SwissLife banque privée products, services and reviews

About SwissLife banque privée

Swiss Life Banque Privée is the French private banking arm of Swiss Life Group, focusing on affluent and high‑net‑worth clients with a model built around portfolio management, investment advisory, and custody/execution under French banking and investment services regulation (ACPR/AMF). The bank typically offers discretionary mandates and advisory mandates, access to funds from Swiss Life Asset Managers and external managers via open architecture, use of French life‑insurance wrappers (assurance‑vie and capitalisation contracts), structured solutions, and financing such as Lombard loans and real‑estate‑backed credit, alongside cash management and reporting tools. Its positioning leverages group synergies with insurance and asset management, which can streamline implementation but also requires attention to potential conflicts of interest between in‑house and third‑party products. Entry thresholds, documentation, and suitability processes are consistent with private banking norms and may not fit mass‑market needs; pricing is usually a mix of mandate fees, custody/transaction charges, and product costs, and can be layered when wrappers or structured products are used, so fee transparency and all‑in cost comparisons are important. Risk exposures depend on mandate and instruments selected: market and interest‑rate risk in portfolios, issuer and liquidity risk on structured or less liquid assets, leverage and collateral risks on Lombard credit, currency risk on non‑euro holdings, and counterparty/insurer risk within life‑insurance contracts. The bank operates relationship‑manager coverage supported by investment specialists and digital reporting; it is not geared to high‑frequency trading. Deposits and investment services fall under the French protection schemes applicable to licensed institutions, but guarantees have limits and conditions. Prospective clients should verify minimums, service scope, cross‑border constraints, and conflict‑of‑interest disclosures, and review mandate documents, fee schedules, and the treatment of assets held through insurance wrappers before onboarding.