By Alden Graff Tokyo Japan
“Before you plan your money, plan your life.”
– The Alden Graff Approach to Retirement
🌅 What Does Your Ideal Retirement Feel Like?
Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine your first Monday in retirement. Where are you waking up? What’s the weather like? Who’s beside you? What’s on your schedule?
At Alden Graff Tokyo Japan, we begin every retirement journey with this question—not with numbers or timelines, but with vision. Because to plan effectively, we must know what you’re aiming for. And not just vaguely: clearly, tangibly, and personally.
🎯 Why Vision Matters More Than a Number
Many people chase a “magic number”—a retirement savings target plucked from generic calculators or hearsay. But we ask:
What’s that number for?
Without a clearly defined retirement lifestyle:
- You may over-save and miss out on living today.
- You may under-save and risk outliving your money.
- You may retire into a life that doesn’t feel fulfilling.
Your vision is the blueprint. The financial plan is the scaffolding.
✍️ Step 1: Map Your Retirement Lifestyle
Here’s a practical exercise we use with clients. Take a notebook, and answer the following:
🏠 Where will you live?
- Stay in Tokyo or relocate abroad?
- Urban, coastal, or countryside?
- Own, rent, or co-live?
🎒 What will you do with your time?
- Travel, learn, mentor, volunteer?
- Start a business or pursue hobbies?
- Relaxation or adventure?
🧍🏽 Who will you be surrounded by?
- Children or grandchildren?
- A partner or friends?
- Community groups or clubs?
🧘🏽♂️ What will your days look like?
- Early mornings or slow starts?
- Gym, golf, or gardening?
- Weekly rituals and daily joys?
🧮 Step 2: Put a Price Tag on Your Dream
This is where vision meets reality. Once your dream is defined, we help translate it into numbers.
| Category | Monthly Estimate (Example) |
|---|---|
| Housing | ¥200,000 |
| Healthcare | ¥80,000 |
| Travel & Leisure | ¥100,000 |
| Food & Dining | ¥60,000 |
| Utilities & Transport | ¥40,000 |
| Total (baseline) | ¥480,000 |
Now, factor in:
- Inflation (3% annually)
- Longevity (plan for 30–35 years)
- Healthcare escalation
- Emergency buffers
💡 Tip: At Alden Graff, we model three scenarios—optimistic, moderate, and conservative—to build resilience into your plan.
⏳ Step 3: Timing Is Everything
When you retire shapes how much you need.
Consider:
- Retiring at 55 may require 40 years of income.
- Retiring at 65 shortens that window, but may reduce lifestyle flexibility.
- Your spouse may have a different plan—how will that affect you?
We help clients:
- Coordinate dual retirements
- Optimize Japan’s national pension benefits
- Evaluate early vs. phased retirement
- Align retirement date with financial and emotional readiness
🔍 Did you know? Delaying retirement by just 2–3 years can increase your retirement income by 15–20%.
🧾 Step 4: Audit Your Current Position
With your lifestyle mapped and timeline set, we assess how far you’ve come.
| Asset | Current Value | Retirement Role |
|---|---|---|
| iDeCo or 401(k) | ¥15 million | Core retirement income |
| Taxable Investments | ¥8 million | Flexibility + liquidity |
| Real Estate | ¥30 million | Potential rental or downsizing |
| Business/Side Hustle | ¥— | Ongoing income |
| Pension | Estimated ¥130,000/month | Guaranteed baseline |
We analyze:
- Income gaps
- Net worth trends
- Liquidity ratios
- Risk exposure
Then, we chart the course forward—realistically and optimistically.
🔁 Step 5: Build Flexibility Into Your Plan
What if:
- You or your partner live to age 98?
- A medical event alters your mobility?
- You decide to move abroad?
- The market crashes early in retirement?
That’s why we don’t just make one plan—we make many. Our advisors model:
- Longevity and inflation risk
- Sequence-of-returns risk
- Currency volatility (for expats)
- Healthcare shocks
Our goal: Financial flexibility = Lifestyle freedom.
🌍 For the Globally Minded Retiree
Tokyo is a global hub, and so are many of our clients. If your retirement vision involves:
- Living part-time in Europe or Southeast Asia
- Holding assets in multiple currencies
- Managing tax exposure across borders
Then your plan requires cross-jurisdictional strategy.
We help:
- Leverage international tax treaties
- Structure offshore income efficiently
- Convert assets across markets
- Navigate foreign healthcare systems
🧳 Alden Graff Tokyo Japan specializes in serving internationally mobile retirees.
💬 Real Client Visions (Composite Examples)
Naoko, 58, Tokyo
Vision: Retire at 62, travel Asia and Europe, part-time flower arrangement instructor.
Plan: Mix of iDeCo, dividend ETFs, rental income; healthcare coverage in Japan + travel insurance abroad.
Martin & Yuki, 52/49, expats in Singapore
Vision: Move to Japan, open a guesthouse in Nagano, pursue eco-tourism projects.
Plan: Equity-heavy portfolio transitioning to blended income; business capital earmarked separately.
Keiko, 65, widowed
Vision: Stay in Tokyo near children, write memoirs, support granddaughter’s college.
Plan: Conservative allocation with gifting trust; legacy planning and long-term care insurance.
💼 How We Bring Your Vision to Life
What You Get with Alden Graff Tokyo Japan:
✅ Vision-driven financial planning
✅ Lifestyle-specific budgeting tools
✅ Cross-border expertise
✅ Tax and healthcare integration
✅ Legacy and philanthropic alignment
✅ Annual reviews + scenario simulations
✅ One-on-one support from fiduciary advisors
You’re not just a portfolio—you’re a person with a purpose.
🛤️ Your Retirement Vision, In Three Sentences
We end every session by helping clients distill their vision into a statement like this:
“I want to retire at 62, travel six months a year, spend time with my grandchildren, and write a novel while living modestly near Mt. Fuji.”
Your entire financial strategy can—and should—serve that sentence.
📌 Next Step: Begin Your Vision Session Today
You don’t need to figure it all out on your own. Let Alden Graff Tokyo Japan help you build a retirement lifestyle you’re genuinely excited about.
📞 Schedule your Vision Discovery Call
🌐 Visit Alden Graff Tokyo Japan