RetireJapan

Yes I am still on the US account. I initially received the information that my account will be switched in April, but later they told me that it was a mistake and that my account will be switched later at a yet unspecified date.

As discussed on the forum here , Interactive Brokers IBLLC clients residing in Japan need to transfer their accounts to Interactive Brokers IBSJ, or close their accounts. It looks like the ETFs I am currently holding with IBLLC will not be supported by IBSJ. My portfolio is very simple: I only have ...

Same here in Chiba. You go to the driving license center, bringing your Japanese drivers licence, your passport, a photo with the correct size, and the fee. Last time I did it it took less than an hour. Anyway I recommend to you check the procedure for your prefecture, the info should be online.

I'm now wondering if the list of funds is getting bigger by the week, and they haven't contacted me yet because most of the ETFs I own aren't on the list yet? It's just a theory :geek: Thanks for the link to the list. None of the ETFs I own are on it, but I still got the email last week. I contacte...

I also got the email earlier this week... I am holding European ETFs (LSE). Wondering when we will know whether specific positions can be transferred or have to be closed? April is soon

It's important to check whether your country has a pension agreement with Japan. If there is an agreement, it is possible that you are entitled to partial Japanese pension even if you contributed for less than 10 years. If there is a totalization agreement, then Japan will take into account your co...

1-- Banks & Brokerages iDeCo can't be liquidated and can remain active even outside Japan but your contributions are only accessible once you are 60! I believe you can do a lump sum withdrawal under certain conditions, one being that you contributed for less than 5 years. See https://www.ideco-...

Shinsei Bank seems to be the most English friendly alternative. Heck, it even says they’re going to update their English website on March 24th? Interesting! This bank intrigues me though which makes me wonder, is there any direct drawback to them? Any high fees or other problems that anyone has enc...

Just wanted to mention that shinsei bank has a fully English interface and English customer service. I used them when I came to Japan first. Nowadays I use Rakuten Bank with a google translate browser plugin that translates the whole page, which works reasonably well.

Still using an Iphone 4S, my first smartphone that I got second-hand from a friend around 2012. I rarely do phone calls and mostly use if for instant messaging, so it's completely sufficient. However, more and more apps stop working, because the OS cannot be upgraded any more. From February next yea...