Hint: it’s a lot more than picking investments.
“Financial planners just talk investments.”
This is one of the most common myths in financial planning. And I get why people think it. Most of the industry is built around selling products. Pick a fund. Buy a portfolio. Done. But that’s not financial planning. That’s asset management dressed up as advice. In reality, we probably spend 5 to 10% of our time talking about investments. It’s maybe one page of an eight to ten page plan. So if you’re looking for a financial planner for expats in Switzerland, here’s what that plan actually covers.
Cash Flow Planning
We go through what you earn, what you spend (yes, the actual spending data), what your surplus looks like and where it should go. For expats, this gets layered fast. Multiple currencies. Income split across countries. Bonus structures that don’t fit neatly into Swiss norms. We map it all out.
Cash Location and Currency Planning
Where should your money actually sit? Which banks? Which currencies? How much in CHF versus GBP, EUR or USD? How much to hold as a buffer versus deploy elsewhere? Do you need accounts in more than one country? We answer all of it and build a structure that works month to month.
Pension Planning for Expats in Switzerland
This is where it gets properly complex for expats. Swiss second pillar. Voluntary buy backs. Pillar 3a contributions and which provider to use. Vested benefits accounts if you’ve changed jobs or left Switzerland before. AVS gaps and whether to fill them. And when you’ve built up pensions across multiple countries over the course of a career, the complexity multiplies. Different rules, different tax treatments, different access ages, often in different currencies. Coordinating all of that into one coherent picture is essential. Most people are sitting on a patchwork and don’t realise how much they’re leaving on the table.
Retirement Lifestyle Planning
This one isn’t about accounts or numbers. It’s about what you actually want your life to look like. What do you prioritise? Travel? Time with family? Giving back? Sport and adventure? We help you design the lifestyle first, then work backwards to see what it costs and whether the numbers support it. And if early retirement is on the table, we stress test it properly so you know whether it’s genuinely affordable or just a nice idea.
Relocation and Repatriation Planning
Most expats don’t stay forever. So where do you want to go next? Back home? Somewhere new? The financial implications of leaving Switzerland are significant. Pension withdrawals, investment restructuring, tax residency transitions, health insurance, property decisions. A good financial planner for expats in Switzerland plans the move before you make it, so nothing gets left behind or triggered unnecessarily.
Navigating Life Changes
Life doesn’t follow a straight line. Going self employed. Being made redundant. Buying a property. Selling a business. Getting married or divorced. Each one of these reshapes your financial picture. We help you prepare for them, respond to them and come out the other side in the strongest position possible.
Investment Planning
Yes, we do cover this. Asset allocation across every account. Making sure the right assets sit in the right places for tax efficiency. Currency exposure and whether to hedge it. What to do with equity compensation if your employer offers it. But this is one piece. Not the whole puzzle.
Cross-Border Tax Planning
For expats in Switzerland this is a minefield. Source tax versus ordinary assessment. Cantonal differences that can swing your bill by thousands. Double taxation treaties and how to actually use them. Coordination between Swiss and home country obligations. Lump sum versus annuity decisions on pension withdrawals. We map the whole picture and plan around it.
Estate Planning Across Jurisdictions
Swiss forced heirship rules catch a lot of expats off guard. Especially when assets sit in multiple jurisdictions. We look at what needs to happen, how to structure things properly, beneficiary designations, wills, powers of attorney, and where cross border complexity means you need specialist legal input.
Insurance Review
Swiss health insurance alone is a maze. KVG provider, franchise level, supplementary cover. Then there’s life insurance, disability cover, personal liability, household contents. We review everything and connect you with brokers who can advise you appropriately.
Debt and Mortgage Planning
Mortgage strategy in Switzerland works differently. Interest only is the norm. Amortisation rules apply. Direct versus indirect amortisation through Pillar 3a changes the maths entirely. We work through what to prioritise, how to structure repayments and when refinancing makes sense.
Education Planning
International school fees in Switzerland are significant. We plan how much to set aside, where to save it, and how to fund it without derailing the rest of your financial goals. This becomes especially important when you’re not sure how long you’ll stay.
Employee Benefits, Stock Options and RSUs
A lot of expats are sitting on significant value in their company stock options, RSUs or share schemes and aren’t making the most of them. When to exercise. When to sell. How to manage concentration risk. How it all interacts with your tax position across borders. We work through the strategy so you’re not just letting things vest and hoping for the best. We also review your death in service benefits, group life cover and any other employer provisions to make sure your family is properly protected.
Investments are one part of a great financial plan. An important part, but still just one part.
We spend 5 to 10% of the time on investments and the rest on everything else that actually shapes your financial life as an expat in Switzerland.
That’s what working with a real financial planner for expats in Switzerland looks like.
Ready to see what a proper financial plan looks like? Get in touch and let’s talk.
