SmartMoneyWallet

Is it worth exchanging Japanese Yen? The data speaks for itself
As of December 10, 2025, the Taiwan dollar to Japanese Yen exchange rate reached 4.85, meaning 10,000 TWD can be exchanged for approximately 48,500 JPY. Compared to the beginning of the year at 4.46, the Yen has appreciated by 8.7% over the year—this is no coincidence for Taiwanese seeking risk hedging and investment returns.
According to market statistics, Taiwan's foreign exchange demand increased by 25% in the second half of the year. The main drivers are threefold: the recovery in tourism, capital hedging strategies, and expectations of an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ). BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo recently adopted a hawkish stance, pushing expectations of a rate hike to 80%. The December 19 meeting is expected to raise interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75% (a 30-year high), directly supporting the Yen's strength.
Is exchanging for Yen cost-effective? In short: yes, but it should be done in installments. In the short term, the Yen is fluctuating between 150-155, but medium to long-term

Travel to Japan remains popular, and with the Japanese Yen serving as a global safe-haven currency, more and more Taiwanese are paying attention to exchange costs. On December 10th, the TWD to JPY exchange rate reached 4.85, appreciating by 8.7% since the beginning of the year, opening a window for exchanging Yen. But the question is: how to exchange to minimize costs?
We have compiled the four most common JPY exchange channels in Taiwan, calculating the real exchange rates and handling fees to show you which option is the most cost-effective.
Quick comparison: Exchanging 50,000 TWD results in a cost difference of up to 1,700
Let's look at the conclusion directly. For example, with 50,000 TWD, different exchange channels can lead to significant cost differences:
| Exchange Method | Estimated Loss | Suitable Scenario | Operation Difficulty |
|------------------|------------------|---------------------|----------------------|
| In-person cash exchange | 1,500-2,

Is it worth exchanging Japanese Yen now? Market data reveals the truth
On December 10, 2025, the Taiwanese dollar against the Japanese Yen broke above the 4.85 level, appreciating approximately 8.7% from 4.46 at the beginning of the year. What does this number mean? Simply put, the purchasing power of the Taiwanese dollar is quietly shrinking, while the Yen is appreciating.
According to trading data, Taiwan's currency exchange demand increased by 25% in the second half of the year. The main drivers are twofold: first, the rapid recovery of the Japanese tourism market; second, more investors recognizing the hedging value of the Yen. The recent hawkish comments from Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo have boosted market expectations, and the December 19 meeting's rate hike to 0.75% is a certainty, which will further support the Yen.
But the key question is: Is it worthwhile to exchange Yen now? The answer is yes, but it requires strategy. The Yen exchange rate is in a relatively volatile range, with short-term fluctuations possibly reaching 155, and medium to long-term forecasts below 150.

Understand the essence of futures before deciding whether to play
How to buy futures? Many beginners ask this question, but they haven't really understood what futures are. Simply put, futures are a contract to buy or sell something in the future — you and the seller agree on a price today for a transaction that will happen at a certain future time (it could be crude oil, gold, stock indices, etc.).
Here's a key point: futures can be traded with only a margin deposit, without paying the full amount upfront. For example, buying a Taiwan index futures contract might require an initial margin of about NT$76,500 (small size) to NT$306,000 (large size), controlling a contract worth much more. This is the power of leverage, but also where the risk lies.
Futures vs. Stocks: Why do some choose futures
Compared to buying stocks, futures trading has several clear advantages:
Bidirectional trading — stocks mainly involve buying and hoping for price increases; short selling requires qualification, borrowing shares, and paying fees. Futures, on the other hand

Disposal stocks are stocks that are regulated due to abnormal trading. Their trading restrictions include slower matching frequency, changes in capital methods, and more. Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals and market sentiment, and make decisions within their risk tolerance. Disposal stocks do not represent an assessment of company quality but reflect market behavior, making them suitable for long-term investors seeking opportunities.

What is the core function of currency symbols?
Currency symbols serve as visual identifiers within national financial systems, using simple graphic symbols to distinguish currencies from different regions. Whether for forex traders or everyday users, mastering the correct currency symbols helps us quickly identify currency types, track exchange rate fluctuations, and conduct efficient international investments and transactions.
For example, seeing the euro symbol (€) immediately brings to mind euro-related trading pairs, such as EUR/USD or EUR/JPY. The biggest advantage of currency symbols is that they eliminate the need for lengthy text descriptions—writing "$40" is much more concise and efficient than writing "40 US dollars," greatly improving reading efficiency.
Global Major Currency Symbols Overview
The table below covers currency information from major continents, countries, and regions worldwide:
| Continent | Country | Currency | Code | Symbol |
|-

The Australian dollar holds a special status among global currencies, but in recent years it has faced depreciation due to the strength of the US dollar and insufficient economic momentum in Australia. Future exchange rate fluctuations will be influenced by inflation, the strength of the US dollar, and China's economic recovery. Investors should proceed with caution, paying attention to economic data and policy signals.

With the turmoil in the international situation and persistent inflation, more and more people are thinking about buying gold for hedging. But do you know? Gold investment is not only about storing gold bars; there are also various channels such as gold savings accounts, gold ETFs, gold futures, and gold CFDs, each with different costs, risks, and returns.
This year's gold prices have surged fiercely, breaking through the $3,700 mark, nearly a 50% increase since early 2024. Goldman Sachs analysts predict it could reach $4,000 by mid-2026. This wave of increase is mainly driven by record-breaking global central bank gold purchases and expectations of US interest rate cuts. So, is it still worth entering now? The answer depends on your investment goals.
Why has gold prices been rising continuously? Understand the market background before investing
Over the past year, gold prices have experienced remarkable growth. In 2024, global central banks net purchased 1,045 tons of gold, exceeding 1,000 tons for three consecutive years, directly supporting the gold price to break through $2,700. Geopolitical tensions

U.S. stocks are at the core of the global financial markets, and their fluctuations have a profound impact on investors. A significant decline in U.S. stocks is usually triggered by economic fundamentals, changes in monetary policy, geopolitical conflicts, and market sentiment. Historical cases show that markets tend to rebound after crashes. Investors need to improve information acquisition, identify risk signals, and flexibly adjust strategies based on personal goals. Ultimately, maintaining rationality, sticking to long-term plans, and utilizing hedging tools are key to successful investing.

CPI Announcement Time Preview: Why Should Investors Pay Attention to This Moment?
The US CPI (Consumer Price Index) is one of the most sensitive economic indicators in the global financial markets. Once its release time is confirmed, it triggers a chain reaction in asset prices. This is because CPI releases usually precede the US PCE data, which is the primary basis for the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions. In other words, data released after the CPI announcement directly influence the Fed's decision-making pace, thereby affecting global stock markets, forex markets, and the crypto market.
The US CPI data is released monthly, on the first business day of each month or the closest business day. However, the specific timing varies due to daylight saving time:
- During Daylight Saving Time (approximately March to November): 20:30 Taiwan Time
- During Standard Time (approximately November to March): 21:30 Taiwan Time
2024 Full Release Schedule

The cryptocurrency market faces triple pressures
Bitcoin today fell below the 90,000 mark, with the latest quote dropping to around $89,878, while recent data shows it hovers around 93.91K. The Federal Reserve's rate cut has been implemented, but the market reaction remains cool—funds are clearly pulling back before the end of the year. Even more intense is the expectation of rate hikes by the Bank of Japan, which is also causing sell-offs. Analysts warn that if the BOJ adopts a hawkish tone, the selling wave could escalate.
Liquidity tightening has become a consensus. The next week is a "super week" for global central banks: US Non-Farm Payrolls (16th), CPI data (18th), and monetary policy meetings of the ECB, UK, and Japan (18-19th), each of which could stir the market.
Precious metals collectively soar, gold rises for five consecutive days
Risk aversion sentiment is intensifying, making precious metals highly attractive. Gold increased by 1.13% to $4,348 per ounce, marking five days of consecutive gains; silver is even more aggressive, rising over 3% to $63.71 per ounce; platinum

Why is trading in Taiwan stocks so much more expensive than in US stocks? The difference in trading units is the key
Many new investors will notice a phenomenon: the purchase thresholds for the same company's stock are vastly different between Taiwan stocks and US stocks. The underlying reason seems complex but is actually due to the fundamental difference in trading units adopted by the two markets.
The Taiwan stock market uses "one lot" as the basic unit for whole share trading, where 1 lot equals 1,000 shares. In contrast, US stocks are traded per "share," allowing purchases to be calculated per individual share. This difference creates vastly different entry barriers for the two markets.
Understanding Stock Prices: The Market's Real-Time Valuation
The stock price represents the market's valuation of a single share at a specific moment. It is not static but fluctuates based on the real-time transaction prices between buyers and sellers.
As of August 2023, Tesla (TSLA) stock in the US was priced at $254.11, whereas in January of the same year, it was only

The Essential Investment Course in the Era of Inflation
In recent years, I have a deep feeling: prices are rising much faster than wages. A dozen eggs costs 10 yuan, bubble tea prices have increased by 20~30%, and mortgage rates have soared from 1.31% during the pandemic to 2.2%. For a mortgage of ten million, just the interest rate difference in one year amounts to nearly 90,000 yuan in interest expenses. In such an environment, not investing is equivalent to slow losses, because the cash in hand is shrinking every year.
So the question is: if you have saved 100,000 yuan in cash, how should you turn it into the seed of wealth?
The underlying logic of investing: mindset, projects, time
Many people think investing is too complicated. In fact, investing is just like doing business—only three things are needed: clear thinking, suitable projects, and enough time. Mastering these three points, small investors can also embark on the path of wealth accumulation.
Step One: Understand Your Money
The first pitfall in investing is using living expenses. Many people lose money because

What is the essence of day trading?
In the stock market, "day trading" refers to completing buy and sell transactions within the same trading day. That is, you buy a stock in the morning and must sell it before the market closes to settle the position. Conversely, you can also sell first and buy back later, as long as you do not hold overnight positions at the end of the day.
This trading method has become a trend in the Taiwan stock market. Since the Financial Supervisory Commission allowed stock day trading in 2016, related trading volume has accounted for nearly 40% of Taiwan stock market turnover. In comparison, the US stock market naturally supports same-day buy and sell transactions due to its T+0 system, giving investors greater flexibility.
Why are investors so enthusiastic about day trading? Three main attractions:
Avoiding overnight risk is the primary advantage of day trading. The Taiwan stock trading hours are from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM, during which the market is often influenced by developments in overseas markets such as Hong Kong, Europe, and the US. If significant news emerges the night before, the opening of the next day may directly jump

Why do we need index futures?
The biggest challenge in investing is choosing the right investment target. The true situation of a company is often a mystery to outsiders, which is why the market needs a tool to intuitively reflect the overall performance of a certain industry, country, or asset class.
Index futures were born out of this need—they are measurement tools compiled by professional institutions, covering a basket of stocks, bonds, or currencies. However, an index itself is not a tradable asset, which led to the emergence of global index futures. As financial derivatives, index futures' prices directly track the performance of the corresponding index, providing investors with a new way to participate in the global market.
Understanding the core features of index futures
What are index futures?
Index futures (Index Futures) are futures contracts based on an index as the underlying asset. Like all futures contracts, they have a specific expiration date, contract specifications, and margin requirements. But because the index

When conducting stock trading, many investors see the indicators "Inner Plate" and "Outer Plate" on trading software but only have a vague understanding of their actual meanings. In fact, these seemingly complex concepts reflect who is more eager to execute trades—the buyers or the sellers—in the market. Mastering the differences between inner and outer plates allows you to quickly judge short-term capital flow and identify turning points in stock prices.
Who is the initiator: the fundamental difference between inner and outer plates
To understand inner and outer plates, first, you need to grasp that there are two states in stock trading: "Pending Orders" and "Immediate Transactions." Sellers in the market place sell orders at their asking prices (hoping to raise the price), while buyers place buy orders at their bid prices (hoping to buy at a lower price).
When buyers are willing to actively accept the sellers' asking prices, transactions occur at the ask price, and these bought shares are recorded as the "Outer Plate." This indicates that buyers are more aggressive, willing to pay a premium to buy, which is a bullish signal.
When sellers are willing to actively accept buyers' bid prices,

Leverage is a financial operation that amplifies trading size by borrowing funds, which can increase returns but also magnifies risks. Investors need to understand how leverage works to avoid major losses such as liquidation caused by misuse. By setting reasonable stop-loss levels and choosing appropriate trading tools, leverage investment can be applied more safely.

Heavy electrical equipment is an industry involved in the manufacturing and servicing of large-scale power equipment, responsible for power generation, transmission, and distribution. Due to the rapid growth of AI and data centers, the heavy electrical industry faces unprecedented demand. By 2030, global data center electricity consumption is expected to increase significantly, reshaping the industry landscape.