Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zurich, it has offices in every major financial center in the world and is one of nine global Bulge Bracket banks providing investment banking, private banking, asset management, and general services. It is known for strict confidentiality between the bank and the client and banking secrecy. The Financial Stability Board considers it a systemically important bank.
Nothing written here should be considered as financial advice, nor a solicitation to invest.
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In general, the banks are expensive and inflexible for most people, compared to the alternatives
Credit Suisse was founded in 1856 to finance the development of the Swiss railway system. He issued loans that helped create the Swiss electrical grid and the European rail system. In the 1900s, he began to move into retail banking in response to the rise of the middle class and competition from fellow Swiss banks UBS and Julius Bär. Credit Suisse partnered with First Boston in 1978.
After a major failed loan sent First Boston into a financial crisis, Credit Suisse bought a majority stake in the bank in 1988. From 1990 to 2000, the company made a number of acquisitions, dramatically increasing its market share. through the acquisition of Winterthur Group, Swiss Volksbank, Swiss American Securities Inc. (SASI), and Bank Leu, among others. The largest institutional shareholders of Credit Suisse are the Qatar Investment Authority, American mutual fund providers Harris Associates and Dodge & Cox, the Norwegian central bank, and the Saudi Olayan Group.
The company restructured in 2002, 2004, and 2006. It was one of the least affected banks during the global financial crisis but subsequently began to scale down its investment business, laying off employees and cutting costs. The bank has been at the center of numerous international tax evasion investigations, culminating in a guilty plea and forfeiture of US$2.6 billion in fines from 2008 to 2012.
In 2017, Credit Suisse had CHF 1.376 trillion (~$1.499 trillion) in assets under management, up 9.9% from 2016. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, assets under management of Credit Suisse rose to 1.6 trillion Swiss francs, compared to 1.5 trillion Swiss francs at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020. CHF 1.6 trillion at the end of Q1 2021 compared to CHF 1.5 trillion at the end of Q4 2020.”
Credit Suisse financial products
Credit Suisse supports a strategy called bancassurance and is trying to be a single company offering all common financial services products. The investment bank is intended for companies and wealthy individuals with a net worth of more than 50,000 euros.
Credit Suisse has developed the CreditRisk+ credit risk model, which focuses solely on the probability of default based on the exogenous Poisson method.[90] As of 2002, about 20 percent of Credit Suisse’s revenue came from the insurance business generated by the acquisition of Winterthur in 1997.
The investment bank’s insurance products are mainly popular in the domestic market and include but are not limited to auto, fire, property, life, disability, pension, and retirement products. Historically, 20-40 percent of the bank’s revenues have come from private banking, one of its high-margin divisions.
Credit Suisse creates one of six hedge funds based on European stock indexes, which are used to gauge the performance of markets. The investment bank also owns a 30 percent stake in hedge fund investment firm York Capital Management. York independently sells hedge funds to its clients, while Credit Suisse also offers them to private banking clients. Credit Suisse manages the financial instruments of the Dow Jones Credit Suisse Long/Short Equity Index (originally called the Credit Suisse/Tremont Hedge Fund Indexes).
According to a 2011 article in SeekingAlpha, Credit Suisse investment managers favor financial, technology and energy stocks. The bank’s head of equity investment in Europe said the team is focusing on “value with a focus on free cash flow.” She is also interested in companies that are undergoing management changes that could affect the share price.
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the head of International Focus Fund Credit Suisse holds a portfolio of just 40-50 stocks instead of the industry norm of over 100. Credit Suisse publishes its investment advice in four publications: Compass, Viewpoints, Research, and a Credit Suisse investment committee report. Anyways, let’s get deeper and see what products and services this bank can offer its clients.
Wealth Management
The bank’s wealth planners can help turn your wealth into work through:
- Investment structures that provide tax-efficient investment now and for future generations
- Retirement planning to help you financially prepare for the next stage of life
- Succession planning, including trusts, which allow you to determine how and when assets will be distributed to your beneficiaries.
The team does not provide tax advice, but they will work with your tax and legal advisors to make sure your wealth planning takes everything into account.
The tax regime depends on individual circumstances. You should seek independent tax advice. With over 160 years of experience serving clients over the long term, the wealth planners will be by your side to help you achieve your goals.
Legacy planning
The bank’s special team can help you leave a lasting legacy. Over the years, they have built up a wealth of knowledge about how families can make the most of the unique strength of a family business. They know it’s not just about your wealth for generations to come, it’s also about your values. They can support you through the complexities of succession planning as well as your philanthropic interests to keep your legacy alive.
The specialists can also provide a robust succession plan for your company. If you do not know who can lead your company when you are no longer working the bank’s Wealth Planning team can help you meet this challenge by helping you protect your assets and the fruits of your labor.
The bank’s experienced team of philanthropic and sustainable investing experts can help you manage your wealth strategically for maximum social and environmental impact. They can provide you with customized philanthropic solutions as part of your wealth planning and family management strategy:
Strategic advice, including portfolio reviews, based on your personal values and goals.
Succession Planning: The New Generation.
Family wealth is a resource that requires active management and planning at every stage of life. For many families, the goal of strategic financial planning is not only to manage, increase and protect their wealth, but also to leave a financial legacy to the next generation based on a common understanding and a common set of values.
Key Succession Planning Statistics
The largest intergenerational transfer of wealth occurs among the richest families in the world. Between now and 2029, US$8.6 trillion of high-income global wealth will be passed down from one generation to the next and everyone is ready for a smooth transition: 70% of families report intergenerational succession failures, and 67% cite succession planning and inheritance as one of their biggest challenges. The specialists will share with you the secret to a lasting legacy through succession planning.
Common questions when choosing a succession planning strategy should include:
- How and when will I transfer my wealth?
- Am I comfortable relinquishing control of my assets?
- How do I organize the transfer of my wealth?
- What is the ideal age for my children or grandchildren to inherit family property?
- How can future generations protect these assets during crises or major life events?
Why early communication is key to a successful succession plan? Research shows that intergenerational family disagreements about finances often stem from poor communication at a young age: 72% of failed money transfers are due to communication breakdowns. Start conversations with the next generation as early as possible, keeping it casual and conversational. Once a basic level of financial literacy and understanding of the family situation is achieved, heirs can participate in more strategic discussions such as investment management and succession planning.
Succession planning challenges
Strategic wealth planning comes with challenges that all families should be aware of. Chief among these are legal and tax considerations, which vary by country and jurisdiction.
Different countries have different rules. Particular attention should be paid to understanding the rules that are specific to your personal situation – not only in your country, but also in the countries where your assets are located and those in which your beneficiaries live. For example, in some countries it is mandatory to have a valid will, a legal document that determines to whom your assets go after your death. Or, in some countries, taxes can significantly affect the value of assets as they are passed down from generation to generation. These types of consequences should be studied and reflected in your strategy.
Understanding the interests, perspectives, and motivations of the next generation can strengthen your wealth planning strategy. By incorporating the mindset and long-term goals of your successors into the plan, future generations may be more motivated to nurture and increase family wealth as assets are passed on.
Today’s wealthy youth is focused on investment decisions that support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) compliant investments, and climate and sustainability-focused initiatives such as low-carbon investment.
In recent trends, among women with ancestral wealth, charity is the most popular hobby, and a fifth of all wealthy people with inheritance are interested in both art and nature.
Investment Management
With Credit Suisse investment management team you can choose one of the following mandate options:
- Discretionary
You choose the right investment strategy and delegate the management and execution to the bank’s team of experienced portfolio managers.
- Advisory
You choose the level of investment advice you want from them. Whether you prefer prompt service and access to a personal investment advisor or proactive advice from your account manager, they can provide an advisory package tailored to your needs.
- Direct Access Client (DAC) Services
If you are a professional investor, such as a family office or an external asset manager, and are looking for direct access to financial market specialists, this is just the right place for you. You can count on the experts to provide you with timely market insights, opportunistic trading ideas and trade execution across multiple asset classes.
Complementing core, well-diversified portfolios with ancillary investments gives investors the opportunity to take advantage of short-term opportunities and attractive investment themes to achieve their investment goals.
The following strategies are expected to work well together or separately.
Protect
Adding portfolio hedges such as protected bonds and hedge funds can mitigate negative impacts.
Harvest
Given that investments with higher returns can provide attractive sources of income in the world with lower or longer interest rates.
Grow
Seizing growth opportunities with Supertrends and Private Equity can deliver higher returns in the long run.
Each of the clients is unique, that is why they offer a wide range of products and services that can be customized for you and your family. They have developed holistic offerings for every stage of life and through our structured consultation process they can determine which wellness planning solution is right for you.
The investment management team will be focused on your needs and goals. As a first step, your account manager will conduct a comprehensive analysis of your needs, expectations, goals, and constraints. They will then work with you and the experts to develop an investment solution tailored to your needs today and into the future. In the future, they will regularly monitor your portfolio.
Here is a more structured consultation process:
Needs Analysis: Your needs and goals are the focus of holistic advice provided by your account manager.
Financial concept: Your account manager uses the results of the needs analysis to develop your personal financial vision.
Client profile: Your personal risk profile enables us to make sound investment decisions.
Investment strategy: Your account manager will provide you with a comprehensive investment proposal based on your profile.
Performance: Your account manager will offer you professional support in the implementation of the chosen strategy and in the ongoing management of your assets.
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