Aliyah and lose insurance broker job I love with big $$

amother

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:19 pm

I work in a specific sales business I love (*editing for people concerned I'm being scammed- I'm a life/disability insurance broker*). The way my income is structured that I started my career making very, very little for a few years, but I'm making $100k a few years in and will beH go up to 3-4x that over the next 15 years if I keep advancing in sales at the same pace I have for the last 7 years, and have basically no boss. With very good flexible hours (I work 9:30am to 3 or 4 pm) from home and a huge pension. We're in our 30s now with a couple preschoolers.

We have the intellectual idea of making aliyah but not a real desire to yet. I believe in my mind that Jews truly belong in Israel and it's so important to be part of the dream of building up the Jewish nation there and we're very tzioni.

However, emotionally, I don't have any family there (DH does, and he's fluent in Hebrew, mine is intermediate), and I'm close with family here. Everything is so different there and the idea of raising Israeli kids isn't the most appealing to me and the risks of war (it is still more dangerous to be a Jew in Israel than NY per capita, as bad as things are here, relatively speaking). I'm working on getting myself to a place of enthusiasm, and I wouldn't want to make aliyah longer than 7 years out to avoid bringing teenagers, unless we waited till retirement. So this is becoming a closer-ish decision.

However, beH my job has tons of income potential and gives me a pension where I could have $10 million dollars by the time I retire without any contribution from me. My family is quite comfortable and I anticipate a large yerusha regardless (talking $5-$15 million)- they should live and be well ad mea v'esrim.

Here's the kicker- There's only a 1 in 500 chance the CEO would arrange an exception for me to stay if I moved abroad, and I was told by compliance that he won't give it to you in advance (though I haven't tried). We'll be at a conference next month together and I'm thinking of asking there.

If I didn't get an exception, I could switch to a contractor position which would sacrifice my pension.
I would need to hire a colleague to indefinitely do some paperwork for me that requires the US signature by LAW (would lose 10% of income from that and a little annoyance (that would probably be manageable, but it would make it legally kosher). I'd have to sneak around a bit (make sure colleagues don't know I don't live in the US) because you're not technically supposed to access the systems outside the US per company rules, but they were open they don't monitor it or really care if you choose the contractor role. Would need to ask a shaila.

I'd have to take calls a couple nights/week for a couple American hours around bedtime also and miss some kids time.

I also have the potential of leaving the company entirely as early as 2 years from now and have a continued salary of about $30k/yr till I'm 65. $50k if I left in 5-7 years, and more the longer I work here. But then I'd be left finding a regular Israeli job to have something to do with my time that is surely way less money and way less flexible. I'm not built to be a SAHM type at all.

I know many of you may be really curious what I do, but I'd really prefer not to share as it's very specific. Thank you for any advice and for reading my emotional megilla!!

1) Would you make aliyah despite this, if I can't get the exception, assuming I had to lose a $5-$15m pension and be a little sneaky against company policy forever, though told by compliance it's not enforced by them, but I couldn't let colleagues/supervisors know (Assuming this is muttar), and have some American hours?

2) Would you instead make aliyah without the job, accepting the 30 years of smaller $30k-$50k income instead, and lose a flexible job I love with huge earning potential that could make us wealthy in Israel? And have to find a regular Israeli job that presumably is full time for much less money

NewStart

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:21 pm

I think you know the answer!

If it’s financially based you stay. If you have other stronger reasons to go you go.

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:23 pm

How long have you been working there? Are you sure this isn't some sort of scheme?

(Not Aliyah related, but I'm concerned about you.)

amother

Blushpink

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:48 pm

Stay for now. Iyh Mashiach will come and bring us all there

amother

Cantaloupe

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:56 pm

What about saving up for a few more years and then make aliya? If you can save half of it, you'll come here with plenty of money.

Money isn't the be all and end all. If you feel passionate about aliya, then look into it more.

I am in Israel with little family. My friends have mostly filled the need plus family comes in now and then.

amother

Cantaloupe

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 1:57 pm

And with your yerusha, I think the lack of the giant pension will be less of an issue. You'll have what to live on.

amother

Peru

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:07 pm

Do you need to work until 65 to build/get your pension? Or does in increase over time. Say, if you go in 2 years it's x and if you go in 5 years it's 2x?

Personally, I had a similar decision on a much smaller scale. Great job and we waited a few years, lived simply while put lots of money into savings, and then made aliyah. But we wanted to make aliyah, and it seems like you are less invested in that direction.

Also, if you plan to wait another year or two no matter what, why decide now? Is it possible that company policy will change in the next few years?

Success10

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:07 pm

It's not about the money. It doesn't really sound like you want to make Aliyah, from an emotional standpoint. And that makes all the difference.

giftedmom

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:18 pm

Wait until your kids are grown and you have the pension and go then

amother

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:18 pm

amother Chartreuse wrote:

How long have you been working there? Are you sure this isn't some sort of scheme?

(Not Aliyah related, but I'm concerned about you.)

Thank you- I appreciate that! It's a Fortune 500 company and a broad industry with state licensure, so there's no concern of that. And 7 years. I have close family and colleagues who have retired this way.

amother

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:20 pm

amother Peru wrote:

At least until 55 to get the pension (though it'll be somewhat than waiting to 65 but not hugely smaller). Extraordinarily unlikely- there are 10+ huge companies with the same arrangement and it's been in place for 30+ years.

And yes I agree- the only thing is that we're renting in a city (granted with pretty cheap rent) and would hold off on buying a house until then.

amother

Dimgray

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:23 pm

I was just saying to dh that we need to make aliyah because of the anti semitism. The Jews that left Germany early survived…

amother

Smokey

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:24 pm

What kind of sales job guarantees salary like that plus gives such a large pension? I’m genuinely wondering if this is a legitimate field

amother

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:26 pm

amother Smokey wrote:

What kind of sales job guarantees salary like that plus gives such a large pension? I’m genuinely wondering if this is a legitimate field

Okay, for the sake of people not being worried about me- I'm a life/disability/health insurance broker (edited the post) for a large company. This is how commissions are structured with renewals industry-wide for the last several decades. Not a guaranteed salary- it's based on how much I sell. But I'm projecting out with company compensation models how much it'd be based on the pace of sales I do now, even without increases.

Those numbers of pension and renewals are based off of some categories of insurance where you are paid for your whole career if you hit minimums, even if you leave.

amother

Smokey

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 2:27 pm

Also if you will be getting a 15 million yerusha I think that would solve all your issues and you could even get an Israeli job without sneaking around?

Not telling you to move though. I live in the the us, not tristate area. Keeping passports ready but not ready for a move yet. I think you need to evaluate your desire to move and imagine living there after this-can you see this arrangement working?

banana123

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 3:30 pm

You don't sound like you are emotionally ready for aliya, and that's okay.
For now stay where you are. If/when you are ready, you will know it, and you will move then.

amother

Tangerine

Wed, Jul 10 2024, 4:00 pm

giftedmom wrote:

Wait until your kids are grown and you have the pension and go then

If someone waits until their chilsren are grown, the possibility that their children may not come with them to israel is a very big possibility. That would be sad for them on a different level.

spikta

Thu, Jul 11 2024, 8:37 am

I wouldn't even talk to my boss at this point if you're only thinking of maybe making aliya within the next 7 years.
If you're happy and thriving where you are, you have family and friends close by, you enjoy your work and don't particularly want to raise your kids in Israel, you don't have to make aliya. It doesn't sound like you have a particularly strong drive to come, and you have a lot of reasons to stay. If you do make aliya before your kids are teenagers, it sounds like you'd be giving up a lot. You have to be honest with yourself if you really want to make that kind of sacrifice, before you start doing the specific job/money/pension calculations.

Petra

Thu, Jul 11 2024, 9:36 am

I am not a broker but kinda in the same situation. I have resigned myself to the fact that the realistic successful option would be aliyah in retirement. Kids are almost done with school and we need to work still to set funds aside for weddings and then “Bezrat Hashem, Israel here we come!”