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White Paper on Generational Wealth Management: The Race for Switzerland’s Largest Wealth Transfer
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Why Banks Must Act Now to Retain Customers Across Generations
Switzerland is on the verge of largest wealth transfer in its history. Since 1999, the annual volume of inheritances and gifts has nearly tripled, rising from 36 to around 100 billion Swiss francs. Although half of private-banking clients are over 60 years old, only about 25 percent of testators have actively addressed their estate planning, and in about two-thirds of cases, the assets are withdrawn from the deceased’s bank after the estate is settled. Generational management is thus shifting from a niche topic to a strategic success factor for banks in the private banking sector.
Female Finance as an Independent Growth Driver
Women are becoming increasingly important as heirs and entrepreneurs for effective generational succession planning. The proportion of women among the self-employed in Switzerland has risen from 28.2 percent in 1991 to 39.6 percent in 2025. Female customers expect a life-event-oriented, transparent, and less product-heavy advice. Banks that take these expectations seriously are tapping into one of the most attractive growth areas in Swiss wealth management.
Your Path to Sustainable Intergenerational Management
Our White Paper “Excellence in Generational Management—Who Will Win the Race for Switzerland’s Growing Inheritances?” shows that,
- such as six success factors—ranging from their integration throughout the entire consulting process to targeted consultant training—that determine success in generational management,
- the five key challenges banks must overcome when developing a sustainable generational management strategy, such as in the areas of specialist capabilities, change management and resource planning,
- and how a structured, three-step process consisting of a location analysis, refining objectives, and implementation leads to a viable new market approach.
The focus here is not on abstract concepts, but rather on concrete starting points for relationship managers, GMT specialists, and management at banks, supplemented by a discussion of the unique role of female heirs in the context of Female Finance. Consileon has been advising banks for many years on strategic and operational issues, particularly regarding the establishment of a professional generation management system.
