Living in, and a citizen of the United States, holding stocks of companies only doing business in the US, holding all your assets with financial institutions in the US, and holding all your cash in US dollars in the US makes you an un-international investor.

Would you call this a prudent wealth management strategy? No. Your future financial well-being is tied to one country, one market and one currency. This is un-international.

US investors often have exactly this kind of an “US only” investment portfolio. Holding some emerging market mutual funds, perhaps also in other currencies is not true international diversification. Going abroad, to another country, to other non-American financial institutions, holding other foreign investments, other currencies and working with wealth managers with an international outlook is the true way to international diversification.

While it is great to remain confident in your home market, the prudent investor should be prepared. With all eggs in one basket, the un-international investor stands lose it all if there is an unexpected turn for the worse. We don’t know exactly how the future will unfold but we do know that volatility is on the rise and everything is changing.

Becoming a prudent, international investor
There is nothing illegal, immoral or unethical in investing and holding assets outside your home territory. Just make sure you do so in a compliant manner and report your accounts and pay taxes as required by the IRS…just like you would do at home.

When going truly international, the signs point to Switzerland. Putting the old myths of secret Swiss bank accounts aside, Switzerland follows a white money strategy. Deloitte recently confirmed Switzerland as the world’s No. 1 financial center for private wealth management. The country's long-term political and economic stability earns Switzerland constant AAA-ratings with a stable outlook. Swiss state-of-the-art wealth management expertise attracts over 25% of the global cross-border wealth management business. And it’s a gorgeous place to be, your assets will feel good in Switzerland.

Getting started is easy!
Getting started is easier than you may think. There are over 40 Swiss wealth managers, registered with the SEC in the United States, able to provide unrestricted, compliant wealth management services to American clients domiciled in the US (and abroad too). They can be found on the new Swiss platform “Where Americans are Welcome” (WAAW) at americanswelcome.ch. You can browse around and check out their credentials before selecting the ones you would like to get to know better. Swiss lawyers, tax advisers, trust advisers and trusted advisers are also happy to help you get established in Switzerland…they provide easy access on WAAW too.

There’s not a more convenient way to get established in Switzerland!