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Shira Katz

Personal Finance Writer

395 Articles

About Shira

Shira covers personal finance with a bias for concrete numbers: what a change in rates, tariffs or energy prices actually does to a monthly budget. She is skeptical of miracle savings claims and tries to say plainly when an effect is too small to matter. Her goal is that readers finish a piece knowing what, if anything, to do next.

Areas of Expertise

Household budgeting savings credit consumer costs

Latest Articles

Spain Confirms Parents Can Add Up to 5 Years of Pension Contributions for Childcare Breaks
Personal Finance

Spain Confirms Parents Can Add Up to 5 Years of Pension Contributions for Childcare Breaks

The Social Security clarifies how time off to care for children can boost retirement pay, combining leave periods and jo...

Shira Katz 👁 38 💬 0
Miami Beach Slashes Parking to $1/Hour From August 1—Here’s Where and How to Get the Deal
Personal Finance

Miami Beach Slashes Parking to $1/Hour From August 1—Here’s Where and How to Get the Deal

The city’s revived “Dollar Parking” program runs through October 31, giving drivers up to 45 hours of discounted parking...

Shira Katz 👁 32 💬 0
Eight Bullish Stock Setups for Short-Term Traders: Action Construction to Hero MotoCorp
Personal Finance

Eight Bullish Stock Setups for Short-Term Traders: Action Construction to Hero MotoCorp

Technical analysts from JM Financial, Samco Securities, and Choice Broking identified bullish patterns in eight stocks, ...

Shira Katz 👁 34 💬 0
Mega-Sena Draw 3038: R$85 Million Jackpot Drawn, Prize Breakdown Still Pending
Personal Finance

Mega-Sena Draw 3038: R$85 Million Jackpot Drawn, Prize Breakdown Still Pending

The six winning numbers for Thursday's Mega-Sena draw were selected in São Paulo, with a top prize of R$85.09 million. C...

Shira Katz 👁 47 💬 0
Germany's New Repair Law: What Consumers and Sellers Need to Know
Personal Finance

Germany's New Repair Law: What Consumers and Sellers Need to Know

From July 31, German retailers must offer repairs as an alternative to replacements for many electronics, while manufact...

Shira Katz 👁 42 💬 0
Sephora’s First Beauty Insider Celebration Month Brings Easier Rewards for 45 Million Members
Personal Finance

Sephora’s First Beauty Insider Celebration Month Brings Easier Rewards for 45 Million Members

Sephora's inaugural month-long loyalty event opens to all members in August, featuring bonus points, lower cash redempti...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
Volkswagen T-Roc family SUV lease deal drops to £226 a month
Personal Finance

Volkswagen T-Roc family SUV lease deal drops to £226 a month

A new leasing offer on the second-generation VW T-Roc provides a full family SUV for £225.97 per month, with flexible in...

Shira Katz 👁 35 💬 0
Blended Families and Real Estate: Why Joint Tenancy Won't Protect Your Children
Personal Finance

Blended Families and Real Estate: Why Joint Tenancy Won't Protect Your Children

A widow’s dilemma reveals how joint tenancy with right of survivorship can disinherit children from a previous marriage—...

Shira Katz 👁 40 💬 0
Tax-Efficient Property Transfer for Nieces and Nephews After Landmark German Ruling
Personal Finance

Tax-Efficient Property Transfer for Nieces and Nephews After Landmark German Ruling

A recent Federal Fiscal Court decision clarifies that interest-free deferred sale of a property to close relatives can a...

Shira Katz 👁 39 💬 0
Atmos Rewards Ascent Card’s 70,000-Point Bonus and $99 Companion Fare Examined
Personal Finance

Atmos Rewards Ascent Card’s 70,000-Point Bonus and $99 Companion Fare Examined

The Atmos Ascent card’s 70,000-point bonus and $99 companion fare come with a low $2,500 spending requirement. We examin...

Shira Katz 👁 31 💬 0
The Financial Fallout of Losing a Spouse—and How to Navigate It
Personal Finance

The Financial Fallout of Losing a Spouse—and How to Navigate It

The average age of widowhood is just 59. The death of a partner slashes household income, triggers a less favourable tax...

Shira Katz 👁 39 💬 0
French Savers Flood Life Insurance with Record €36.5bn Amid Livret A Rate Decline
Personal Finance

French Savers Flood Life Insurance with Record €36.5bn Amid Livret A Rate Decline

Net inflows into assurance-vie hit a two-decade high in H1 2026 as falling regulated savings rates push households towar...

Shira Katz 👁 46 💬 0
9 Equity SIPs Turned ₹10,000 Monthly Into Over ₹10 Lakh in 5 Years. Here Are the Funds.
Personal Finance

9 Equity SIPs Turned ₹10,000 Monthly Into Over ₹10 Lakh in 5 Years. Here Are the Funds.

In the last five years, nine small-cap and mid-cap mutual funds multiplied a monthly SIP of ₹10,000 by over 1.6 times, w...

Shira Katz 👁 34 💬 0
Brazilian Fund Managers Map Private Credit Opportunities for 2026
Personal Finance

Brazilian Fund Managers Map Private Credit Opportunities for 2026

At XP Expert 2026, managers from XP Asset, Vinland Crédito and Leto Capital outlined a selective path to returns in debe...

Shira Katz 👁 34 💬 0
Misusing Section 10(14)(I) Tax Exemption Could Cost You a 200% Penalty
Personal Finance

Misusing Section 10(14)(I) Tax Exemption Could Cost You a 200% Penalty

Salaried employees rushing to save tax via Section 10(14)(I) ahead of the ITR deadline may face disallowance, interest c...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
Turkey’s Investors Get a New Route to EU Residency with France’s Talent Passport
Personal Finance

Turkey’s Investors Get a New Route to EU Residency with France’s Talent Passport

Vesta Global adds France’s productive-investment residency to its portfolio, offering Turkish high-net-worth individuals...

Shira Katz 👁 34 💬 0
International Funds Soar 28% But Fresh Investments Remain Shut: What Investors Can Do Now
Personal Finance

International Funds Soar 28% But Fresh Investments Remain Shut: What Investors Can Do Now

International mutual funds delivered a category-leading 28.28% average one-year return, but SEBI’s overseas investment c...

Shira Katz 👁 30 💬 0
MV Electrosystems IPO: Grey Market Glows at 25% Gain While Analyst Flags Red Ink
Personal Finance

MV Electrosystems IPO: Grey Market Glows at 25% Gain While Analyst Flags Red Ink

The Rs 289-crore MV Electrosystems IPO opens today with a 25% grey market premium, but Swastika Research says avoid it a...

Shira Katz 👁 37 💬 0
NAB Reveals 15% Drop in Mortgage Applications as RBA Rules Out Housing Relief
Personal Finance

NAB Reveals 15% Drop in Mortgage Applications as RBA Rules Out Housing Relief

National Australia Bank reports a sharp fall in home loan demand, while the Reserve Bank signals it won't intervene to p...

Shira Katz 👁 25 💬 0
Juniper Green Energy IPO Opens Today at Rs 214–225; Here’s What Retail Investors Should Know
Personal Finance

Juniper Green Energy IPO Opens Today at Rs 214–225; Here’s What Retail Investors Should Know

The Rs 1,800 crore fresh issue, with a grey market premium suggesting a modest 8% listing pop, faces a steep valuation o...

Shira Katz 👁 39 💬 0
Working Past 70: How It Affects Your Social Security and Medicare Costs
Personal Finance

Working Past 70: How It Affects Your Social Security and Medicare Costs

Earnings after age 70 can raise your Social Security benefit if they replace lower-earning years—but you must claim by 7...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
Fuel Prices in Chile to Rise Around 30 Pesos Per Litre Starting Thursday
Personal Finance

Fuel Prices in Chile to Rise Around 30 Pesos Per Litre Starting Thursday

After a brief respite, gasoline and diesel prices will climb again as the government’s Mepco smoothing mechanism reaches...

Shira Katz 👁 32 💬 0
How to Start Using Points and Miles to Save on Travel: A Beginner’s Guide
Personal Finance

How to Start Using Points and Miles to Save on Travel: A Beginner’s Guide

Reward points and miles can turn expensive flights and hotels into near-free travel. This guide cuts through the confusi...

Shira Katz 👁 28 💬 0
Russia's Top Court: Tablet-issued Traffic Fines Require a Full Protocol, Not Just a Snapshot
Personal Finance

Russia's Top Court: Tablet-issued Traffic Fines Require a Full Protocol, Not Just a Snapshot

The Supreme Court overturned a driver's penalty, clarifying that handheld devices like the ParkNet tablet do not qualify...

Shira Katz 👁 39 💬 0
Bank of Russia Sets Margin Trading Rules for Crypto and Digital Rights
Personal Finance

Bank of Russia Sets Margin Trading Rules for Crypto and Digital Rights

The Bank of Russia has published draft rules that will allow brokers to accept cryptocurrencies and digital rights as co...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
Retail Investors Are Locked Out of the Fastest-Growth Phase — Neostellar’s Lee Says That’s Starting to Change
Personal Finance

Retail Investors Are Locked Out of the Fastest-Growth Phase — Neostellar’s Lee Says That’s Starting to Change

Private companies are building enormous value before going public, leaving ordinary investors on the sidelines. Publicly...

Shira Katz 👁 32 💬 0
Why Waiting to Buy a House in Germany Is a Losing Strategy—and the Surprising Auto City Effect
Personal Finance

Why Waiting to Buy a House in Germany Is a Losing Strategy—and the Surprising Auto City Effect

A new affordability index reveals that in 251 of 400 German districts, buying power has worsened over the past year, whi...

Shira Katz 👁 29 💬 0
Gerd Kommer: Build Your Portfolio to Survive a 50% Stock Crash – Without Panic
Personal Finance

Gerd Kommer: Build Your Portfolio to Survive a 50% Stock Crash – Without Panic

Portfolio manager Gerd Kommer says the next crash is a matter of when, not if. His advice: structure your asset allocati...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
US Mortgage Rates Hit 11-Month High, Squeezing Homebuyers
Personal Finance

US Mortgage Rates Hit 11-Month High, Squeezing Homebuyers

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.76% for the fourth straight week, the highest since August 2025, as...

Shira Katz 👁 33 💬 0
Morningstar Highlights Three Dividend Stocks for Steady Passive Income
Personal Finance

Morningstar Highlights Three Dividend Stocks for Steady Passive Income

Clorox, Pepsi, and Realty Income offer high yields, appreciation potential, and dividend stability, according to Morning...

Shira Katz 👁 32 💬 0