A complete list of Swiss Private Banks
So, yes, there are options!
Switzerland boasts a diverse private banking sector, offering a range of services to cater to clients' wealth management needs. As per the date of this newsletter, Switzerland counts roughly 200 banking licenses, including circa 85 banks that consider wealth management their quasi-exclusive offering, making it one of the most prominent sectors in the country. In fact, Switzerland boasts one of the highest numbers of banks per capita when compared to other developed and Western nations.
Different business models: private banks versus independent providers of wealth management services
The wealth management offering, which may include banking services, also includes a plethora of services that do not consider a banking license a pre-requisite, and are therefore also, and often, offered by independent, non-bank, providers, including:
independent wealth managers,
trust companies,
asset / fund managers, and more.
The ability to custody your assets, which does indeed require a bank license, allowing your bank to act as fiduciary owner of your assets rather than only managing them, has become a by-product in wealth management. Clients however take comfort in receiving a one-stop-shop solution (i.e. custody, asset allocation, trust services, inheritance planning and more) from the most capitalized and scrutinized (from a regulator’s perspective) legal form of wealth management: a banking entity.
Starting off with: who’s out there
(Editor’s remark: These are the banks we were able to find upon initial review of private banks in Switzerland - we shall add to this list as we complete our research)
Arab Bank / Gonet & Cie
Axion Swiss Bank
Banca del Sempione
Banca Popolare di Sondrio
Banca Zarattini & Co.
Bank Hapoalim
Bank Linth
Bank Zweiplus
BankMed
Banque Cramer
Banque Havilland
Banque Intesa Sanpaolo Morval
Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild Group
Banque Thaler
Baumann Banquiers
BBVA (Switzerland)
Bellerive Privatbank
Bellevue Group
Bergos Privatbank
BHF Oddo
Bordier
CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique
CIM Banque
Dreyfus Sons & Co
DZ Privatbank
EFG
Frankfurter Bankgesellschaft
Goldman Sachs
Globalance Bank
Gutzwiller & Cie Banquiers
Habib Bank
Hinduja Bank
HSBC Private Bank
IHAG Privatbank
Investec
J. Safra Sarasin
J.P. Morgan
Julius Bär
Kaleido Privatbank (formerly AP Anlage & Privatbank)
LGT
Lombard Odier
Maerki Baumann
Mercantil
Mirabaud
Mizuho Bank
Neue Privat Bank
Helvetische Bank
One Swiss Bank (former Banque Profil de Gestion)
Pictet
Piguet Galland & Cie
PKB Privatbank
Private Client Bank
Quilvest
Rahn & Bodmer Banquiers
Reichmuth
Reyl
Rothschild Bank
Schroder & Co Bank
Scobag Privat Bank
Societa Bancaria Ticinese
Syz Group
UBP Group
United Mizrahi
von Graffenried Privatbank
Vontobel
VP Bank
Zähringer Privatbank
The list continues with banks that consider wealth management one of several - rather than exclusive - pillars of their overall Swiss service offering:
Basel Cantonal Bank
Ticino Cantonal Bank (Banca dello Stato del Cantone Ticino)
Banque CIC
Barclays
BNP Paribas
Citibank
Credit Agricole Indosuez
Credit Suisse (recently acquired by UBS)
Deutsche Bank
Geneva Cantonal Bank
Lucerne Cantonal Bank
UBS
Societe Generale
St. Galler Cantonal Bank
Zuger Cantonal Bank
Zurich Cantonal Bank
As a result, it is hardly a surprise for individuals, that have identified the need for wholesome wealth management services, to find it challenging to develop a discerning view on which of the providers to go for.
All too often, the choice of a provider is the result of being recommended one. Not unusual - that’s human psychology in a nutshell, after all.
This outlet however believes in more educated choices and endeavors to create a more level playing field for prospect private banking customers to find their match.
Please do subscribe to our newsletter to endeavor together on the journey of further differenting the different providers and offerings. We hope you find this information valuable. If you have any questions, require assistance or would like us to write about a certain topic, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Stay tuned for more insights!