The Jackson Hole Symposium has drawn a lot of attention because of Jerome Powell's speech in which he re-stated that the Fed will continue to lift interest rates in their fight against inflation. However, some of you may not have seen the inputs of the event given by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Thomas J. Jordan. Therefore, it is the intention of this blog to provide you with the highlights of the contribution he made to the event.

We strive to have a company culture that is client focused. One that allows our expertise to be utilized on the client's behalf. Culture is not something we take lightly, as we know that the only way our clients will be truly happy working with us is if every team member is passionate about what they do, eager to help, and willing to go the extra mile. This blog post will give a bit of a background on our company culture, how we achieve it, and how we have fun together.

This article explains basic information about cryptocurrencies, including what they are and how to use them. It is a look at the basics and can act as a diving-in point to learn more. The world is changing fast, and understanding the things that are emerging is key to being able to adapt to the changing world.

It is done… after a challenging first half of the year, the U.S. economy added an overwhelming 528,000 jobs in July and brought the unemployment rate down to 3.5%. Additionally, the consumer price index rose by “only” 8.5% instead of the expected 8.9%. Having this news in mind, one could think that the technical recession (two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth) in the U.S. is already resolved. However, on the other side, we are hearing that big companies like Amazon, Shopify, or Microsoft started sending blue letters to their employees and will probably continue to do so. These days, there is many different, mutually contradictory news out there. This can be frustrating when trying to make sense of the current global situation.

In this podcast episode, Jamie Vrijhof-Droese, Urs Vrijhof-Droese, and Jess Roberson sit down to discuss the differences between the U.S. and Switzerland when it comes to inflation, interest rates, and recession definitions. The team will start the podcast by discussing the recent celebration of Swiss National Day, the equivalent of Independence Day in the U.S. We hope you enjoy it.

For the July issue of the Simon Letter, our Managing Partner Jamie Vrijhof-Droese wrote a piece on Switzerland as a safe haven country during times of crisis. The piece covers what sets Switzerland apart and makes it such a popular country for banking.

When investing, many things are not easy, especially when it comes to creating a portfolio ready to deal with market downturns, political instability, domestic unease, and economic turmoil. At the same time, it can also be challenging to trust a financial professional with your wealth, especially if they are located in a foreign country. This inspired us to create an authentic company video that gives you an idea of who we are and what our company culture is while at the same time showing you how we can help you achieve your financial goals.

Swiss National Day is upon us! So what is the history of Swiss independence and direct democracy? The Swiss gather together on the 1st of August to have grill parties, watch fireworks, and sit around bonfires. But the Swiss are also reflecting and celebrating a unique history that has led the country from poverty to where it is today as a wealthy and prosperous nation.

What is Switzerland like as a financial jurisdiction? Not to worry, we have summed it up in this blog. Numerous factors contribute to Switzerland being an economic powerhouse in the global economy. The country is one that can house not only a thriving economy but balance it with political neutrality and hold the highest standards of financial professionalism all at the same time.

By the end of this blog, you will know in greater detail the challenges and benefits of establishing a Swiss bank account with an asset manager. Transparency is key when establishing a business relationship, because of this, it is our intention to paint a realistic picture for North Americans of the setup, process, and present and future benefits there are of having an offshore bank account with a Swiss asset manager.

The world of Swiss asset management can seem like a foreign topic. Using Swiss financial services can even carry a negative stigma despite being legal and transparent. So we thought it was high time to sit down with the head of our Legal and Compliance, Daniel Koller, to share his legal perspective on Swiss registered investment advisors. Daniel has been with WHVP for 7 years but has a long working history of serving American clients with Swiss-based financial solutions. Our executive assistant, Jess Roberson, sat down with Daniel to talk about Swiss asset management for Americans from a legal perspective.

For the June issue of the Simon Letter, our Managing Partner Jamie Vrijhof-Droese wrote a piece on how to choose an external asset manager. The piece covers what to consider when choosing a financial partner as well as specific questions to ask in the due diligence process.

Managing the markets has not been easy in the last two and a half years. Who would have thought that after a global lockdown markets would immediately start a new rally bringing them to all time highs? It was clear to us that this rally could not be sustainable. When the markets started to tumble this year, many financial advisors started shouting that now is the time to “buy the dip”. If you had followed their strategy, it would not have ended well so far.

In this episode of the WHVP podcast, the WHVP team sits down to discuss On this episode of the podcast, the WHVP team sits down to discuss the Federal Reserve and the Swiss National Bank. The podcast will cover a brief history of the Federal Reserve and the Swiss National Bank, the roles they play today, and a discussion on the most recent Consumer Price Index data. We hope you enjoy it.

Brush up on your investment terms and what this means for our economy, your investments and the possibility of a recession. A bear market refers to a period of time in which stock prices decline and the overall market outlook is pessimistic. Beyond the daily fluctuations of the market, a bear market is typically marked by a 20 percent or more fall in the market index over at least a two-month period. Bear markets throughout history have varied greatly in severity and length of time. For example, two of the longest bear markets experienced in America include the Stock Market Crash of 1929, which lasted 34 months, and the more recent 2007 financial crisis, in which the bear market lasted over 27 months.

On this episode of the WHVP podcast, the WHVP team sits down to discuss everything we love about working with Americans. The podcast will cover a variety of subjects about what we appreciate about American Culture and the people who make up the country. We will also discuss the news of the Swiss Parliament rejecting the motion to revise the Swiss Bank Secrecy Act.

When selecting a financial advisor there are many options an individual can choose from, whether they be an asset management branch of a bank, a private investor, a family office, or an independent investment advisor both domestic or offshore. Since we are based offshore we have already written extensively on why one might choose an offshore jurisdiction for financial services (Switzerland: Safe Haven during Crisis) and also how to choose a financial advisor (How to choose an External Asset Manager for U.S. Citizens). Both of those topics are important and worth spending some time thinking about. However, today we want to delve into what the benefits are of working with an independent registered investment advisor versus being served by the asset management branch of a larger bank.

This year, making the right investment decisions has been quite challenging. Markets are down double digits year-to-date. The game was therefore not about gaining the most but about losing less than everybody else. Investors are unsure about how to position their portfolios. While some say that this is the beginning of a bear market, others state that the current weakness in the markets is a buying opportunity. We believe that the current downward movement will not be reversed until there is a mutual effort to change something about the current situation. Accordingly, from our perspective counter-movements represent opportunities to get out at a better price instead of giving confidence that the markets go up further. However, there are always exceptions where it makes sense to stay invested or even take in new investments.

This article will help your clients and prospects understand the basics of asset allocation, and how their portfolio balances risk and potential returns. Each asset class has its own set of risks and rewards, depending on your time horizon, risk tolerance, and financial goals. The asset allocation strategy you select will allow you and your financial advisor to create a framework that will be able to manage the level of risk your portfolio will hold based on the asset class. You and your financial advisor may make adjustments to your portfolio over the years as your needs change, however, having a selected strategy will help to keep the portfolio balanced and not stray from a healthy level of risk.

Managing portfolio risk can be difficult for even the savviest of investors. Investors need to remember that markets can be turbulent and that preparing for potential declines is essential. There can be a strong temptation to pull out of markets when they become volatile. However, instead of acting on this temptation, it may be smarter to adjust your investment approach. By remaining flexible, you might be able to take advantage of opportunities while managing risks. These risk management basics can help.