Jet set pets, boutique banks and wealthy families in a tax panic – September wealth roundup

Friday, September 24, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Protecting your wealth | Tags: links, finance, HNWIs, HNWI, banking, yachts, Switzerland, art, investments, wine, Swiss, private jets, secret, memorabilia, sayings

Our monthly pick of the web as it relates to high earners and HNWIs.

Swiss Banking 2.0 : Banking secrecy in Switzerland is dead; now it’s transparency and lower fees that are in fashion via Switzerland’s new boutique banks.

Wealthy families, spooked, urgently looking at tax again : More than 50% of wealthy families are reviewing their tax affairs following increased government ‘fishing expeditions’, according to a survey by the Family Office Channel. The report also shows a near-universal loss of trust in institutions and advisers after the banking crisis.

Trendspotting: A more subtle way to show your wealth : Passion investments made a comeback in 2009. But in 2010, showy boy’s toys such as cars and yachts are out and more cautious, subtle investment buys are in as HNWIs prefer to become investor-collectors in art, antiques, fine wine, jewellery and memorabilia.

Exactly how large is the world’s largest yacht? : Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse has been estimated by the Superyacht index at 162.5m (533.1ft) – the size of one and a half football fields. All aboard for Chelsea Football Club then?

Bringing home the bacon: the origin of popular finance sayings : Find out who were The Joneses we are supposed to keep up with, which president first said, ‘Time is money’ and more…

And finally…

The pet jet set : Pet Jet Pal is a new share-a-flight private jet programme for those pampered animals who wouldn’t be seen dead in cargo class.

Image: © Anthony Aneese Totah Jr / Dreamstime.com

* Read more Bespoke wealth links.