Our investment philosophy

How our approach works

A key part of our investment philosophy is a culture of challenge and diversity of opinion. Everyone has a unique set of preferences and behavioral characteristics, which can mean that even identical investment portfolios result in very different experiences for different individuals.

Step1 - Identifying values and objectives

The first step is to try to understand individual needs. We look at the financial situation, which helps us understand the risk that can be taken, and financial goals, which define the required returns. A financial personality assessment determines risk appetite, while a review of values and interests shows the type of investments and opportunities that may be considered.

Taking these points into account, we take a deeper look into five areas to help us to find the right investment strategy:

Life goals

The people who matter most

Legacy

Current main concerns

Plans to achieve a life vision

Building a financial plan with the Liquitidy. approach

Liquidity

To provide cash flow in the short term to help maintain your lifestyle

Building a financial plan with the Longevity. approach

Longevity

For longer-term needs to help improve your lifestyle

Building a financial plan with the Legacy. approach

Legacy

For needs that go beyond your own to help improve the lives of others

Step 2 - Building a financial plan

The second step is to turn these goals into a plan. Our Liquidity. Longevity. Legacy.* planning approach is a systematic way of making goals more tangible, and identifying the investment strategies one should consider. A Liquidity strategy is designed to fund expenditure and meet liabilities for the next two to five years. A Longevity strategy helps to meet financial goals for the remainder of a lifetime. And a Legacy strategy is for assets in excess of what is needed to meet lifetime objectives.

*Timeframes may vary. Strategies are subject to individual client goals, objectives, and suitability. This approach is not a promise or guarantee that wealth, or any financial results, can or will be achieved.

Step 3 - Choosing an investment strategy

The third step is to set up an investment strategy to achieve these financial goals and stick to them.

Our standard global strategic asset allocation - designed for investors who seek a balanced approach to protecting and growing their wealth over time - aims to efficiently generate returns for a target level of risk over the course of an economic cycle. It benefits from diversification across regions and invests in traditional liquid asset classes such as bonds and equities, as well as alternative asset classes like hedge funds. But we also have other strategies depending on investor goals and preferences:

global strategic asset allocation

Are you looking for more information?

Do you have follow-up questions on these topics, or are you looking for deeper insights about our views? Contact your advisor directly to continue the conversation.

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Independence of financial research - Methodology

The "Directives on the Independence of Financial Research", issued by the Board of Directors of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA), came into force on 1 July 2003, and were revised on 1 July 2008. One of the purposes of the Directives is to avoid or limit any potential conflicts of interest associated with the preparation of financial research reports, or at least to require proper disclosure. Clients who make their investment decisions based in part on recommendations made by financial analysts should be able to rely upon the objectivity, good faith and due diligence of analysts' research.

SBA Directives pdf(PDF, 123 KB), 617 KB 

UBS Chief Investment Office WM (CIO) fully complies with the requirements of these SBA Directives. CIO has strictly defined research principles, processes and methods that support CIO analysts and other staff to ensure that they meet the compliance rules during the production of research.

Methodology of Research in Chief Investment Office WM pdf(PDF, 256 KB), 233 KB