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The findings are the results of a survey on Israelis' financial behavior carried out by Sapio Research at the initiative of Bank Hapoalim's Financial Growth Center ahead of An IDC Herzliya conference titled "From Crisis to Growth" to be held on Monday.

Around half of Israelis, 51%, report that one year of the coronavirus pandemic has increased their desire to learn how to better manage a budget and improve their financial habits. A majority of Israelis, 80%, have learned how to manage a budget as they go.

Nearly one-third of Israelis, 30%, rely on family and friends for guidance when making financial decisions, while 21% said they researched the subject online. Just 5% of Israelis said they had met with a professional one-on-one for guidance, while 6% said they had taken a course on the subject. Nine percent of Israelis said they had gone to employees at their bank for advice.

While 43% of Israelis said they were on a set budget, a vast majority, 84%, said they needed significant guidance in financial issues.

Nearly all Israelis surveyed, 97%, agreed it was important to formally educate children on how best to manage their money.

Around half of Israelis, 53%, reported receiving no financial guidance, and just one-third said they were knowledgeable of the details of their pension plans.

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The post Show me the money: Israelis have no idea how much they spend every month appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The 2.2% growth rate for the second semester is a drop of 1.2 percentage points in comparison to the first half of 2018, which saw growth of 3.4%.

When compared to the second half of 2017, which saw growth of 4.3%, growth in H2 2018 was down by nearly half.

CBS figures point to very low growth in the business sector, which is considered an engine for overall economic growth, while quality of life remained steady.

However, per capita consumption increased only by 2.1% in the second half of 2018, compared to an increase of 4.1% in the first half of the year.

Per capita expenditure on durable goods dropped by 17%, after rising 12.9% in the first half of 2018. New car purchases plummeted by 35.2% per person. Home electronics purchases dropped 1.7% per capita, continuing a decline of 2.8% seen in the first half of 2018.

Per capita expenditures on clothing and shoes rose 2.7% in the second half of 2018.

Exports of goods and services (excluding diamonds and high-tech) rose by only 0.6% in the second semester. Imports of goods and services dropped by 1%.

Investment in home construction was also down by 3% in the second semester, a more moderate decline than the 11.1% drop seen in the first half of 2018.

The post Report: Growth, consumer spending down in 2018 appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.