About

Welcome to Smart Money Asia, a personal finance blog for expats. I’m Martin Phillips. I came to Japan in 1997 on the JET Program and never made it back home. After two years living like a rockstar in a small village in Tottori Prefecture, I slowly gravitated towards Tokyo. Now I live in Yokohama.

I started working in the financial planning business in 2002 and am a U.K. Certified Financial Planner. Since then I have met hundreds of people from different backgrounds, countries, and walks of life, all wrestling with one or more of these basic issues: saving money for retirement and their kids, protecting themselves from financial mishaps, buying a home, caring for aging parents, dealing with the taxman, and trying to become financially free.

The purpose of this blog is not to sell investments or products to plug these needs. The way people access financial services is changing rapidly and there has never been a better time to take control of our own financial destiny. The mission here is to provide a resource to help expats in Japan, and elsewhere in Asia, to do just that.

Constructive comments are welcome and please feel free to share anything you find useful. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is not intended as investment advice, and should not be considered as such. Any ideas and strategies discussed should never be implemented without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a professional financial adviser. Readers are encouraged to ask questions, do their own research, and make their own decisions.