Swiss Banking Secrecy: Swiss Bankers are obligated by Swiss law to keep any and all information about their clients strictly confidential. Swiss Banking Secrecy rules are vigorously enforced throughout the Swiss Banking Industry. This is especially true when it comes to civil matters. Obviously, clients committing offences under Swiss law are not protected by Swiss Banking Secrecy. The Swiss Constitution clearly defines and protects Swiss Banking Secrecy. Any Swiss banker revealing information about his or her clients will be prosecuted under Swiss Law. Substantial fines and even imprisonment are not unusual for individuals breaking Swiss Law. In today's sue happy societies, asset protection and estate planning are the main reason why people seek Switzerland as a safe and sound banking center. Divorces, inheritance and estate planning issues will not cause Swiss Banks to lift financial privacy rules in favor of attorneys looking for quick gains. Any outside attorneys, or third party entities searching for private financial information in Switzerland will do so without success. Numbered Accounts: A number replaces your name for all bank correspondence in connection with your bank account. In other words, your bank statement or advice will no longer indicate your name, instead a number will appear. Under Swiss law this is completely permissible as long as your Swiss bank knows who the beneficial owner of the account is. Only Senior Management in Switzerland and your personal Swiss Banker know the true identity of the account holder. Most people don't generally require this type of account, and it can be expensive to open. Regardless whether you have a personal account or a numbered account, Swiss Banking rules treat both types of accounts equally as far as respect for private property goes. Switzerland is known for its high regard and respect for private property, the Swiss Government will not confiscate or freeze funds based on legal fishing expeditions from foreign lawyers. Exception: Swiss Banking Secrecy laws do not protect account holders and their funds if the client (as defined under Swiss Law) has committed an offence. Numbered accounts help to further safeguard your confidentiality and privacy as only a few people at your Swiss bank know your identity. In the case of numbered accounts, a transfer to any bank around the world would only mention: "By order of one of our clients". Your name would never appear at the receiving bank's destination. Micheloud & Cie: The general information here is provided as a courtesy to our customers and visitors, we are not a referral agent for any bank, and do not charge any fees for any information we provide, we also don't receive any referral fees from any bank or company. We recommend our clients and visitors contact the institution of their choice directly after doing their own due diligence. Micheloud & Cie can help you set up your own personal account, they speak English, and offer services on their web site in English and many other languages, along with a wealth of information. The link below will guide you directly to Micheloud & Cie, who are well established and have a streamlined process for opening overseas accounts.     Terms of Service