Expats living in Japan are faced with many challenges, not the least of which is the question of how to manage their personal finances. Many turn to independent financial advisers, or IFAs, for guidance.
This would seem like a perfectly sensible thing to do — if you need advice, ask an expert and trust them to use their information advantage for your benefit — but applied to the unregulated world of expat finance, a person approaching an IFA with money to invest could be considered akin to the proverbial duck innocently waddling up to a nabe party with a bundle of leeks slung over his shoulder.
First encounters with an independent financial adviser usually come in response to a strategically placed advert, a meeting with a person handing out flyers from a booth at a conference or other event, or an unsolicited phone call from someone politely inquiring about your financial situation and kindly offering to help.