Investing with advice and clear roles
InvestingNorthlake Partners advises you on investing. We work out an investment strategy with you, based on your life stage, risk capacity, and investment goals; the decisions are yours. We are not tied to any single bank, asset manager, or product: we compare providers and solutions, set out the differences, and support you in making your choice.
Tax-optimised saving via the Swiss pension pillars
Pillar 3a (Säule 3a), Tax-advantaged retirement saving
Pillar 3a is one of the most effective instruments for tax-optimised retirement saving in Switzerland. Contributions are deductible from taxable income (2026: up to CHF 7,258 for those covered by an occupational pension; up to 20% of income for the self-employed). We compare Pillar 3a solutions from banks (interest accounts and securities-based products) and insurers (mixed policies) and show you how the options differ in cost, flexibility, and tax effect, in relation to your retirement goals.
Pillar 3b (Säule 3b), Flexible saving and investing
Pillar 3b encompasses all private savings solutions outside the restricted occupational pension, savings accounts, securities portfolios, capital-building life insurance, and direct investments. Unlike Pillar 3a, contributions are not tax-deductible, but funds are available at any time. We work out a Pillar 3b strategy with you as a complement to Pillar 3a, covering goals such as home ownership, early retirement, or generational wealth transfer.
Tax Optimisation
An intelligent investment strategy considers not only return and risk but also tax implications. We analyse your investments from a tax perspective, withholding tax, capital gains, inheritance and gift tax, and work with our tax and legal advisors to show you the tax consequences of different structures, including with regard to your estate.
Two types of mandate, two roles
Advisory Mandates
In an advisory mandate, Northlake Partners advises you: you retain decision-making authority, we develop concrete investment recommendations that you approve and place with your bank yourself. In this format you decide on every investment yourself and have a counterpart for strategic questions that is not tied to any single provider. We set the investment guidelines together with you, follow your portfolio within the scope of the mandate, and propose adjustments when markets or your life situation change.
Discretionary Mandates
In a discretionary mandate you entrust the management of your assets to a licensed asset manager from our network, within clearly defined investment guidelines. The asset manager makes the investment decisions, executes purchases and sales, and reports to you periodically. Northlake Partners does not run discretionary mandates itself: we support you in selecting the asset manager and in the ongoing relationship. For referring you to an asset manager, Northlake Partners receives a referral fee; we disclose its nature and amount to you before the contract is concluded.
Reporting & Monitoring
Transparency is the foundation of an investment partnership. In a discretionary mandate you receive the regular reports on performance, asset allocation, and costs from the asset manager. In an advisory mandate we discuss the development of your portfolio on the basis of your custodian bank's statements. In both cases we go through the figures with you in a personal meeting and point out where an adjustment should be considered when your life situation or markets change.
Building blocks we discuss in our advice
Funds & ETFs
Actively managed funds and passive ETFs form the foundation of most investment portfolios. In our advice we look at both worlds: passive building blocks for low-cost market coverage, active building blocks in segments such as Swiss small caps, emerging markets, or thematic strategies. Northlake Partners assesses funds on performance consistency, cost structure, and manager stability, and reviews regularly whether a recommended selection still meets the original criteria.
Structured Products
Structured products combine traditional investments with derivatives and, depending on their design, have their own payout profile, for example for sideways markets or with a capital-protection component. In our advice we treat them with restraint: we explain issuer risk, tradability, and payout structure so that you can judge whether a product is an option for you.
Sustainable Investing (ESG)
Sustainability is not only an ethical question, but increasingly a financial one. We show you the approaches at their varying depths, from negative exclusions to best-in-class selection to impact investing, and take your personal values and goals into account in our recommendation.
Alternative Investments
Alternative investments, private equity, hedge funds, private debt, commodities, infrastructure, extend a portfolio beyond traditional equity and bond markets. They require a longer investment horizon and sufficient liquidity in the other parts of the portfolio. We show you through which structures private investors gain access and which risks, costs, and lock-up periods are involved.
Let's discuss your situation
Every advisory engagement begins with a conversation, by phone, email, or in person in Zurich. We take the time to understand your situation before making recommendations. The initial consultation is free of charge and without obligation.