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Shira Katz

Personal Finance Writer

439 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

Colombia's Tax Reform Plans to Raise Fuel VAT to 19% by 2028
Personal Finance

Colombia's Tax Reform Plans to Raise Fuel VAT to 19% by 2028

A new government bill would gradually lift VAT on gasoline and diesel from 5% to 19%, boosting public revenue while pote...

Shira Katz 👁 49 💬 0
How Junior SIPPs Can Set Your Child Up for Life — and Cut Inheritance Tax
Personal Finance

How Junior SIPPs Can Set Your Child Up for Life — and Cut Inheritance Tax

New inheritance tax rules are driving an 82% surge in Junior SIPP openings. Here’s how small contributions can grow into...

Shira Katz 👁 44 💬 0
Saudi Riyal Rate Holds Steady Against Egyptian Pound at Tuesday's Close
Personal Finance

Saudi Riyal Rate Holds Steady Against Egyptian Pound at Tuesday's Close

Exchange rates for the Saudi riyal showed no movement on 21 July 2026, with minor differences in buy and sell prices acr...

Shira Katz 👁 43 💬 0
Why Early Retirement Inflation Is So Dangerous and the Underutilized Strategy That Shields Against It
Personal Finance

Why Early Retirement Inflation Is So Dangerous and the Underutilized Strategy That Shields Against It

Financial planning experts Michael Finke and Dana Anspach explain how the timing of inflation can devastate a retirement...

Shira Katz 👁 54 💬 0
UK insurance tax receipts total £2.17bn in Q1, adding to household squeeze
Personal Finance

UK insurance tax receipts total £2.17bn in Q1, adding to household squeeze

HMRC data shows IPT revenues reached £2.17bn in April-June 2026, barely above last year, but the tax still deepens the c...

Shira Katz 👁 48 💬 0
Four NYC Apartments Under $1M — and What They Tell Buyers Right Now
Personal Finance

Four NYC Apartments Under $1M — and What They Tell Buyers Right Now

A closer look at four sub-million-dollar listings in Washington Heights, Prospect Heights, Hell’s Kitchen, and Park Slop...

Shira Katz 👁 36 💬 0
Russia to Send Property Tax Notices Automatically via Gosuslugi from August
Personal Finance

Russia to Send Property Tax Notices Automatically via Gosuslugi from August

From 1 August, Russian taxpayers will no longer need to request their property tax notifications on the government servi...

Shira Katz 👁 52 💬 0
Cupra Leon 1.5 TSI lease deal: sporty hatch for £191 a month
Personal Finance

Cupra Leon 1.5 TSI lease deal: sporty hatch for £191 a month

A £191-per-month lease on the entry-level Cupra Leon V1, with a £2,690 initial payment, delivers sharp handling and copp...

Shira Katz 👁 54 💬 0
Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus: $2,000 in Travel Value Up for Grabs
Personal Finance

Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus: $2,000 in Travel Value Up for Grabs

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card's limited-time 100,000-point welcome bonus can translate to over $2,000 in travel if y...

Shira Katz 👁 42 💬 0
The World’s Most Expensive Cities in 2026, According to Deutsche Bank Research
Personal Finance

The World’s Most Expensive Cities in 2026, According to Deutsche Bank Research

Zurich and Geneva top a new global cost-of-living index, but high Swiss salaries leave residents with world-leading disp...

Shira Katz 👁 271 💬 0
A Lyft rider noticed her boyfriend got cheaper fares for the same trip. Now she's taking the subway.
Personal Finance

A Lyft rider noticed her boyfriend got cheaper fares for the same trip. Now she's taking the subway.

Cynthia Everett, a frequent New York Lyft user, discovered her rides cost up to twice as much as her boyfriend's for ide...

Shira Katz 👁 58 💬 0
Finanzen.net Updates CFD Broker Comparison as Retail Risks Remain High
Personal Finance

Finanzen.net Updates CFD Broker Comparison as Retail Risks Remain High

The leading German finance portal has refreshed its CFD broker guide, spotlighting spreads, regulation, and the stubborn...

Shira Katz 👁 47 💬 0
OpenAI’s IPO Filing: How Retail Investors Can Gain Exposure Now
Personal Finance

OpenAI’s IPO Filing: How Retail Investors Can Gain Exposure Now

OpenAI filed for an IPO in June 2026 but won’t list immediately. Here’s what the company’s financials and deep partnersh...

Shira Katz 👁 67 💬 0
Americans Miss $900k Long-Term Wealth by Not Investing: Fool’s 7-Step Starter Guide
Personal Finance

Americans Miss $900k Long-Term Wealth by Not Investing: Fool’s 7-Step Starter Guide

Roughly 42% of U.S. adults own no stocks, despite historical 10% annual returns that could turn $5,000/year into over $9...

Shira Katz 👁 49 💬 0
Zurich's $7 Cappuccino, Turkey's $2,592 iPhone: Deutsche Bank Maps Global Consumer Price Extremes
Personal Finance

Zurich's $7 Cappuccino, Turkey's $2,592 iPhone: Deutsche Bank Maps Global Consumer Price Extremes

A Deutsche Bank study of prices in 69 cities reveals the most expensive cities for a dozen everyday goods and services, ...

Shira Katz 👁 71 💬 0
Banque de France Data Shows €6,617 Average Current Account Is a Mirage for Most Households
Personal Finance

Banque de France Data Shows €6,617 Average Current Account Is a Mirage for Most Households

The average hides extreme inequality: 61% of French current accounts hold less than €1,500, while the top 11% account fo...

Shira Katz 👁 42 💬 0
How a 'Bucketed' Portfolio Strategy Can Protect Retirees During the Red Zone
Personal Finance

How a 'Bucketed' Portfolio Strategy Can Protect Retirees During the Red Zone

Retirement planner Dana Anspach explains how time-segmentation and bond ladders can shield portfolios from market shocks...

Shira Katz 👁 49 💬 0
Egyptian Banks Escalate Savings Competition with Tiered Rates, High Balances Earn Up to 18% Annually
Personal Finance

Egyptian Banks Escalate Savings Competition with Tiered Rates, High Balances Earn Up to 18% Annually

As summer prompts financial reassessments, major Egyptian banks offer tiered savings accounts with rates reaching 18% fo...

Shira Katz 👁 65 💬 0
Polish Deposit Rates Dip Below 3% as Gold Sinks 30%; Savers Turn to Conditional Offers and Government Bonds
Personal Finance

Polish Deposit Rates Dip Below 3% as Gold Sinks 30%; Savers Turn to Conditional Offers and Government Bonds

Average deposit rates in Poland fell to 2.89% in May 2026, while gold priced in złoty lost nearly 30% from its peak. Con...

Shira Katz 👁 65 💬 0