FinGuide Identifies the Best Banks and Wealth Managers for You
There are about 200 banks and 1,300 independent wealth managers in Switzerland. Only the best among them make it to the FinGuide platform. They undergo a multi-step selection process: We analyze the returns achieved in various risk categories over several years, the costs, and the fairness of their business practices. Providers who increase their margins by actively selling their own products are excluded. Clients of FinGuide can therefore be assured that their future advisor has no conflicts of interest and will advise them solely in their best interest.
Which of these providers best suits your needs?
Banks
Baumann & Cie
Baumann & Cie is a private bank founded in 1920, with its headquarters in Basel and locations in Zurich and Olten. As a partnership with unlimited liability partners, it is characterized by personal responsibility and entrepreneurial action in the interest of its clients. The firm combines tailored wealth management with comprehensive retirement, tax, and succession planning for individuals, foundations, and institutional clients.
GlobalanceBank
Globalance Bank is an owner-managed young private bank focused on the impact of their customers’ investments. The founders of the bank have established an excellent reputation as pioneers of sustainable investing in the Swiss financial market. The consistently high quality of client advisory services has been awarded multiple times, most recently in 2026 as the best private bank in the Private Banking rating by BILANZ magazine.
Helvetische Bank
Helvetische Bank was founded in 2011. Its business is focused on Swiss clients, primarily entrepreneurs. The investment strategy also concentrates on Swiss assets. Consulting and asset management are conducted completely independently without proprietary products. The majority of the share capital, half of which is in gold, is held by its founders, the board of directors, and employees.
Maerki Baumann & Co. AG
Maerki Baumann & Co. AG is a private bank founded in 1932 that remains family-owned and is not publicly listed. Great importance is placed on independence, security, and transparency. With its modular investment solution and innovative crypto offerings, the private bank emphasizes its commitment to blending established practices with new concepts. BILANZ has named Maerki Baumann the best private bank in Switzerland multiple times.
Reichmuth & Co.
Reichmuth & Co. is a young, independent family business with traditional values and locations in Lucerne, Zurich, and St. Gallen. At Reichmuth & Co., the partners are still fully liable with their personal assets. The bank places great importance on comprehensive client advisory: even assets not held at Reichmuth & Co. are taken into account in the individual consultation.
Independent Wealth Managers
Everon AG
Everon AG is a young Swiss fintech based in Zurich with the goal of making high-quality wealth management easily accessible through digital means. Unlike robo-advisors, assets at Everon are actively managed by experts. In addition to the app, Everon clients have access to a personal advisor. In various firstfive/BILANZ rankings, Everon has excelled with outstanding returns.
FERI (Switzerland) AG
FERI (Switzerland) AG combines local expertise in Swiss stocks and bonds with leading international capital market research. As a subsidiary of the German FERI Group, FERI (Switzerland) AG leverages their research findings on global financial markets and sustainable investments. The acquisition of Limmat Wealth has enhanced the competence in the hedge fund sector.
Forma Futura
Forma Futura was founded in 2006, and the founding partners are still actively involved in the company. The company values are just as important as returns. Forma Futura aims to sustainably enhance the quality of life with clients’ investments, meaning also for future generations. Previous achievements prove that sustainability and good returns can coexist.
Format Vermögen & Anlagen AG
Founded in 2012, the wealth management company Trail Consulting was renamed Format Vermögen & Anlagen AG in 2020. Format is present in Widnau (SG), Zurich, Basel, and Lucerne. The owner-managed firm specializes in investments in Swiss stocks and international bonds. The strategies of the CEO and head of investments have received several awards for their outstanding returns and Sharpe ratios.
Lakefield Partners
Lakefield Partners is an independent wealth manager based in Zurich. The owner-managed company actively manages assets and seizes opportunities consistently. Investment decisions are made exclusively based on models. The excellent performance—especially regarding the risks taken—has been confirmed multiple times in the independent rankings of firstfive and BILANZ.
OLZ AG
OLZ AG is an independent asset manager with locations in Bern and Zurich. OLZ translates scientific findings into investment strategies. The focus is on systematic and risk-based portfolio optimization, incorporating sustainability. Investment decisions are based on data and rules, not market evaluations. Implementation is cost-effective through OLZ investment funds.
Portas Capital
Portas Capital in Dietikon and Zurich was founded in 2008. The owner-managed company serves pension funds, affluent families, and private clients. Prominent experts offer their expertise to achieve top results for clients. In the asset manager ranking by firstfive and BILANZ, Portas Capital achieved various top positions, primarily due to rigorous risk management.
Premium Strategy Partners
Premium Strategy Partners is an independent asset manager founded in 2003 in Zurich. Short decision-making processes enable very agile asset management. The use of options continuously optimizes the risk-return ratio. A specialty of this boutique provider is its outstanding expertise in the field of commodities and precious metals.
Zugerberg Finanz AG
Zugerberg Finanz AG is a privately owned wealth manager based in Zug, equipped with substantial resources for analysis and research. The owners’ capital is invested in the same manner as client funds. The investment committee is skilled and well-respected. Zugerberg Finanz has its performance externally reviewed and has achieved top rankings from firstfive and BILANZ.
Performance Measurement
firstfive AG
firstfive AG is a German company that reviews and evaluates the services of asset management providers in several countries. Banks and independent wealth managers have the opportunity to compare their returns and associated risks with those of other providers. Through external verification of risks and returns, the credibility of the metrics presented to potential clients is increased.
Once a year, the results of participating asset managers are exclusively published in the magazine “BILANZ.” In the summer of 2018, FinGuide and firstfive launched a partnership for the Swiss market. FinGuide is available as a contact point for interested Swiss banks and independent wealth managers on site. Providers with excellent performance also have the option to become partners of FinGuide, thereby attracting new clients whose needs align perfectly with their offerings.
Quarterly, the achieved returns and return-risk ratios (Sharpe Ratios) of the top five participating providers over 12, 24, 36, and 60 months are presented here.
FAQ
Questions About FinGuide
How does FinGuide ensure the quality and fairness of the providers?
Our review covers the entire range of services provided by private banks and independent wealth managers in detail. The two most important criteria are performance strength and fairness towards clients.
Performance strength means consistently beating the benchmark defined by FinGuide over several years and across various risk classes.
Fairness means that there are no conflicts of interest between providers and clients. For instance, FinGuide excludes all providers whose advisors have sales targets on investment products. Such advisors prioritize their bonuses over the well-being of their clients. We consider that to be wrong.
Why is Bank x or Wealth Manager y not partner of FinGuide?
There are fundamentally four reasons why a provider may not be on our platform:
- Failed Assessment: We evaluated the provider, but they did not pass the assessment.
- Still Under Review: We have assessed the provider but have not yet made a final decision. The provider is under observation.
- Not Yet Assessed: We have not assessed the provider. There are about 200 banks and well over a thousand independent wealth managers in Switzerland. It’s impossible to know them all, even for us as professionals. Many independent wealth managers are very small businesses.
- No Partnership: The provider is not willing to compensate FinGuide for bringing in new clients.
If you are looking for a specific financial partner, you can find all currently represented providers at the top of this page.
If you work at a bank or as an wealth manager and want to gain new customers through FinGuide, learn more about the benefits of collaboration here and contact us directly.
What data does FinGuide collect from banks and wealth managers?
Our database includes detailed costs and returns achieved across different risk classes over several years. Additionally, we capture around 150 other data fields about the offerings, allowing us to assess whether providers have a relevant and attractive offer for customers.
Our proprietary database is based on hard facts rather than marketing brochures. We continually collect and update our provicer data, divided into three core areas:
- Actual Net Returns: We document the real live returns actually achieved for private clients over several years, accurately divided by different risk classes (from conservative to equity-focused).
- Comprehensive Total Costs: We capture not only the official management fee but also analyze in detail the associated custody fees, transaction costs (commissions), as well as product and currency exchange costs.
- Specific Performance Profiles: In the approximately 150 data fields, we capture exact criteria of the offerings – including the investment philosophies used (e.g., active vs. passive approach), minimum investment amounts for special mandates, sustainability certifications (ESG), and the precise staffing and expertise of the advisory teams on-site.
This depth of verified data allows our algorithm to align the offerings of the best private banks and independent wealth managers precisely with your personal goals.
How do FinGuide and firstfive work together?
German company firstfive specializes in performance controlling for banks and independent wealth managers. FinGuide represents firstfive in Switzerland and is therefore the contact point for all those who wish to participate in the portfolio performance comparisons of firstfive. FinGuide benefits from this collaboration as we do not have to verify returns that are checked by firstfive ourselves.
On behalf of firstfive, FinGuide collaborates with Swiss magazine BILANZ to annually award the best wealth management in Switzerland. Also on behalf of firstfive, FinGuide collaborates with BILANZ to market the seals with which excellent banks and independent asset managers can promote themselves.
What happens if none of the suggested providers appeal to me?
If none of the suggested wealth managers or private banks convince the clients, the selection process will end without results. FinGuide is interested in collaborating with the best providers to avoid this. The selection process is free for clients in any case, regardless of whether an asset manager is chosen or not.
What is the difference between a bank and an independent wealth manager?
The result is the same for both: They manage your assets and assist you with all questions related to capital investment. Private banks specialize in asset management; they could also be referred to as wealth managers with a banking license. The banking license means that banks are allowed to accept customer funds and maintain accounts and deposits for them. Consequently, banks can offer “all-inclusive” services in wealth management.
Independent wealth managers require a so-called custodian bank for the management of portfolios and the execution of purchases and sales of securities. After the account is opened, customers have no further contact with the custodian bank; the independent wealth manager is their main point of contact. They make decisions regarding transactions within an asset management mandate. Customers pay two fees: one for wealth management and another for the custodial management and execution to the custodian bank.
How does FinGuide decide between a private bank and an independent wealth manager?
FinGuide recommends that customers approach the selection process openly, incorporating both banks and independent wealth managers as a rule. However, some customers prefer to bundle asset management and transaction services with a single contact, leading them to favor banks. On the other hand, many customers perceive banks primarily as product sellers and therefore prefer independent asset managers.
The perception that banks—unlike independent asset managers—are merely product sellers is not entirely accurate. While many banks do set sales targets for their own products for their advisors, not all do. At FinGuide, we work exclusively with banks where advisors do not have sales targets for specific products. Conversely, there are also various independent wealth managers who work with their own products and actively market them.