Financial advisors are regulated primarily under the Financial Services Act (FinSA) and the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) and categorized as independent portfolio managers. Supervision is carried out by FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority).

There are three main sources of financial advice in Switzerland: banks, financial advisors (also known as independent portfolio managers) and insurance agents. Regulatory oversight may differ for each category. All Swiss banks will be fully licensed in Switzerland, as will most financial advisor firms

Fully licensed Swiss advisors regulated by FINMA have the full protection of Swiss prudential legislation and supervision. Registered advisors refers to the individual person giving the advice, and whilst that person may be listed in a client advisor register, they are not supervised on a recurring basis by FINMA. Equally, the firm behind the adviser may not be regulated in Switzerland or may carry only limited capital or insurance.

Blackden Financial is licensed by FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) as an independent portfolio manager under the Financial Institution Act (FinIA). The Manager is subject to the supervision of the following supervisory body – OSIF.

We believe that the gold standard, if you are looking for financial advice in Switzerland, should be a fully licensed advisor regulated under FINMA supervision, providing the full protection of Swiss regulatory oversight.

You can check the regulatory status of the advisor using FINMA’s public company register or via officially recognised adviser‑registration bodies. If the name of the advisory firm is not listed, then it is not FINMA approved or regulated.

The short answer is yes. An advisor tied to the products of one provider, such as a bank or insurance company, can only recommend products from that company, whereas an independent advisor is free to choose from the whole market.

It can be compared to going into a shop that only sells one brand. You may find what you are looking for, but consulting an independent advisor is like going into a store that sells everything, so you are more likely to find a solution which is right for you.

In certain countries, for example the UK, Australia or Holland there has been a distinction between tied and independent advice for many years, and these countries are often seen as having a particularly advanced financial services sector.

Yes – Blackden has no legal ties to any bank, insurance company, custodian or fund manager, and so we are able to independently offer products and services from a wide range of financial institutions.

There is no fee for the initial consultation. Blackden Financial is a fee-based organisation, and once we have determined which service is most appropriate for you, we will discuss our transparent fee structure.

Assets are typically held at a custodian bank or platform, and are usually ring fenced once invested, held in segregated accounts for protection.

As financial advisors we provide advice and / or management of your assets, but we do not hold client assets directly. The jurisdictions we select for the custodians – e.g. Switzerland, Jersey, UK, Luxembourg etc offer the highest level of financial security.

There are several reasons. Most bank advisors can only recommend their own financial products, funds etc, so the advice may be biased, and the products may be more expensive. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for banks to work on a commission basis, or brokerage, which means they get paid when a change occurs. An independent, fee – based advisor acts as your agent, and has every interest in ensuring that all unnecessary costs are reduced to a minimum.