Investing Practice
My S&P 500 Gains Dropped $13K. Now It's a Waiting Game.
The Iran conflict wiped out S&P 500 year-to-date gains. An 8-year index investor explains why he's not changing a single setting.
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Blog
Articles about wealth building, investing, and saving
Income
We Hit $330K Without a Side Hustle — Why Dual Income Was Enough
A dual-income dad explains why he skipped the side hustle entirely and still built $330K in assets over eight years.
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Investing Practice
Gold Is Up 6x in 8 Years. I'm Still Dollar-Cost Averaging Into Index Funds
Gold hit ¥30,000/g. My wife suggested buying it 8 years ago. I didn't. Here's why I still choose index funds over gold, even after comparing the data.
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Investing Practice
My Bank Paid Me ¥10,000 in Interest. Japan's Zero-Rate Era Is Officially Over
After 30 years of near-zero rates, Japan's interest rates are climbing. How a salaryman investor is navigating the shift — mortgages, deposits, and everything in between.
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Tax & Systems
I Contributed to Japan's 401(k) for 7 Years Without Once Thinking About How to Cash Out
I started iDeCo in 2019 and never thought about the exit. Then Japan changed the rules in 2026, and I realized how naive I'd been.
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Investing Practice
Before You Buy AI Stocks, Ask Yourself One Question: Are You Actually Paying for AI?
A personal filter for AI stock hype, from a guy who lost ¥2 million on individual picks
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Tax & Systems
I Filed Japan's 2026 Tax Return and Found 5 Changes Nobody Warned Me About
Japan's basic deduction jumped ¥100K to ¥580,000, saving ~¥30,000/year. But the real surprise was a furusato nozei trap that almost voided my One-Stop claims. Here's what changed and what I actually did.
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Investing Practice
Trump Tariffs Wiped $50K From My Portfolio. I Did Nothing.
A Japanese index fund investor lost $50K in the 2025 tariff shock. Eight years of buy-and-hold experience explained why doing nothing was the right call.
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Tax & Systems
Kodomo NISA 2027: I Almost Ignored It — Then Ran the Numbers on My Daughter's ¥300K
Japan's new Children's NISA lets kids invest tax-free up to ¥600K/year. I dismissed it at first, but ¥300K of otoshidama + compound interest math changed my mind. Here's the full breakdown.
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Tax & Systems
Tax Season Is Here. As an Index Investor With $130K in Unrealized Gains, I Had Almost Nothing to Do
8 years of index investing, $130K in unrealized gains, zero investment tax work. Here's exactly how e-Tax works and why I still file every year.
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