Firm Description
The Forum Finance Group SA (“Forum
Finance” or “the Firm” or “we”), a Swiss
corporation based in Geneva, Switzerland,
provides investment advisory services to
client’s resident in the United States (“US”). We
also serve US taxpayers or dual citizens living
outside the US and clients who have no
connection to the US. Forum Finance is a
corporation organized under Swiss law in 1994.
Principal Owners
Hippolyte de Weck CEO, Etienne Gounod &
Egon Vorfeld principally own Forum Finance.
Services
Forum Finance provides a comprehensive
range of services in the areas of discretionary
portfolio management and non-discretionary
(advisory) management, as well as investment
consolidation / reporting to high net worth and
ultra-high net worth private clients and their
families.
Discretionary Portfolio Management Services
Forum Finance offers discretionary portfolio
management services to individuals, high and
ultra-high net worth clients and their families
who wish to have their assets fully managed by
Forum Finance. This service includes asset
allocation, investment selection, active
portfolio management and portfolio
rebalancing in accordance with each client’s
personal circumstances.
Forum Finance discusses a client's prior
investment history, as well as family situation
and background. As part of this information-
gathering process, Forum Finance determines
the client's individual investment objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs and
tax situation, and, taking into account these
factors, develops a tailored investment policy
for that client (“investment profile”).
Each client’s assets are managed in a
separate account (an “Account”) maintained
at a third-party financial institution (custodian
bank).
As part of its discretionary portfolio
management service Forum Finance
purchases and sells securities for the client’s
Account without prior consent of or
notification to the client. Forum Finance
determines the securities that are bought and
sold for the client’s Account and the total
amount of the purchases and sales.
Forum Finance’s authority may be subject to
conditions imposed by individual clients as set
forth and agreed upon in the asset
management agreement entered into
between Forum Finance and the client. For
example, a client may restrict or prohibit
transactions in certain types of securities.
Client Accounts are broadly managed in a
similar manner. However, differences in each
portfolio may occur due to client-specific
investment objectives, risk tolerance, time
horizon, liquidity needs, tax considerations,
reference currency, legal restrictions and
overall suitability.
Forum Finance’s client portfolios are globally
diversified across multiple asset classes.
Accounts may include, without limitation:
equity securities, fixed income and other debt
securities, mutual funds, exchange traded
funds, hedge funds, options, structured
products, precious metals and other
alternative investments consistent with the
client’s investment profile and overall
suitability. For the purpose of diversification,
client Accounts will hold non-dollar securities
in markets outside the United States.
Whilst
Forum Finance generally makes
investments with a longer time horizon, the
Firm may make changes to allocations,
resulting in underweight or overweight
positions, in an attempt to take advantage of
short-term developments in economic
conditions. When doing so, Forum Finance
will make every attempt to be sensitive to
transaction costs and taxes, as applicable.
Forum Finance’s advice is limited to the types
of securities and transactions as set forth in
Item 8.
December 06, 2023 4
Non-Discretionary (Advisory) Services
Non-discretionary (advisory) services are
similar to discretionary portfolio management
services in terms of the investment approach;
however, Forum Finance requires client
consent before effecting any securities
transaction. Forum Finance provides portfolio
advice and trading recommendations but all
decisions regarding the investment of the
Account reside with the client. This service is
designed for clients who desire holistic
management of their Account but who want to
retain involvement in every investment
decision. As a result, clients under this service
offering may not be invested in the same
manner as those clients using discretionary
portfolio management services. However,
these services are not provided to U.S. clients.
Investment Consolidation and Reporting
Services
Forum Finance offers global consolidation and
reporting services for clients with financial
Accounts at more than one financial institution
(including Accounts that Forum Finance does
not manage or advice upon) for purposes of
evaluating global asset exposure. Forum
Finance will: (i) examine bank statements
received at the direction of the client; (ii)
prepare a consolidated statement of assets on
a monthly, quarterly and/or annual basis; (iii)
regularly analyze structure and performance of
all individual portfolios as well as of the
consolidated whole, serving as a basis for a
coordinated implementation of investment
policy and for the identification of possible
improvements; and (iv) monitor and report on
banking costs. Forum Finance has no authority
to advice on the Accounts it does not manage.
However, Forum Finance may be asked by a
client to comment on and provide general
counselling about certain aspects of the client’s
overall wealth structure. For example, Forum
Finance may, on client request, be asked to
recommend wealth management specialists
for its clients, possibly including other
investment managers. In such cases, Forum
Finance’s recommendation will generally
include a selection of several such advisors or
specialists. The recommendation will strongly
depend on the client’s personal circumstances.
The final selection is left entirely up to the
client, and Forum Finance receives no
remuneration from any person or firm that it
may recommend under such circumstances.
Forum Finance does not render any Legal or
Tax Advice.
Wrap Fee Programs
Forum Finance does not participate in wrap
fee programs.
Assets under Management and Advisement
As of September 30, 2023, Forum Finance
managed approximately US$ 1.267 Billion on
a discretionary basis and US$ 664 million on
a non-discretionary (advisory) basis.