At considerable risk

If you have some money in the bank that you are prepared to invest, you’d better do so on the safe side. Adi Wolf of the Tiltan investment house shares some tips for 2015.

By OFIRA LEVIT
Adi Wolf (photo credit: PR)
Adi Wolf
(photo credit: PR)
‘I think that we are in a very challenging period right now. On one hand, interest is very low, hence the average person who saves money doesn’t get a high interest in the bank. It is about 0.1 percent a year,” says Adi Wolf.
Wolf, 32, from Tel Aviv, is the marketing vice president and co-owner of Tiltan, an Israeli investment house that deals with management of escrow accounts and management of mutual funds. These are public products that anyone can purchase through an accountant consultant at a bank. Tiltan is a boutique investment house with about hundreds of millions of shekels.
Wolf, who has a license for investment marketing from the SEC, has been working in the business for six years. At Tiltan, she is in charge of developing marketing strategies and implementing them. She works in a very masculine-dominated field and believes it is important to bring women into the company.
What would you recommend for the average investor at this point in time? Solid people tend to take risks in such periods, but my recommendation is that each person should match the risk level to himself and not stray from it. It is not a good idea to take too many risks. That is why I wouldn’t recommend taking risks and, for example, not sell, the account when there are decreases. One should seek the advice of a professional.
Strict management of risks is the name of the game now.
What about risk versus chance? The more risk you take, the higher the chance you have to earn – or to lose. Once the interest rate starts to increase, there will be more risk, and there will be losses in bonds.
That’s why it’s better to invest in short-term bonds. They yield less, but the risk is not as high. Since we live in a country with geopolitical risks, it is better to be exposed to investments outside of Israel too, as well as in growing markets.
What is the makeup of your team? We are 11 on the team, three of whom are women. This is usually the ratio in investment houses. I think it is important that women should be part of this market. Women are less egodriven than men, and that is a benefit in the investments market.
Why is it not a feminine field? It is a demanding profession, since the financial field is sensitive for clients. That is why I have to be available at all hours. It is also a psychological matter, to calm the client and let him know that there is someone who is taking care of his money. I always have to keep up to date. Even when I’m at home, I have to work. Women have to fight for their place and work hard, but if it is done consistently, one can succeed.
What satisfies you in this job? To feel that my client is satisfied, that he has reached the maximum he can. I also care about my staff. I want to give them the opportunity to develop.
I also derive satisfaction from taking this boutique investment house and turning it into one of the leaders in its field, with larger investments. A lot of satisfaction comes from strategic thinking and attaining our targets. I am proud to head a young and hungry investment house that is constantly growing.
Adi Wolf’s recommendations for 2015
* My main tip is physiological: Avoid panic. The management of money should be done by a third party. That is the real benefit of investment houses.
Clients tend to make irrational decisions when a situation is not clear, and only an external manager can act rationally and correctly.
* Financial education: I advise everyone to develop financial knowledge. Be aware from a young age, check commissions at the bank, follow your pension saving and management fees.
* I think that people should not try to take risks just because there are no alternatives. One should not be too influenced by headlines in the newspapers or by trends in the capital markets.