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White Lighthouse Investment Management
White Lighthouse Investment Management is a Swiss-based wealth manager addressing the specific friction points that arise when American expatriates, or...
White Lighthouse Investment Management
White Lighthouse Investment Management is a Swiss-based wealth manager addressing the specific friction points that arise when American expatriates, or non-Americans holding US assets, need integrated financial planning. The firm's existence is a direct response to the compliance burden created by FATCA and the US tax code's citizenship-based taxation. Its location in Lausanne, a hub for international organizations and private banking, places it near a high density of potential clients. The firm's strategy is built on cross-border advisory rather than discretionary asset management alone. It combines investment management with financial planning that must reconcile the Swiss three-pillar pension system, US IRA and 401(k) rules, and tax treaties. The typical client likely holds assets in multiple currencies and jurisdictions, requiring coordination across Swiss banks, US brokerages, and potentially holding structures. The firm's investment approach is therefore highly customized, likely relying on model portfolios with tax-aware overlays rather than pooled funds. Operational scale is opaque. No public regulatory filings disclose assets under management, and the firm does not publish a team headcount. As a small Swiss wealth manager, it may operate under an independent asset manager license from FINMA or via affiliation with a larger supervisory organization. Adjacent services probably include US tax compliance coordination and pre-immigration planning for individuals relocating to or from the United States. No philanthropic vehicles or operating businesses are publicly associated with the firm. The structural differentiator is the firm's identity as a bilingual regulatory intermediary. It sits at the intersection of two of the world's most demanding financial compliance systems and offers not just advice but navigational capability. For a client who is unwelcome at many Swiss private banks — precisely because of US person status — White Lighthouse provides a rare onboarding path that keeps both sides of the Atlantic compliant.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
1003 Lausanne
Corporate office
Lausanne, Switzerland
Frequently asked questions
Who is White Lighthouse Investment Management's target client?
The firm serves expat Americans living abroad and non-American citizens who hold financial interests in the United States. Its practice is built on the incompatibility between US citizenship-based taxation and most foreign private banks' refusal to onboard US persons post-FATCA. This creates a structurally underserved niche.
How does the firm's approach differ from a standard Swiss private bank?
Standard Swiss private banks often apply a blanket 'no US persons' policy to avoid FATCA reporting burdens. White Lighthouse Investment Management actively pursues these clients. Its offering is planning-led, integrating Swiss and US retirement account rules, cross-border estate planning, and multi-currency portfolio construction — a service set most Swiss banks do not provide for US-connected accounts.
What regulatory framework does White Lighthouse Investment Management operate under?
The firm is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and likely operates under Swiss financial intermediary regulations, potentially as an independent asset manager supervised by a FINMA-authorized supervisory organization. For US purposes, it may be registered as an investment adviser or qualify for the foreign private adviser exemption, though no public SEC registration is evident.
Does White Lighthouse Investment Management manage proprietary pooled funds?
No evidence of proprietary public funds exists. The firm's model is indicative of separately managed accounts and individualized financial planning. Tax considerations for US-connected clients typically preclude the use of non-US pooled investment vehicles due to punitive Passive Foreign Investment Company (PFIC) rules.
How does the firm source clients?
The firm likely relies on referrals from the Lausanne and Geneva international expatriate community, including professionals at multinational corporations, international sports federations, and NGOs based in the region. Its client base is self-selecting: Americans and US-connected individuals who encounter difficulty opening or maintaining accounts at Swiss retail and private banks.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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