Same assets, different accent.
When American families look at Switzerland, they’re often not just looking for a new account, they’re looking for a different way of doing things. Swiss and US wealth management live in the same financial universe, but they don’t always play by the same rules or chase the same goals. Understanding the differences helps families decide where and how they want their wealth to be looked after.
Regulation: SEC vs. FINMA (and why it matters)
In the US, most wealth managers are overseen by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) or state regulators. In Switzerland, its FINMA (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority), together with modern rules like the Financial Services Act (FinSA) and Financial Institutions Act (FinIA).
Swiss firms that advise or manage money for US clients on a cross-border basis must register with the SEC as Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs), unless an exemption applies.
What this means in practice:
- Both systems aim to protect investors, but the US framework tends to be more disclosure-heavy and litigation-sensitive.
- The Swiss framework leans into suitability, professional standards, and strong institutional supervision, with an overlay of traditional banking culture.
For a family, the takeaway is simple: the rulebooks differ, but in a good Swiss-US set-up, you’re effectively getting both.
Culture: quarters vs. generations
US markets often speak in quarters. Swiss wealth managers tend to speak in years and decades. Many Swiss firms have historically focused on capital preservation, stability, and long-term compounding, rather than aggressive, short-term outperformance.
In the US, there’s often more emphasis on:
- benchmarks and relative performance
- product shelves and model portfolios
- marketing around “alpha” and new ideas
In Switzerland, there’s more emphasis on:
- continuity through cycles
- risk management and diversification
- balancing global opportunity with stability
Neither mindset is “right” or “wrong”, but they feel very different to live with.
Architecture: shelves vs. open kitchens
In the US, many firms are vertically integrated: the same group may offer advice, products, custody, and research. That can be efficient, but it can also blur the line between advice and distribution. Swiss wealth management historically leans toward open architecture: access to multiple custodians and external products, with the adviser standing somewhat outside the product factory.
For families, this can feel like the difference between:
- being shown what’s on one shelf, versus
- stepping into a whole market and choosing what truly fits.
In a modern Swiss-US hybrid like VT Partners, that open architecture can be combined with US regulatory oversight, a rare combination.
Privacy & data: from secrecy to structured transparency
The old story of “secret Swiss accounts” is over for US clients. Switzerland now participates in international regimes like Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) and complies with US rules like FATCA, meaning US account data is shared with US tax authorities.
What remains distinct is the culture of confidentiality:
- Banks and wealth managers are bound by strict Swiss bank secrecy and data-protection rules in their dealings with everyone except lawful authorities.
- Discretion in how information is handled, who sees it, and how it’s stored is still a core Swiss instinct.
For American families, the point is not hiding. It’s controlling who knows what, and why, within a fully compliant framework.
Access to the world
Both US and Swiss managers can offer global exposure. The difference is perspective. Switzerland is a small, open economy that has spent decades looking outward. Its wealth industry is built around multi-currency portfolios, non-domestic assets and cross-border lives.
For globally minded families, that can feel very natural:
- investing beyond one home market
- thinking in more than one currency
- balancing opportunity with resilience
So which is “better”?
That’s the wrong question. The real question is:
Do you want your wealth looked after through one lens, or two?
US wealth management gives proximity, familiarity, and a deep understanding of the American tax and legal system. Swiss wealth management adds stability, diversification, and a tradition of long-term stewardship, plus a different way of looking at the same portfolio.
For some families, the sweet spot is not choosing between them at all, but letting both perspectives sit at the same table.