Credit Suisse is to launch a pan-European online investment and personal financial advisory service for wealthy individuals. The service will initially be introduced in the UK and Germany.
The Luxembourg subsidiary of the Swiss bank is already inviting private clients across Europe to pre-register for its Global Investor Portfolio account at credit-suisse.net. From October, the account will offer share dealing in 15 stock markets including London, Frankfurt and New York – four of them available in real time from the outset; investment funds from Credit Suisse Asset Management and four other leading investment houses; and deposits available in four major currencies – sterling, US dollars, Swiss francs and euros.
Thomas Wellauer, CEO of Credit Suisse Financial Services, says the service is specifically designed for the 40 million people identified as Europe’s ‘new affluents’.
"These are the people who have gained most from the years of economic growth, rising incomes and rising stock markets – but feel the investment services they receive have not improved in line with their new-found affluence," he says.
Credit Suisse aims to sign up 1 million of these individuals over five years, building up funds under management of more than £20 billion. To achieve this, the offering will be made available through other remote channels such as digital television and mobile phones.