Why I, Who Was Afraid of Investing, Started NISA
I started NISA in 2022.
While I am currently investing in the S&P 500 and All Country funds, I had never invested before then.
In fact, I was on the side that thought “investing is scary.”
The reason I started NISA was very practical.
It was because I became worried about money for my old age.
I have changed jobs many times, and I cannot rely on my pension or retirement money.
I have changed jobs many times in the past and have not worked at the same company for my entire career.
Therefore, I cannot have high expectations for the pension I will receive in the future.
I also have no retirement bonus.
When I saw the term “the 20 million yen retirement problem” in that situation,
I started to think quite realistically that “I cannot go on like this.”
At the time, I was working part-time at an accounting firm.
Of course I was working, but I wouldn’t be able to save enough money for my old age at this rate.
Thinking that, I changed jobs to a full-time position.
And the other thing I started was investing.
I have never invested before. But is investing my only option left?
When I thought about ways to increase my money for my old age, I had two methods in mind:
“work more to increase my income” and
“have the money I already have work for me.”
Of course, earning income by working is important.
But when I thought about creating money for the future,
“Isn’t trying out investing my only choice?”
I started to think that way.
That said, I had zero investment experience. I had almost no knowledge either.
Even so, I started watching videos by various investment YouTubers and began researching investing little by little.
And then, in 2022,
I started monthly investment contributions with the old NISA.
Looking back now, I feel like I started it quite impulsively.
I felt like I was taking a leap of faith.
At first, 5,000 yen a month was all I could manage.
Even though I decided to start investing, scary things are still scary.
I didn’t have the courage to invest a large amount all at once.
So, at first, it was 5,000 yen a month.
Thinking about it now, you might think, “That’s all?”
But for me at the time, that was the most I could do.
I watched various investment YouTubers’ videos and vaguely understood that
“long-term, installment, and diversified investment is important.”
But it’s a different story when you actually put in your own money.
What if the price drops?
What if I lose my principal?
I was only thinking about things like that.
And in fact, I was in the red for about half a year after I started.
But I realized one thing here.
“It’s a loss, but since I only put in 5,000 yen, it’s not as scary as I thought.” That was it.
Of course, I’m losing money, so I’m not happy about it.
But by actually experiencing the price fluctuations,
I started to think,
“I might be able to continue this.”
From there, I gradually increased my monthly contribution amount.
It wasn’t perfect from the start.
Now I am investing in the S&P 500 and All Country funds with the new NISA.
But it wasn’t this way from the beginning.
At the time, I watched investment YouTubers’ videos and
chose products for the reason that “these people recommend them.”
I couldn’t choose between the S&P 500 and All Country, so I invest in both for the sake of my peace of mind.
In addition to the S&P 500 and All Country, I also invested in emerging market indices that were recommended when I answered a questionnaire in the Rakuten Securities account I opened for the first time.
Looking back now, I think it was a very beginner-like way to start.
That emerging market investment trust had large price fluctuations, and I sold it in less than a year. But this was a good learning experience in its own way. There are things you can’t understand unless you actually put your own money in and experience the price movements. I also learned for the first time after trying it that “products with this kind of price movement don’t suit me.”
Now I have the S&P 500 and All Country. And a little bit of fun, too.
Currently, I am also accumulating the S&P 500 and All Country in my new NISA. However, to be honest,
it’s a bit boring.
So, in my taxable account, I also buy a small amount of Leveraged Nasdaq 100 every month. Of course, since it’s a product with large price fluctuations, this is separate from my NISA accumulation. It’s like my own little way of having fun, thinking, “I want to hold something a little different.” If it were me when I first started investing, I wouldn’t have even considered doing something like this.
Things I’m glad I started back then
In 2022, when I started the old NISA, it turned out to be just before the market bottomed out. My current return is about 30%. However, since the principal itself is not yet large, I can’t say,
“30% return! The 20 million yen retirement problem is solved!”
It is not solved at all (laughs). Even so, by starting to invest, I have become able to think,
“Let’s prepare little by little,”
instead of just feeling vaguely anxious about what to do with money for my old age.
If I continue to work and accumulate as much as I can from here on out, well, I’ll manage somehow.
And then, I changed jobs again
…or so I thought. Actually, I recently decided to rethink how I work again. There was an event that made me feel it would be difficult to continue working the way I am now, so I decided to change jobs. From now on, I intend to work part-time at an accounting firm, study for the tax accountant exam, and try my hand at a side job.
Since I am quitting my full-time job to become a part-timer, I have some anxiety about my income. But it was the same when I thought about money for my old age and started NISA. When I think,
“Is it okay to stay like this?” I try to move, even if it’s just a little bit. That might be who I am now.
Starting NISA didn’t change my life in a big way
Just because I started NISA doesn’t mean my life has changed dramatically. The 20 million yen retirement problem hasn’t been solved yet either. I don’t think I can prepare for my old age with investments alone. I still need to work in the future. Even so, I think starting with 5,000 yen a month in 2022 was a big step when I look back on it now.
Investing, which I was terrified of at first, became something I could think, “Maybe it’s more okay than I thought,” once I actually tried it.
And now, I’m even using AI to create my own accumulation simulations because I’m worried about whether my accumulation method is really okay. You never know what will trigger a change in a person.
Back then, I started NISA thinking, “If it’s 5,000 yen a month, well, let’s give it a try.” From there, I started thinking about money little by little.
I intend to continue working within a reasonable range, accumulating, studying, and trying various things.
Is this NISA accumulation okay? I used AI to create my own custom simulation | LUMU
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