My Family's Asset System 'Rebuild Complete': A Deconstruction of NISA Hacks and 49 Stocks

In the previous article, I talked about the blueprint for eliminating the 'one-legged approach' that relied on Japanese assets. This time, I will record how that blueprint was deployed (implemented) into actual accounts, the specific stock selection, and the story of the 'family team' that emerged during the implementation process.

■ Infrastructure Upgrade: Switching to Rakuten Gold Card

First is the optimization of operating costs and returns. I had been using a standard Rakuten Card, but for this rebuild, I clicked to upgrade to the 'Rakuten Gold Card'.

The reason is a simple and clear calculation of the 'break-even point'.

• Annual fee: 2,200 yen

• Break-even point: When the monthly investment amount exceeds approximately 73,000 yen, the point return from the Gold card exceeds the annual fee even after paying it. (Point rate when using Rakuten Card for investment: Standard 0.5%, Gold 0.75%)

• This time, since I am implementing a monthly investment of 100,000 yen, switching to Gold is the 'optimal solution'. Praying that there will be no deterioration of the system, I have completed the infrastructure spec-up.

■ Settings to Maximize the Rakuten Economic Zone Bandwidth

Next, I deployed a 'high-efficiency setting' that fully utilizes the point limits of the Rakuten Card and Rakuten Cash.

• Rakuten Card (100,000 yen/month): Core assets such as 'eMAXIS Slim Worldwide Equity (commonly known as All Country)'.

• Rakuten Cash (50,000 yen/month): Offensive and defensive parts such as 'S&P 500' and 'Gold'.

With this, the monthly investment setting of 150,000 yen is complete. I have built a mechanism where assets accumulate automatically while reliably collecting points.

■ NISA Allowance 'Pre-deployment' Hack

The new NISA 'Tsumitate Investment Quota' is 1.2 million yen per year. Originally, this is 100,000 yen per month, but as an engineer who wants to place funds in the market as quickly as possible, 'following the specifications' is not enough. Therefore, I implemented the following trick.

[Tips for Lump-sum NISA Investment] Set the monthly investment amount to the minimum (e.g., 1,000 yen) and designate the remaining quota as a 'bonus setting' for a February payment. This makes it possible to pour the majority of the NISA Tsumitate Investment Quota into the market ahead of schedule at the beginning of the year.

This is a 'maximum utilization of rules' that fully exploits the legitimate functions (specifications) of the securities company. This lump-sum investment of the NISA quota using the bonus setting at the beginning of the year is, in engineering terms, the maximization of expected value through 'parallel processing'. I chose a specification that drops the resource of time into the market without any remainder.

■ 'Graduation (Cleanup)' of the Japanese Stock Portfolio

The next thing I tackled was a 'code review' of the Japanese stocks that my strategist (my wife) had been managing for years, which totaled 49 stocks in all.

After scrutinizing stocks with excessive volatility and overlapping sectors, we decided to 'graduate' (sell off) about 20% of the holdings. We aimed to lighten and strengthen the portfolio.

Instead, I used my 'Growth Investment Quota' to deploy a new elite unit as follows.

• Stocks adopted: Mitsubishi Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan, Japan Post Holdings, DIC, Tokyo Century, etc. I prioritized dividend yield and sector diversification. When I targeted Mitsubishi HC Capital, I found my strategist already owned it. As expected from a senior, her eye for value is sharp!

■ 'Mistress Suspicions' and the Strategist's True Feelings

Seeing me so engrossed, staring at charts and books every day, my wife jokingly said this to me:

'What's with the sudden change? Do you have a mistress and are planning to run away? (laughs)'

I laughed, but then my wife continued with a slightly more serious expression.

'I've been managing everything on my own until now, and honestly, it felt lonely. I was too busy with child-rearing to dig deep, so I'm really grateful that you're studying this and making proposals that even include our living expenses.'

Perhaps my greatest achievement as an architect was not just making the system (our household finances) rock-solid, but removing the noise of 'anxiety' from the strategist (my wife). It was the moment I felt that my husband, who had never interfered before, standing by her side armed with knowledge, led to a sense of security (robustness) that went beyond mere 'profit'.

■ The True Nature of 'Market Bugs' Learned in the Test Environment

This time, by actually touching individual stocks, I learned about the phenomenon known as 'selling on the news' (the exhaustion of materials).

Even with strong earnings reports showing increased revenue and profit, the stock price drops the next day. From an engineer's perspective, it looks like a bug, but in reality, it's just that the 'consensus' (market expectations) had already been 'priced in' to the stock price. So, there are cases where it drops if there are no further positive factors (like share buybacks or dividend increases) at the time of the earnings report.

For a beginner to aim for short-term waves (buying the dip) can be a waste of resources. I am convinced that trusting the 'tax-free hold' specification of NISA and buying when you want to buy is the most robust algorithm for mental health. (After buying, the stock price drops... and my mood drops too... so I won't look at it for a while! Haha)

■ Summary: Aiming for Comfortable Management

Investment trusts, REITs, gold, and Japanese stocks.

Our family's new system has finally started operating in the 'production environment'.

If my personality of 'going all in when I get hooked' can contribute even a little to my family's future, then this rehabilitation life isn't so bad.