Wealth Architecture with Foresight: Why holistic and early planning matters

When it comes to preparing for retirement, standard solutions often fall short – particularly for entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals with complex financial situations. Yusuf Savmaz, Head of Switzerland Domestic for BNP Paribas Wealth Management, and Manuel Egger, Wealth Planner for BNP Paribas Wealth Management, shared their insights in Finanz und Wirtschaft, on how integrated, forward-looking planning can make all the difference.

Wealth Architecture with Foresight

Finanz und Wirtschaft
11.04.2025

Early, strategic planning for retirement provision is of paramount importance. All assets should be considered as a unified whole.

Yusuf Savmaz, Head Switzerland Domestic, Wealth Management, BNP Paribas Switzerland
Manuel Egger, Wealth Planner, BNP Paribas Wealth Management Switzerland

Retirement provision is like a complex puzzle – especially for wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs. Standard solutions quickly reach their limits. The key difference lies in a comprehensive consideration of all assets. Tools such as BVG 1e pension plans and international aspects are becoming increasingly important.

For individuals earning over CHF 136,080 per year, BVG 1e plans offer an attractive supplement to the traditional pension fund solution. Unlike conventional options, these plans give the insured greater control over their retirement planning. This allows them to seamlessly integrate supplementary pension benefits into their individual wealth planning. For high earners, it is all the more important to focus on retirement provision, as their income tends to drop significantly post-retirement. This makes it essential to cover or reduce living expenses with planned asset drawdowns.

Time as a Key Factor

Time planning plays a crucial role in retirement provision. Those who determine early on which funds need to be available when can act in a more targeted manner and benefit from significant tax advantages.

Clients often have multiple residences in different countries, live under different marital property regimes, or operate internationally active businesses. Their asset situations are complex, for example due to a high proportion of tied assets. In such cases, it is essential to analyze the legal and tax framework – whether for acquiring property abroad or cross-border inheritance planning.

Another important factor: Strategic planning must consider all assets – company structure, private wealth, and pension capital – as a whole. Many bank clients are entrepreneurs whose wealth is spread across various structures. This opens up special structuring opportunities: under certain conditions, company profits can be transferred in a tax-optimized way into retirement provisions such as the 1e solution. Indeed, only a precise, individualized analysis of all assets and retirement goals unlocks the full potential of integrated retirement planning.

Complex Succession Planning

When it comes to the biggest “blind spot,” experts agree: succession planning usually starts too late. For clients, retirement planning is not a routine task – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime responsibility. Entrepreneurs often underestimate the complexity of generational transitions.

For wealth planning experts, this complex transfer process is a key moment and success factor in their advisory work. A long-term strategy – spanning five to ten years – can help to transfer wealth in a structured way. Solutions such as tax-optimized transfers or the establishment of a family office can offer decisive advantages.

Age-Appropriate Strategy

Throughout life, the demands on wealth management change. Between the ages of 40 and 60, the focus is on wealth accumulation. From retirement onward, preserving and drawing from capital becomes the priority. A flexible investment strategy enables a smooth transition. A gradual reduction in alternative investments such as hedge funds or venture capital in favor of more stable investments can be beneficial to adapt the portfolio to changing needs.

Wealthy individuals with international exposure often benefit from an integrated wealth structure that considers cross-border financial and tax issues. Tailored solutions are particularly necessary for wealth transfers or financing investments abroad. Access to international financial markets and the use of global expertise are in high demand.

Early, strategic planning is the key to sustainable retirement provision. It enables individuals to achieve their personal goals while making the best possible use of legal and tax frameworks.