RetireJapan

Hi everyone,

Given the discounts we are having I thought giving a try to further educate myself and try to pick some good individual options that would go next to my already existing portfolio of Index Funds.

I was checking through my existing SBI and I see that they are 2 possible options:
1. Transactions in USD
2. Transactions in JPY

I've been checking a bit more and it really doesn't seem that are many options available in JPY and almost all simply deal in USD, but not sure if I'm missing something.

Anyone could enlighten me? Thanks as always!

* I would like to keep everything in SBI if possible (Japanese not really an issue) unless other options are much better!

If you buy a product in usd, but only have jpy in your account, sbi will do the conversion for you, but at a bad exchange rate. It is therefofre recommend to do the comversion to USD on a linked bank account or buy JPY funds. See also the discussion here and here.

Thanks mule96! By "linked bank account" do you mean like the one from Yuucho which I use to add funds in yens, but in dollars, or another 一般口座 that is created in SBI, which you send yens and you can then convert them to usd?

I followed the email threads you pointed but I'm not 100% sure. Thanks again!

Converting within SBI (from your 一般口座) has not a favorable exchange rate. Unfortunately you can only send USD from 住信SBIネット銀行 to SBI証券 - no other options. Converting within 住信SBIネット銀行 gives good rates. I should have looked up in detail before answering - sorry!

Noted! Yeah, after investigating a bit more it seemed it was that but since it requires to open a separated bank account within SBI, I was not completely sure

If anyone else is wondering, is also available through the side menu, which in my case I have yet to open (second to last option)