Jamie Vrijhof-Droese, Managing Partner WHVP Ltd, was a speaker at Bosco Online Workshop “Key strategies of Investments and Wealth Management” on January 14, 2021.

First of all, we wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year and would like to take the opportunity to express our gratitude for having such a loyal readership! If you feel that your family and friends could profit from our Swiss perspective as well, please feel free to share our newsletter. Also, if you feel that there are certain areas we should work on to provide even more value to you, please let us know!

As the coronavirus cases rise again in most countries, it has a stronger impact on our everyday life again. However, in comparison to the first wave, there is more hope that in the next months the virus will be under control. The news of promising intermediate results of a vaccine published last Monday was a huge relief. In addition, the chances for more positive news regarding vaccination tests are high. However, despite all the optimism there are challenges ahead of us that relativize the euphoria.

In this episode, David Warren – Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Bridgeford Trust Company and President/CEO of Bridgeford – sits down with guest, Jamie Vrijhof-Droese – Managing Partner at WHVP – for a discussion on WHVP’s origins, focus, and services as well as their work with U.S. citizens. David and Jamie go on to discuss the COVID crisis and its impact on their investment approach.

Can offshore investing protect your assets from stock market ups and downs? Jamie Vrijhof-Droese of WHVP explains benefits of offshore investing, what is involved, and how to get started.

Bosco Online Workshop “Tax and Wealth planning in volatile times”, Jamie Vrijhof-Droese Managing Partner WHVP Ltd., delivered a presentation on “Swiss Wealth Management for US Clients”.

While hope emerged during the last couple of months that things are getting better and life returns to normalcy, the current situation shows us that this is most likely not going to happen any time soon. It is very difficult to find good news these days and to anticipate these expectations about the future.

Featuring: David S. Lesperance, Founder, Lesperance Associates, Urs Vrijhof-Droese, Managing Partner, WHVP (in Switzerland) & Allan Maksymec, Partner, Strategic Swiss Advisors.

We continue to see a lot of uncertainty around the world. Last Tuesday Russia announced that they have a vaccination to treat coronavirus. However, many countries scrutinize the effectiveness and safety of the vaccination. The main criticism is the fact that the testing period started less than two months ago. We expect that it will take at least until the beginning of next year until a reliable vaccine is available for worldwide distribution. Consequently, international travel restrictions will continue to be in place for a while. Furthermore, we expect that during the months ahead, the volatility of the stock markets will stay high. Depending on the outcome of the Presidential election, this volatility could stay for quite some time into 2021.

If you have researched registered investment advisors, you have probably read the term “ADV Brochure”. You have come to the right place if you have wondered what exactly this refers to! This is a document registered investment advisors (RIA) have to submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The ADV brochure provides an overview of the company. RIAs have to update and file it annually. Lastly, the RIA needs to make it publicly available if it manages more than USD 25m.

Some thoughts and considerations when trying to decide which partner is the best fit to help you achieve your financial goals.

After accumulating a certain amount of wealth, you will have to think about where and how to invest it. There is an abundance of options out there. However, if you decide to work together with a professional partner and not do it all by yourself, you have two main choices. Going directly to a bank and getting advice from their relationship managers or selecting an external asset manager (EAM). Depending on your needs there are advantages and disadvantages to both options. But today I would like to focus on the advantages of an external asset manager.

COVID-19 was a shock and brought the world to a halt. Newspapers are still focused on the 8.1 million people infected by the virus. However, there are also about 4.5 million people that have recovered. Thinking about the remaining 3.1 million who still are infected, data shows that the symptoms are mild in over 90% of the cases.

Traditional IRAs allow you to save pre-tax money for retirement. If you are eligible to deduct contributions on your income taxes now and you anticipate a lower tax rate in retirement, then this is a good plan to consider. There are several types of IRAs but we, at WHVP, manage “Traditional IRAs” and “Roth IRAs”, administrated by a US trust Company.

European countries are taking steps to reopen the economy and social life. However, at the same time there are still new cases reported in China. CNN’s “Fear & Greed Index” clearly reflects the concerns of a second wave. The historic data from the Spanish flu is enhancing concerns and skeptical thinking. Back then, the second wave was much worse than the first. A second lockdown does not seem to be the solution, since people are already complaining in different regions of the world with some even organizing protest demonstrations. As of now, it is not clear as and when we will go back to a new normalcy.

The Swiss financial market supervisory authority released a statement last month confirming the stability of Swiss banks. In the statement FINMA notes that "the operations of financial institutions and the financial market infrastructure in Switzerland are continuing to function well. The institutions are also well equipped to deal with extreme stress scenarios."

If we have learned one thing from COVID-19, it is that life is unpredictable. A crisis can hit at any time and without notice. One thing you can do to protect yourself is to bring part of your wealth offshore. There are several suitable countries, but we firmly believe that Switzerland should be your number one choice. Let me share a little bit about Switzerland and why it is such a great country for wealth protection.

First and foremost we hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. We currently find ourselves in unprecedented and historic times. In addition to being stressed by the plummet of the stock market, we are all going through personal struggles and the fear of the unknown related to COVID-19. We are worried about the health of our family and friends and have to adapt to working from home while often simultaneously home school our kids. Every aspect of our lives has been turned upside down. We are feeling with you and wish you good health and optimism during these uncertain times!

The current focus is the coronavirus. This virus makes people think back to 2003 when SARS struck China and had a notable impact on the world’s economy. Making things worse since then, China is more inter-twined in the current global value chain and has grown from the world’s sixth-largest economy to the second biggest today.

Switzerland has long been the world’s top offshore financial center. And for good reason. Its sophistication and professionalism are legendary. Plus, it has a distinct history, tradition, and culture that sincerely values privacy, neutrality, and independence.