars in the account. Conversion has a cost, so check it in the fee schedule.
Regular deposits: you can deposit once, or set up a fixed monthly transfer from your bank account. Even after depositing, the money is invested only when you place a purchase, or if you set up an automatic purchase plan in advance, if the brokerage offers one.
Once you understand which index you want to learn about, you also need to understand the fund that tracks it. Two funds can track the same index but differ in tracking method, how they handle dividends, where they are domiciled and their costs. So don't look only at the fund's name or its management fee.
This information is educational only. It does not rank funds and is not a recommendation to buy any particular security.
An index is not a fund. An index is a way to measure the performance of a group of securities according to defined rules. For example, the S&P 500 follows shares of large US companies. A world index, by contrast, includes companies from different countries and markets. You can't buy the index itself; you can buy an investment product that tries to track it.
Not every fund that tracks the same index is built the same way. Funds tracking the same index may differ in how they track it, in costs, in where the fund is domiciled, and in whether dividend income stays in the fund or is passed to investors. That's why it's important to read the fund's documents and not rely on the ticker alone.
Physical replication: the fund usually buys the securities in the index, or a representative sample of them, aiming to get close to the index's performance. "Physical" doesn't guarantee the fund holds every single security in the index; some funds use sampling.
Synthetic replication: a synthetic fund may hold a different basket of securities and use a swap agreement with a counterparty, designed to deliver the index return to the fund. The structure may help track the index, but it is more complex and also carries counterparty risk. This doesn't mean the method is necessarily better or worse; you need to understand the structure and read the fund's documents.
In an accumulating fund, dividends received stay inside the fund and are reinvested according to its policy. In a distributing fund, dividends are paid to investors in cash according to the distribution policy. Accumulating doesn't mean there are no tax implications, and distributing doesn't guarantee a fixed amount or frequency.
The trading currency isn't necessarily the currency exposure. The same fund can trade on different exchanges in different currencies. Buying a unit in shekels, euros or dollars doesn't mean exposure to the currencies of the underlying assets disappears. Only if the fund is defined as currency-hedged, and subject to its hedging policy, is there an attempt to reduce certain currency exposure.
These examples were chosen to illustrate differences between index types and fund structures. They are not a recommended list and are not ranked. They are ordered by category, not by preference. The data was checked on November 1, 2026 and may change; check the fund's current documents before taking any action. The ISIN identifies the fund; tickers and local security numbers depend on the exchange and listing currency.
US citizens: funds domiciled outside the US (like the Irish funds here) may be problematic for you tax-wise. Details.
According to the kosher fund list at kosher-investing.com, these are the security numbers under the supervision of the Badatz Edah HaChareidis. To see what each fund is, its index and costs, search for the number on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange website. The list may change, so check the current list before taking action. Whether a specific investment suits you halachically is a question for a rabbi.
Kashrut: under the supervision of the Badatz Edah HaChareidis, according to the kosher fund list at kosher-investing.com. Check the current list.
Kashrut: not on the list of funds supervised by the Badatz Edah HaChareidis.
Kashrut: not on the list of funds supervised by the Badatz Edah HaChareidis.
The management fee isn't the whole picture: the issuer's page also lists a swap fee of 0.072%, and the KID estimates transaction costs of about 0.07% a year. These are separate fields and should not be added into one cost. This structure also carries counterparty risk.
Kashrut: not on the list of funds supervised by the Badatz Edah HaChareidis.
Kashrut: not on the list of funds supervised by the Badatz Edah HaChareidis.
A bond fund is a different asset type from a stock fund, not an alternative to it. It appears here only to illustrate the difference, not for comparison with the funds above.
The information on this site, including explanations, examples, comparisons and data about indices and securities, is provided for general learning and enrichment only. It should not be seen as investment advice, investment marketing, a recommendation, an offer or an invitation to buy, sell or hold any security or financial asset, and it is not a substitute for advice or investment marketing tailored to a specific person's data and needs. The site operator does not review the visitor's financial situation, goals, investment horizon, assets or risk tolerance. The site operator does not hold a license for investment advice, investment marketing or portfolio management. Investing in securities involves risk, including the possibility of a significant decline in value and loss of some or all of the principal. Fund data, costs, tickers, distribution policies and tax aspects may change; before any action, read the current official documents and consider obtaining appropriate advice from a licensed professional.
To understand how much it costs to hold a fund, don't look only at the management fee. Management fees are charged from the fund's assets, but there may also be transaction costs inside the fund, a spread between the buy and sell price, brokerage commissions, currency conversion costs and taxes. So check the fund's documents and the broker's fee schedule, and consider the total cost relative to how you plan to invest.
A simple example: if the average value of the investment over a year is ₪10,000, a 0.03% management fee is about ₪3 a year; 0.05% is about ₪5; 0.07% is about ₪7; and 0.20% is about ₪20. This illustrates the stated management fee only, without transaction costs, spreads, commissions, currency conversion or tax. On small trades, a minimum commission and currency conversion may matter more than a few shekels' difference in management fees.
Purchases are made from within the investment account, on a screen usually called "Buy" or "New order". This is roughly how it works at any brokerage:
With a market order the purchase executes immediately at the price available at that moment, which may differ from the price you saw. With a limit order you set the price, and if there's no seller at that price, the order simply won't execute until it's cancelled or the price matches. This gives you more control over the price.
Order names and options vary from one brokerage to another. If anything is unclear, you can contact the brokerage's customer service before confirming.
After your first purchase, get to know the product and the fees, decide for yourself on a pace of deposits and purchases that suits you, and review the plan at set times or when your goals or finances change.
No. Regular deposits and consistency help build a habit and avoid rash decisions, but they don't guarantee a profit.
Understood the principles and want to look into opening an account? Go to the Excellence offer terms and read them before opening.
To the offer termsUS citizens must report and pay tax in the US even when living in Israel. As a result, some funds that suit an Israeli investor may be costly and complicated tax-wise for them, so check this before buying, not after.
Note: the funds supervised by the Badatz Edah HaChareidis, as well as the Tel Aviv-traded funds shown here as examples, are Israeli or Irish funds. For a US citizen they are generally PFICs, so they may be costly and complicated tax-wise. The US funds in the examples, on the other hand, are not on the kosher fund list. If both considerations matter to you, check them together with a tax adviser and a rabbi.
This is general information only, and the rules are complex and change. Consult an accountant or tax adviser who specializes in Israel-US taxation before opening an account or buying a fund.
Yes. The value of an investment can fall, sometimes significantly. You can lose part of your money, and with some products all of it. Diversification may reduce specific risk, but it does not eliminate risk.
You don't need to be an expert or trade every day, but it is important to understand what you are buying, what the risk is, what costs exist and when you might need the money.
No. The amount depends on your budget, goals, debts, emergency fund and account terms. Also check whether the institution where you open the account requires a minimum deposit.
There is no single answer for everyone. It's important to know your risk level in advance, avoid rash decisions, and consider whether the plan still fits your goal and time horizon.
It depends on the product, trading hours, liquidity and account terms. Selling during a decline may end in a loss, and there may also be tax implications and costs.
The site does not give personal recommendations or a list of funds to buy. It offers a general checklist for examining the index, diversification, costs, currency, fund structure, tax and risk. For a personal decision, consult a suitably licensed professional.
The site does not give halachic rulings. Halachic questions may depend on the product, the investment structure and the ruling you follow. Check the specific product with a rabbi or an authorized halachic body, and don't assume any particular fund is approved.
No. Excellence is a separate financial institution. The site provides general information and a referral link for opening an account. Opening the account, its terms, service and benefits are managed by the company.
Yes, the site may receive a reward or benefit when an account is opened through the referral link. Details appear in the disclosures at the bottom of the page.
If you've chosen to open a self-directed trading account, you can reach the Excellence Trade website through the Lechatan Bekavod referral link. According to the company's offer terms, the benefit is a ₪100 joining gift and an exemption from account fees for the life of the account. Read the full terms and check the minimum deposit, fees and eligibility before opening the account.
*Subject to the terms on the company's website.
*Disclosure