# The seven thinking steps: how Thinking Steps helps you choose a bank or wealth manager > How Thinking Steps works: a questionnaire in seven steps, 20 priority points, an anonymised comparison of four providers, a consultation and two meetings. Published: 2026-10-06 · Updated: 2026-10-06 · Thinking Steps URL: https://thinkingsteps.ch/en/knowledge/seven-thinking-steps As of October 2026. This article describes our method; it is general information, not investment advice. Thinking Steps helps people with investable assets of CHF 500,000 or more find a suitable private bank or independent wealth manager. For clients living abroad, the threshold is CHF 1,000,000. The service is in a pilot phase. This article explains how we work, what each step is for, and how we are paid. ## Why a structured approach Many people choose a bank because they already know it, because someone recommended it, or because an appointment happened to fit. That is understandable. But a familiar name says little about whether the investment approach, the service and the costs suit you. The field is also large. Besides the banks, Switzerland has hundreds of independent wealth managers: by the end of 2022 FINMA had licensed 642 of them, and since the Financial Institutions Act all of them need such a licence (Art. 5 FinIA). Nobody can assess every provider alone. Our process narrows the field to a few sensible candidates and leaves the actual decision with you. ## The process step by step ### 1. A questionnaire in seven thinking steps It starts with a questionnaire organised into seven "Denkschritte", or thinking steps. It takes you through the questions that matter when choosing a provider: your situation, your assets and what you expect from the relationship. The step structure has a purpose. Rather than just filling in fields, you work out at each stage what you actually want. ### 2. Allocating 20 points Part of the questionnaire is a priority allocation: you distribute 20 points across the criteria that matter to you. There are no more than 20. That sounds like a detail, but it is the core of the method. Asked what matters, most people say "everything": low costs, personal service, good returns, safety. With a fixed budget of points you have to weigh one thing against another. Whatever you give one criterion, another loses. The result is a profile that can genuinely tell providers apart. ### 3. Internal matching We compare your answers and priorities with the providers. The outcome is not a ranking of every bank in Switzerland but a shortlist of four providers that fit your profile. ### 4. The anonymised comparison You first see these four without names, as Provider A, B, C and D. The comparison shows how they differ on the points you care about. The anonymity is deliberate. Names trigger reactions, good and bad, before anyone has read the content. Without names, you compare what is offered, not who offers it. ### 5. The personal consultation In a personal conversation, we go through the comparison with you and reveal the providers' names. This is the time for your questions: why does Provider B fit better on one point, and what does a difference mean in practice? ### 6. Two meetings with providers You then meet two providers in person. Two, because a single meeting gives you nothing to compare against, while four would take more time than most people want to spend. In these meetings you get to know the people who would look after you. Under FinSA, providers must inform you about, among other things, their supervisory status, the costs of their service and any economic ties to third parties (Art. 8 FinSA). ### 7. Your decision Finally, you decide. We do not make the decision for you, and we do not push you to sign. ## An example of the 20 points *Illustration only. The points are made up to show the principle; the criteria are the seven from our questionnaire.* Suppose Ms M., 61, has CHF 1,800,000 to invest after selling her business. She allocates her 20 points like this: - an adviser with time for her: 7 points - low total costs: 5 points - sustainable investments: 4 points - transparent, easy-to-understand pricing: 3 points - high credit rating or strong capital ratio: 1 point - past returns: 0 points - independent advice without in-house products: 0 points Without points, Ms M. would probably have marked almost everything as "very important". With points, it becomes clear that the adviser relationship and costs matter far more to her than past returns. A provider with a strong performance record but changing contacts and high fees would therefore be unlikely to come out on top, however well known its name. ## How Thinking Steps is paid 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. We want to be clear about what this means. Because every provider pays on the same terms, we have no financial reason to favour any particular one. We do, however, have an interest in you choosing a provider at all. You should know that. So examine the offers as critically as you would without us. ## What we do not do We do not manage money or accept funds. We do not recommend individual investments. Our job is the choice of provider; you discuss investment strategy with the provider you choose. We store your data in Switzerland. If you would like to know which details we use and for what purpose, ask us, ideally before the personal consultation. ## What the pilot phase means Thinking Steps is in a pilot phase. The process described here applies; individual parts, such as the questionnaire or the way the comparison is presented, may be improved based on feedback. ## Key points - Thinking Steps is for people with investable assets of CHF 500,000 or more, or CHF 1,000,000 if living abroad. - The questionnaire is organised into seven thinking steps; allocating 20 points forces clear priorities. - Internal matching selects four providers, which you first see anonymised as A to D. - We discuss the names in a personal consultation; you then meet two providers. - The decision is yours. - The service is free for you; the chosen provider pays a referral fee on the same terms as every other provider. ## Questions and answers ### What does Thinking Steps cost? Nothing for you. The provider you choose pays Thinking Steps a referral fee. The terms are the same for every provider, and nothing is added to your costs. ### Why do I have to allocate exactly 20 points? Because it makes you set priorities. If everything matters equally, nothing can be compared. With 20 points, it becomes clear what you value more, and the matching can weight providers accordingly. ### When do I find out which providers are behind A to D? In the personal consultation. You first see the comparison anonymised, so that you compare substance rather than names. ## Sources - [FINMA, Expiry of the transitional period: status of licences for portfolio managers and trustees (30 January 2023)](https://www.finma.ch/en/news/2023/01/20230130-mm-am-02-2023/) - [FINMA, Authorised institutions, individuals and products](https://www.finma.ch/en/finma-public/authorised-institutions-individuals-and-products/) - [Financial Services Act (FinSA/FIDLEG), Art. 8 (information duties of providers)](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2019/758/en) - [Financial Institutions Act (FinIA/FINIG), Art. 5 and 61 (licensing and supervision of portfolio managers)](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2018/801/en)