UBS

UBS is a very large, top-tier private bank with a formidable brand, and for senior international investors it is a credible option. Following its acquisition of Credit Suisse, it is the largest global wealth manager in the world.

Scale, though, cuts both ways. The traditional values you would expect from a private bank, trust and an uncompromising duty of care, become harder to sustain the larger the institution. UBS also lacks independence: it is structurally inclined to recommend its own products and services rather than search the whole market for what is genuinely best for you. And because UBS does everything, its private bankers are generally incentivised to sell a little of everything.

None of that makes UBS a poor bank. It makes it a bank, with the conflicts a product manufacturer carries. The work AES does sits one level above the product: the whole picture coordinated across your investments, structures, pensions, protection and succession, with advice that answers to you rather than to a product shelf.

If you are already a private banking client of UBS, a no-obligation Second Opinion will show whether your portfolio still serves your plan, or whether the plan was ever the starting point. AES will also review the thinking that led to the investments you currently hold.