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Glossary

Independent Asset Manager

Independent Asset Manager is the category of financial institution defined in FinIA that manages client assets on a discretionary basis without itself acting as a custodian bank. Independent asset managers act on account and on behalf of their clients and have been required to hold a FINMA Licence and affiliate with a recognised Supervisory Organisation since 2020.

At a glance

  • Statutory definition in FinIA Art. 17 et seq.; delineated from custodian banks, fund management companies, and securities firms.
  • "Independent" means, in regulatory terms, free from entanglements that could compromise the independence of mandate management.
  • Everon AG operates as a FINMA-licensed Independent Asset Manager and is subject to the full FinIA and AMLA regime.

Frequently asked questions

An independent asset manager manages client assets but does not hold them in custody itself. The portfolio is held at a custodian bank. As a result, the regulatory requirements are lighter than for a bank (no deposit-taking business, no liquidity requirements under the Banking Act), but the manager remains fully subject to FinIA, FinSA, and the AMLA.

Sources: FINMA · Systematische Rechtssammlung (fedlex)

This entry is for general information purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice. It is a simplified summary of the legal position and tax treatment.