SBS Finance AG is a Swiss company which specializes in servicing the needs of high net worth individuals and families. The firm’s head office is in Zug, Switzerland.
SBS provides a comprehensive range of services to its international clientele in the finest Swiss traditions of neutrality, efficiency and discretion. The firm focuses on servicing the increasingly complex investment and financial planning needs of high net worth individuals and families in the areas of Private Wealth Management and Family Wealth Administration.
Through its affiliation to Fincontrol, a supervisory organization licensed by FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority), and its licensing as portfolio manager, SBS will manage professionally the assets of the principal according to the rules of conduct as stipulated by FINMA and by Federal Act on Financial Services (Financial Services Act, FinSA – www.sif.admin.ch/sif/en/home/finanzmarktpolitik/finanzmarktregulierung-und–aufsicht-/regulierungsprojekte/fidleg-finig.html). This Act seeks to protect the clients of financial service providers and to establish comparable conditions for the provision of financial services by financial service providers, and thus contributes to enhancing the reputation and competitiveness of Switzerland’s financial center. To this end, it establishes the requirements for honesty, diligence and transparency in the provision of financial services and governs the offering of financial instruments. FINMA monitors whether the following FinIA and CISA license holders meet the relevant legal, contractual, statutory and regulatory requirements. FINMA supervises portfolio managers and trustees in conjunction with supervisory organizations. Portfolio managers and trustees must be licensed by FINMA in order to carry out their activities on a commercial basis. Once they are licensed, they are subject to ongoing supervision by a supervisory organization.
Information about SBS Finance AG
The following information serves to fulfill the information obligations of financial service providers towards their customers according to Art. 8 f. of the Financial Services Act (“FIDLEG”). The information is neither for advertising purposes nor does it constitute an offer for financial services or financial instruments.
Authorization status
SBS Finance AG (the “Company”) is a financial services provider within the meaning of the FIDLEG with its registered office at Chamerstrasse 79, 6300 Zug.
The Company is mainly active in the field of professional asset management for individual clients.
[►Before FINMA authorization was granted: The company was affiliated with the self-regulatory organization Association for Quality Assurance of Financial Services within the meaning of the Money Laundering Act.
In accordance with the requirements of the Financial Institutions Act (“FINIG”), the Company applied for admission to the supervisory organization FINcontrol Suisse AG and for a license from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA as an asset manager pursuant to Art. 17 para. 1 FINIG.◄] and was admitted by FINcontrol and granted a license from FINMA.
[►After FINMA has granted the license: The company is supervised by FINcontrol Suisse AG as an asset manager pursuant to Art. 17 para. 1 FINIG.
The licensing authority is the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA.◄]
Client segmentation and classification
The Company treats its clients as private clients within the meaning of Art. 4 para. 2 FIDLEG. Thus, the clients enjoy the highest level of client protection under FIDLEG.
Based on the asset management agreement, clients are considered qualified investors under Art. 10 para. 3ter of the Collective Investment Schemes Act (“CISA”). Any client may notify the Company in writing or in another form verifiable by text that he does not wish to be considered a qualified investor. Qualified investor status allows the Company to invest on behalf of a client, within the agreed investment strategy, in collective investment schemes reserved for qualified investors. Such collective investment schemes are subject to simplified approval and authorization procedures and are exempt from certain investor protection provisions. In addition, the Company may invest on behalf of a client in foreign collective investment schemes that have not been approved by FINMA. Accordingly, a broader investment spectrum is available to qualified investors in the area of collective investment schemes than to non-qualified investors.
Ombudsman’s office
In accordance with Art. 74 et seq. FIDLEG, the Company is affiliated with the Financial Ombudsman Service Switzerland (FINOS), Talstrasse 20 (1st floor), CH-8001 Zurich. In the event of disputes with the Company, private clients within the meaning of Art. 4 para. 2 FIDLEG and professional clients within the meaning of Art. 5 para. 1 FIDLEG may initiate mediation proceedings through the Ombudsman’s Office.
Maintenance of contact
The company and its clients are obliged to maintain contact with each other and to inform each other immediately of any changes in their contact details.
Management and deputy solution
The company has a qualified managing director in the person of the president of the board of directors within the meaning of Art. 20 para. 1 FINIG. In the event that he is unable to act, the co-administrator of the Company, his deputy , has been instructed to contact the clients in order to define the further procedure with them and the custodian banks and, if necessary, to settle the contractual relationships with the clients. The deputy has contractually undertaken to treat as strictly confidential all information which she receives from the Company in connection with the mandate given to her and which is not in the public domain.
Business activities of the Company
The business activity of the company includes in particular discretionary asset management within the meaning of Art. 3 lit. c No. 3 FIDLEG. In each case, asset management is carried out on the basis of a contract concluded in writing with the client, which contains all information on the characteristics, mode of operation, rights and obligations of the client as well as on the risks of the financial service provided. In order to exercise the mandates, the financial institution obtains a power of attorney from the clients vis-à-vis the respective custodian banks.
Risks relating to financial services
The risks associated with the financial services provided are explained to customers in each case before the contract is concluded. Customers are requested to carefully read the information provided, in particular the brochure “Risks in Trading with Financial Instruments” published by the Swiss Bankers Association (https://www.swissbanking.ch/de/downloads), and to contact the Company if they have any questions.
Cost information
Costs and fees are incurred in connection with the services provided by the Company. These are disclosed to the customers prior to the conclusion of the contract and are regulated in detail in the contracts.
There are no economic ties between the Company and third parties that could lead to a conflict of interest vis-à-vis customers in connection with the provision of financial services.
Market supply taken into account
When providing financial services, the company only takes into account financial instruments from third parties.
Handling conflicts of interest
The company takes the necessary precautions to avoid conflicts of interest between itself or its employees and its customers and to protect customers from disadvantages. If a conflict of interest cannot be avoided, it shall be disclosed to the clients.