In this podcast episode, the WHVP team sits down with Dr. Beat Habegger of Habegger Strategy to discuss geopolitical risks in the current climate. In addition, Dr. Habegger will answer questions pertaining to investors regarding geopolitical risks and how he sees the trends of the world moving. We hope you enjoy it!
This presentation from Jamie and Urs Vrijhof-Droese was given to an audience at Freedom Fest in Memphis. It covers how Americans can utilize the Swiss banking system, financial services, and registered investment advisors to bring stability to their existing or new investment portfolios. This dynamic presentation will allow the view to learn about the Swiss economic environment, what working with a Swiss asset manager is like, and the historical performance of the CHF to USD valuation. Urs Finished the presentation off with his take on what the markets will look like in the second half of 2023 and the long-term opportunities it can present.
Systemic risk can affect all investors, but understanding systemic risk can help investors learn how to better evaluate what environments are suitable to hold investments in and how to reduce it from affecting their portfolios as much as possible. In this blog, we will discuss what systemic risk is and what it looks like when it happens. We will also talk about what investors can do to reduce the systemic risk of the U.S. economy to their portfolios.
In this interview, WHVP's Summer Intern Nicolò Morra will share what he hopes to learn from the time he will be spending with us. Reading this interview will give you an inside look into the mind of the upcoming generation of Swiss financial service professionals.
While this year indices look great, the economies do not. Investors are falling back into old habits, becoming too enthusiastic about positive signs such as decreasing inflation and ignoring threats such as the looming recession. As many experts, central bankers, and not at least the Bank of International Settlements are stressing, the last bit of the fight against inflation is the most challenging part. Therefore, everyone who thinks that inflation will continue to fall at the same pace as it did since the end of last year is either not showing a great understanding of how economies and monetary policy work or is just naïve. As shown in our previous publication, core inflation is moving very little at a very high level.
On this podcast episode, the WHVP team sits down with Blake Harris of Blake Harris Law to discuss Cook Islands Trusts, asset protection, and privacy for Americans. In addition, the podcast will quickly cover the tax reference up for a national vote in Switzerland on how the country will allocate the extra revenue the country will receive from taxing corporations with the newish OECD global corporate minimum tax. We hope you enjoy it!
Asset protection is crucial for individuals to be able to protect their hard-earned wealth, and the use of a Swiss bank account might just be the right option to consider. Switzerland's long history of secure and confidential financial services, strict privacy laws, political stability, and strong banking sector make it an appealing choice for asset protection. You can learn more about the various advantages of Swiss banking, such as privacy and confidentiality, political stability, a strong banking sector, and diversification opportunities when reading this blog.
Inflation is increasing prices and a fall in the purchasing value of money. Banks and governments make inflation sound complicated as it serves their interest. It’s a hidden tax. Government-created inflation weakens the value of the currency, our money buys less. As evidenced by the recent debt ceiling farce, politicians have no interest in fiscal sanity or balancing the budget. While many predict the demise of the dollar, and much of the world is assisting in the erosion of the USD as the world currency, there are other factors. Urs Vrijhof-Droese is the Managing Partner of WHVP, international asset managers. Urs, an expert in international banking is based in Zurich. I’m a WHVP client. His recent article, The Swiss View – Cash is King got my attention.
In an ever-evolving global economy, defined by an ever-increasing debt ceiling, skyrocketing inflation, geopolitical tensions, and deep-seated political division, the quest for financial security has taken on a new level of urgency. As the foundations of the U.S. financial system quivers under the weight of uncertainty, astute investors are turning their attention to offshore banking for a shield against potential storms.
In this interview, WHVP team member Jess Roberson will share what it has been like working in Switzerland as an American with WHVP. Those reading this interview will get an inside look into how an American sees Swiss working life with WHVP and the benefits of the Swiss-American connection from a professional and personal standpoint.
On this podcast episode, the WHVP team sits down to talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the initiative being presented to the Swiss government to ensure that cash stays a part of the Swiss economy forever. In addition, the team will briefly discuss the current debt limit standoff taking place in the U.S. government. We hope you enjoy it!
The due diligence required to find the right registered investment advisor (RIA) to partner with can be daunting. People often think seeking the best possible return is the only thing they must consider. While understanding how an RIA handles its investments is important, it is only a piece of what needs to be researched on a company. You must understand and know the RIA fully and that a relationship of mutual trust can be built over time. For this reason, we have put together this guide for investors to use in vetting potential RIAs as their partners for the future of their wealth.
Expecting a slowdown in economic growth will most likely lead to a reduction in corporate gains. So far, companies were able to pass on price increases in raw materials to their clients. Additionally, managers try to keep their profit margins by letting off employees and transform their production to more efficiency. Not everyone will be successful in this environment and will be able to keep the profit margin on a high level. However, there will be firms that find ways to become more price efficient or increase their product or service’s quality to a level which increases the consumers willingness to pay higher prices. Long story short, “Cash is King!”. Accordingly, it is crucial to look out for companies that generate a cash flow that enables them to run their business, invest for the future, and if the time is ripe to acquire one or the other company to either grow their market share or use synergies.
As the banking crisis in the U.S. rages on, our managing partner Jamie Vrijhof-Droese was asked to write an explanation of what is happening with the Swiss banking system for the Global Intelligence Letter. The article covers Switzerland's long banking tradition and major structural advantages, including its well-managed public finances, strong and stable currency, and very low debt levels. It discusses the fall of Credit Suisse and how WHVP approaches selecting the custodian banks we partner with. The article will help the reader understand why the Swiss banking system is still one of the world's largest and most popular wealth management sectors.
Ted Baumann, International Living’s Global Diversification Expert, and Jamie Vrijhof-Droese discuss the recent situation with the Credit Suisse bank, the effectiveness of the Swiss Financial sector management and regulatory structures, and if customers of the Swiss banking system can still have trust in the sector. If you’re interested in a safe nest egg outside the U.S. or even just exploring your options, you’ll want to hear what Jamie and Ted have to say.
We are proud to announce that Urs Vrijhof-Droese, one of our esteemed Managing Partners, has been elected to the board of the Swiss Registered Investment Advisor Association (SRIAA). This appointment reflects Urs' expertise and commitment to the investment management industry and underscores WHVP's dedication to professional excellence and leadership in serving US clients out of Switzerland.
On this podcast episode, the WHVP team sits down with Jacqueline Ruedin Rüsch of Privilege Ventures to discuss Switzerland's venture capital investment industry. In addition, the podcast will cover how private equity and venture capital investing differ, the start-up scene in Switzerland vs. the U.S., and the Swiss culture of innovation. We hope you enjoy it!
The dominance of the USD in the global economy gives the USA a huge amount of power should another country go against the will of the U.S. or attack an ally of the country. Because of this, whether good or bad, it has caused some countries to view the dominance of the U.S. dollar as a threat to their sovereignty and independence. In this blog, we will look at some of the international movements away from the USD and how they may affect the dollar's value in the long term. Finally, it will conclude with what Americans can do to begin protecting their wealth's value in the face of a depreciating dollar.
Managing Partner Urs Vrijhof-Droese was recently featured in the Miller on the Money article to discuss how the Swiss banking system is set up and how it runs. Shortly after the Fed bailed out the Silicon Valley bank depositors, Reuters reported that Credit Suisse failed: “ZURICH, March 20 (Reuters) – Credit Suisse and UBS could benefit from more than 260 billion Swiss francs ($280 billion) in state and central bank support, a third of the country’s gross domestic product, as part of their merger to buffer Switzerland against global financial turmoil. …. The deal,…involves…a pledge from the Swiss government to absorb up to 9 billion francs in potential losses from the takeover.”
Many people are worried that we are back at the Great Financial Crisis. While we are convinced that history does not repeat itself, it often rhymes. The risks that result out of central banks rising interest rates in light-speed are not new. We believe that the decision of the central banks to raise interest rates has been the right one but that they clearly underestimated the inflation and thus started too late. However, not only was it a misjudgment of inflation rates, it was also a misjudgment that the Modern Monetary Theory could work. That is something we and many others have warned from repeatedly. After more than a decade of ultra-low interest rates, many market participants have forgotten how to behave in an environment of rising interest rates.