Retiring in Japan? Be prepared to foot your own bills
I think this is the japantimes article someone was soliciting people for a while back--I'd kind of forgotten about it since it has taken quite a while.
Banner is of course there with "Seniors should have an independent adviser (like us!)... look into their circumstances." And then being up front with the apparent universal need for "... income-generating investments, such as carefully selected shares which give regular dividends and funds — a good financial adviser can explore these options." Yeah, so you need hire and pay banner (a good advisor?) to 'help' you do that.
But Ben gets the last, best word on it.
Ben gets the last word!
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Re: Ben gets the last word!
Thanks CScaptainspoke wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2023 10:49 am
Banner is of course there with "Seniors should have an independent adviser (like us!)... look into their circumstances." And then being up front with the apparent universal need for "... income-generating investments, such as carefully selected shares which give regular dividends and funds — a good financial adviser can explore these options." Yeah, so you need hire and pay banner (a good advisor?) to 'help' you do that.
But Ben gets the last, best word on it.

It's funny, because I have seen a number of those 'carefully selected portfolios' put together by Banner for their customers, and they were shocking.
Not that Japanese banks are any better, unfortunately.
Caveat investor!
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Re: Ben gets the last word!
How bad is it?RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2023 12:18 amThanks CScaptainspoke wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2023 10:49 am
Banner is of course there with "Seniors should have an independent adviser (like us!)... look into their circumstances." And then being up front with the apparent universal need for "... income-generating investments, such as carefully selected shares which give regular dividends and funds — a good financial adviser can explore these options." Yeah, so you need hire and pay banner (a good advisor?) to 'help' you do that.
But Ben gets the last, best word on it.![]()
It's funny, because I have seen a number of those 'carefully selected portfolios' put together by Banner for their customers, and they were shocking.
Not that Japanese banks are any better, unfortunately.
Caveat investor!
High fee, front-loaded funds?
"Ebisu Fund"
ETFs chosen at near random based on their fee distrubution?
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Re: Ben gets the last word!
All that, but also stuff seemingly chosen at random because it was hot at the time (years or decades ago). I generally recommend people schedule a talk with their 'advisor' and give them some basic questions to ask:Tsumitate Wrestler wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2023 12:22 am How bad is it?
High fee, front-loaded funds?
"Ebisu Fund"
ETFs chosen at near random based on their fee distrubution?
1) why do I own this?
2) what's the performance compared to a global index while I have held it?
3) can I move my money to a lower fee product?
I don't think the advisors like me very much

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eMaxis Slim Shady
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Re: Ben gets the last word!
Selling funds based on past performance is such an easy trick for these weasels. Recency bias is responsible for so much pain.RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2023 12:37 amAll that, but also stuff seemingly chosen at random because it was hot at the time (years or decades ago). I generally recommend people schedule a talk with their 'advisor' and give them some basic questions to ask:Tsumitate Wrestler wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2023 12:22 am How bad is it?
High fee, front-loaded funds?
"Ebisu Fund"
ETFs chosen at near random based on their fee distrubution?
1) why do I own this?
2) what's the performance compared to a global index while I have held it?
3) can I move my money to a lower fee product?
I don't think the advisors like me very much![]()
They will probably be shoveling Nivida and post-IP Niantic into customers' portfolios at the peak of the bubble.