# Frequently asked questions URL: https://thinkingsteps.ch/en/faq ## How it works ### What happens after I complete the questionnaire? After the questionnaire, we compare your answers and priorities with the providers and prepare an anonymised comparison of four providers, labelled Provider A to D. We go through this comparison with you in a personal consultation, where we also reveal the names. You then meet two providers in person and decide for yourself which one you want to work with. ### How long does the process take? That depends mainly on your schedule. You complete the questionnaire at your own pace. The anonymised comparison, a personal consultation and two meetings with providers follow, and how quickly these happen depends on your calendar and the providers'. We agree a realistic timeframe with you and do not put you under time pressure. As the service is in a pilot phase, we do not promise fixed deadlines. ### Can I stop at any time? Yes. You can end the process at any step, including after the comparison or after meeting providers. Because the service is free for you, stopping costs you nothing. Thinking Steps is only paid if you choose a provider, and then by the provider, not by you. ### Does the 20-point allocation matter? Yes, it is a central part of the method. You distribute 20 points across the criteria that matter to you, and there are no more points than that. This forces trade-offs: whatever you give one criterion, another loses. The internal matching uses this weighting to select providers that fit your real priorities, rather than a list on which everything is "very important". ## Costs ### Is it free, and how do you earn money? Yes, the service is free for you. If you choose a provider, that provider pays Thinking Steps a referral fee. The terms are the same for all providers, and no surcharge is passed on to you. That means we have no financial reason to favour any particular provider. We do have an interest in you choosing a provider, and we prefer to tell you so openly. ### What is the minimum amount? Thinking Steps is for people with investable assets of CHF 500,000 or more. If you live abroad, the threshold is CHF 1,000,000. This refers to the assets you want to invest. This can include, for example, securities, bank balances or a pension fund lump sum you plan to invest. Below these amounts, the service is not currently designed for you. ## Data and privacy ### Where is my data stored and who sees it? Your data is stored in Switzerland. We use your questionnaire answers for the matching and the anonymised comparison. We only discuss provider names with you in the personal consultation. If you want to know exactly which details go to whom and when, ask us before the consultation and we will explain it in detail. ### Will providers contact me without my consent? That is not part of the process. You first see an anonymised comparison, we discuss the names in the personal consultation, and only then do you meet two providers. Contact with providers is therefore a deliberate step after the consultation. If you have questions about when and how a provider learns about you, we are happy to clarify this with you beforehand. ## Providers ### Why can't I see the provider names right away? So that you compare substance rather than brands. Familiar names create expectations, good or bad, before you have looked at the offer. In the anonymised comparison you see the four providers as A to D and can see how they differ on the points that matter to you. We then discuss the names with you in the personal consultation. ### Which providers are included? Thinking Steps compares private banks and independent wealth managers. Which four providers suit you is determined by the matching based on your answers, and we discuss the names in the personal consultation. You can always check yourself whether a wealth manager is licensed by FINMA in FINMA's public lists. ### Can my existing bank take part? That depends on whether your bank is among the providers we compare. Mention your current bank in the personal consultation. We can then discuss how it compares with the four providers in your comparison. Either way, the comparison can help you look at your bank's offer with a more critical eye. ### What does "anonymised comparison" mean? It means you see four providers side by side without knowing their names. In the comparison they are called Provider A, B, C and D. It shows how the four differ on the points you marked as important in the questionnaire and with your 20 points. You learn the names in the personal consultation. ## Investing ### Do you give investment advice? No. Thinking Steps helps you find a suitable private bank or independent wealth manager. We do not recommend individual investments, manage money or accept funds. You discuss your investment strategy with the provider you choose, who must inform you under the Financial Services Act about risks, costs and economic ties, among other things. ### What if I live abroad? You can still use Thinking Steps, from investable assets of CHF 1,000,000. Not every Swiss provider serves clients from every country, because cross-border services are subject to different rules depending on where you live. Please tell us your country of residence from the start so we can take it into account in the matching.