Chapter 1 General Provisions |
Section 1 Subject Matter and Scope of Application |
Art. 4 Family ties
(Art. 2 para. 2 let. a FinIA) 1 The following persons are deemed to have family ties with one another:
2Family ties are deemed to exist insofar as portfolio managers manage assets or trustees manage in-house funds in favour of persons who have family ties with one another, if the portfolio managers or trustees are directly or indirectly controlled by:
3Paragraph 2 also applies insofar as, in addition to the persons with family ties, institutions with a public or not-for-profit purpose are also beneficiaries. |
Art. 5 Employee participation schemes
(Art. 2 para. 2 let. b FinIA) Employee participation schemes are deemed to be plans which:
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Art. 6 Legally regulated mandates
(Art. 2 para. 2 let. d FinIA) Legally regulated mandates are in particular:
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Art. 7 Exemption
(Art. 2 FinIA) Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) may fully or partially exempt managers of collective assets from the provisions of the FinIA and the present Ordinance if:
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Art. 8 Significant group companies
(Art. 4 para. 2 FinIA) The functions of a group company are significant with respect to the activities which require authorisation if they are necessary for the continuation of important business processes, in particular in the areas:
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Section 2 Common Provisions |
Art. 9 Authorisation application and duty to obtain authorisation
(Art. 5 and 7 FinIA) 1The financial institution shall submit an authorisation application to FINMA. The application shall contain all information and documents required to assess it, specifically information and documents on:
2Insurance companies as defined in the ISA11 are exempt from the duty to obtain authorisation as a manager of collective assets. 3Exemption from the duty to obtain authorisation as a trustee from FINMA can be granted to trustees which act exclusively as trustees for trusts which were established by the same person or in favour of the same family and which are held and monitored by a financial institution which possesses authorisation in accordance with Article 5 paragraph 1 or Article 52 paragraph 1 FinIA. |
Art. 10 Change in facts
(Art. 8 para. 2 FinIA) Changes of material significance for financial institutions in accordance with Article 8 paragraph 2 FinIA are in particular:
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Art. 11 Form for submission
(Art. 5, 7 and 8 FinIA) 1FINMA may determine the form for submission, specifically for the following documents:
2It may designate a third party as recipient of submitted documents. |
Art. 12 Organisation
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Financial institutions must define their organisation in their organisational principles. 2They must describe their area of business in factually and geographically precise terms in the principal documents. The business area and its geographical extent must be commensurate with the financial possibilities as well as with the operational organisation. 3Financial institutions must have personnel in place who are appropriately and suitably qualified to perform their business activities. 4Risk management must encompass all business activities and be organised in such a way that all the main risks can be identified, assessed, controlled and monitored. |
Art. 13 Guarantee
(Art. 11 FinIA) 1The application for authorisation for a new financial institution must contain in particular the following information and documentation on the persons responsible for administration and management in accordance with Article 11 paragraphs 1 and 2 FinIA as well as on the owners of a qualified participation in accordance with Article 11 paragraph 3 FinIA:
2The envisaged activity at the financial institution as well as the nature of the intended investments must also be taken into account when assessing the good reputation, the guarantee of irreproachable business conduct and the required specialist qualifications of the persons responsible for administration and management. 3Owners of a qualified participation must make a declaration to FINMA stating whether they hold the participation in question for their own account or on a fiduciary basis for third parties, and whether they have granted options or similar rights with respect to this participation. 4Securities firms must submit to FINMA within 60 days of the end of the financial year a list of all persons who hold a qualified participation in them. This list shall contain details on the identity and percentage holding of all qualified participants as at the relevant closing date, as well as any changes relative to the prior-year closing date. In addition, the information and documentation set out in paragraph 1 is to be submitted for any qualified participants being reported for the first time. 5Persons connected through business ties or in any other manner who jointly hold at least 10% of the share capital or votes of the financial institution or persons jointly significantly influencing the business activities of the financial institution in another manner are deemed to be a qualified participant in accordance with Article 11 paragraph 4 FinIA. 12 Amended by Annex 10 No II 30 of the Criminal Records Register Ordinance of 19 Oct. 2022, in force since 23 Jan. 2023 (AS 2022 698). |
Art. 14 Public offer of securities on the primary market
(Art. 12 FinIA) 1The question of what constitutes a public offer is determined on the basis of Article 3 letters g and h of the Financial Services Act of 15 June 201813 (FinSA). 2Offers to schemes and persons in accordance with Article 65 paragraphs 2 and 3 are not deemed public. |
Art. 15 Delegation of tasks
(Art. 14 para. 1 FinIA) 1Tasks in accordance with Article 14 paragraph 1 FinIA are deemed delegated if financial institutions appoint a service provider to independently and permanently perform in full or in part a material task, thereby changing the circumstances underlying the authorisation. 2Material tasks are deemed to be:
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Art. 16 Delegable tasks
(Art. 14 para. 1 FinIA) 1Financial institutions may delegate to third parties only tasks in accordance with Article 14 paragraph 1 FinIA which do not need to be within the decision-making remit of the body responsible for management or for governance, supervision and control. 2Delegation must not impair the appropriateness of the operational organisation. 3The operational organisation is no longer deemed to be appropriate if a financial institution:
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Art. 17 Delegation of tasks: responsibility and procedures
(Art. 14 para. 1 FinIA) 1The financial institutions remain responsible for the fulfilment of supervisory duties and when delegating tasks shall safeguard clients' interests. 2They shall agree with the third party in writing or in another form demonstrable via text which tasks are to be delegated. The following in particular are to be laid down in the agreement:
3Financial institutions shall lay down in their organisational principles the tasks delegated as well as details of the possibility of sub-delegation. 4Delegation is to be defined such that the financial institution, its internal auditors, the audit firm, the supervisory organisation and FINMA can inspect and review the delegated task. |
Art. 18 International business
(Art. 15 FinIA) 1The notification which a financial institution is required to submit to FINMA before engaging in activities abroad must contain all the information and documents needed to assess such activities, specifically:
2Furthermore, the financial institution shall notify FINMA of:
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Chapter 2 Financial Institutions |
Section 1 Portfolio Managers and Trustees |
Art. 19 Commerciality
(Art. 3 and 17 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees are deemed to pursue their activities on a commercial basis and, within the meaning of anti-money laundering legislation, on a professional basis if they:
2Activities for schemes and persons in accordance with Article 2 paragraph 2 letters a, b, d and e FinIA are not factored into the assessment of commerciality. 3Paragraphs 1 and 2 do not apply to portfolio managers in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 2 FinIA. |
Art. 21 Entitlement to be subject to supervision by a supervisory organisation
(Art. 7 para. 2 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees are entitled to be subject to supervision by a supervisory organisation if their internal rules and their operational organisation ensure that the supervisory requirements are satisfied. 2A supervisory organisation can make subjection to supervision dependent on portfolio managers and trustees being required to maintain special statutory professional confidentiality. |
Art. 22 Change in facts
(Art. 8 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees shall notify the supervisory organisation of any changes in the facts on which its authorisation is based. The supervisory organisation shall periodically forward the changes to FINMA. 2If authorisation is required in accordance with Article 8 paragraph 2 FinIA, FINMA will as part of its assessment hear the supervisory organisation. |
Art. 23 Organisation
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Two authorised signatories must sign jointly. Article 20 paragraph 2 FinIA remains reserved. 2Portfolio managers and trustees must be able to be represented by a person who has their place of residence in Switzerland. This person must be a member of the body responsible for management or of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control in accordance with paragraph 3. Article 20 paragraph 2 FinIA remains reserved. 3With reservation as to Article 20 paragraph 2 FinIA, FINMA may require the portfolio manager or trustee to appoint a body responsible for governance, supervision and control the majority of whose members are not members of the body responsible for management if:
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Art. 24 Tasks
(Art. 19 FinIA) 1The portfolio manager shall ensure that the assets entrusted to it for management are held in safekeeping, segregated per client, with a bank pursuant to the BankA14, a securities firm pursuant to the FinIA, a trading facility for distributed ledger technology securities (DLT trading facility) in accordance with the FinMIA15 or other institution that is subject to supervision equivalent to that in Switzerland.16 2It shall manage the assets on the basis of authorisation given in writing or in another form demonstrable via text. The authorisation must be limited to administrative acts. If the portfolio manager is entrusted with the provision of further services which require more far-reaching authorisations, it shall document the basis of these activities. 3Portfolio managers shall take measures to avoid a break-off of contact with clients and to prevent client relationships from becoming dormant. If a business relationship becomes dormant, the portfolio manager shall take suitable steps to ensure that dormant assets are delivered to beneficiaries. 4Paragraph 2 applies by analogy to trustees. Moreover, trustees must, within the framework of the law applicable to the trust:
5If the rendering of additional services increases the risks to which portfolio managers and trustees are exposed, this must be taken into account within the scope of supervision (Articles 61 and 62 FinIA). 16 Amended by No I 7 of the O of 18 June 2021 on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, in force since 1 Aug. 2021 (AS 2021 400). |
Art. 25 Qualified managers
(Art. 20 FinIA) 1A qualified manager is deemed to satisfy the requirements for training and professional experience at the time of assuming management duties if she or he can furnish evidence of the following:
2Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may grant exemptions from these requirements. 3Portfolio managers and trustees shall engage in regular continuing professional development to maintain the skills acquired. 4They shall take the necessary precautions to ensure the continuation of business operations in the event that the qualified manager is prevented from acting or dies. If third parties from outside the company are appointed, the clients must be informed accordingly. In all other respects, Article 14 FinIA shall apply. |
Art. 26 Risk management and internal control
(Art. 9 and 21 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees shall set out guidelines for the basic principles of risk management and define their risk tolerance. 2Risk management and internal control are not required to be independent of revenue-based activities if the portfolio manager or trustee:
3The thresholds in accordance with paragraph 2 letter a must be achieved in two of three past business years or be provided for in the business planning. 4If the portfolio manager or trustee has a body responsible for governance, supervision and control in accordance with Article 23 paragraph 3 and generates annual gross earnings of more than CHF 10 million, FINMA may also require that internal auditors who are independent of management be appointed where the nature and scope of activity so dictate. |
Art. 27 Minimum capital
(Art. 22 para. 1 FinIA) 1The minimum capital requirements of companies limited by shares and of partnerships limited by shares must be met with share and participation capital, those of limited liability companies must be met with nominal capital, and those of cooperatives must be met with cooperative capital. 2The minimum capital requirements of partnerships and sole proprietorships must be met with:
3The capital accounts and assets of partners with unlimited liability may only be counted towards the minimum capital requirement if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
4The declaration in accordance with paragraph 3 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the supervisory organisation. 5FINMA may permit partnerships and sole proprietorships to provide, instead of minimum capital, collateral in the form of a bank guarantee or a cash deposit in a blocked account with a bank, said collateral being equivalent to the minimum capital in accordance with Article 22 paragraph 1 FinIA. |
Art. 28 Level of capital adequacy
(Art. 23 FinIA) 1The level of capital adequacy stipulated in Article 23 FinIA must be maintained at all times. 2The following are fixed costs in accordance with Article 23 paragraph 2 FinIA:
3The portion of personnel expenses which is exclusively dependent on the business result or in relation to which no legal entitlement exists is to be deducted from personnel expenses. 4Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may ease requirements. |
Art. 29 Qualifying capital
(Art. 23 FinIA) 1Legal entities may count the following as qualifying capital:
2Partnerships and sole proprietorships may count the following as qualifying capital:
3Portfolio managers and trustees may also count as qualifying capital any loans granted to them, including bonds with a maturity of at least five years, if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
4The declaration in accordance with paragraph 3 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the supervisory organisation. |
Art. 30 Deductions applied when calculating the level of capital adequacy
(Art. 23 FinIA) The following shall be deducted when calculating the level of capital adequacy:
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Art. 31 Collateral
(Art. 22 para. 2 and 23 FinIA) 1Collateral is deemed to be appropriate if the applicable provisions on capital are complied with. 2Insofar as it covers the risks entailed by the business model, professional indemnity insurance may be counted 50% towards qualifying capital. 3FINMA shall regulate the details of professional liability insurance, in particular with regard to term, notice period, the amount of insurance cover, the professional liability risks to be covered and the reporting duties. |
Art. 32 Accounting
(Art. 9, 22 and 23 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees are subject to the accounting regulations of the CO18. Article 957 paragraphs 2 and 3 CO are not applicable. 2Where portfolio managers and trustees are subject to specific, more stringent accounting standards, such standards take precedence. |
Section 2 Managers of Collective Assets |
Art. 34 Calculation of thresholds
(Art. 24 para. 1 and 2 FinIA) 1The following apply to calculation of the thresholds for collective investment schemes managed by the manager of collective assets in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 2 letter a FinIA:
2The following apply to calculation of the thresholds for the assets of occupational pension schemes managed by the manager of collective assets within the meaning of Article 24 paragraph 2 letter b FinIA:
3Threshold values in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 2 letters a and b FinIA shall not be added together. 4FINMA regulates the details for calculating the thresholds and the leverage effect in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2. |
Art. 35 Procedure in the event that thresholds are exceeded
(Art. 24 para. 1 and 2 FinIA) 1If a manager exceeds a threshold in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 2 FinIA, it shall notify FINMA to that effect within 10 days. 2The manager must submit to the latter an application for authorisation pursuant to Article 24 paragraph 1 FinIA within 90 days if, during this period, they have not made changes to their business model which make a renewed exceeding of the thresholds appear unlikely. 3If changes are made to the business model within the meaning of paragraph 2 during an ongoing authorisation procedure, the authorisation procedure will be rendered unnecessary. |
Art. 36 Authorisation as manager of collective assets
(Art. 24 para. 3 FinIA) FINMA shall grant a portfolio manager in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 2 FinIA authorisation in accordance with Article 24 paragraph 3 FinIA if:
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Art. 37 Organisation
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Two authorised signatories must sign jointly. 2Managers of collective assets must be able to be represented by a person who has their place of residence in Switzerland. This person must be a member of the body responsible for management or of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 3The body responsible for management must comprise at least two persons. 4Managers of collective assets must appoint a special body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 5Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow departures from these requirements; it may grant exemptions in particular from the duty in accordance with paragraph 4 where the nature and scope of activity so dictate, in particular if the company has ten or fewer full-time positions or annual gross earnings of less than CHF 5 million. |
Art. 38 Body responsible for governance, supervision and control
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1The majority of the members of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control may not be members of the body responsible for management. 2The chair may not at the same time hold the office of chair of the body responsible for management. 3At least one third of members must be independent of the persons who hold a qualified participation in the manager of collective assets and in companies of the same conglomerate or group. Managers of collective assets which are part of a financial group subject to consolidated supervision by FINMA are exempted. 4Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow departures from these requirements. |
Art. 39 Tasks
(Art. 26 FinIA) 1The receipt and transmission of orders in the name of and on behalf of clients in relation to financial instruments is deemed to be an administrative activity in accordance with Article 26 paragraph 3 FinIA which a manager of collective assets can perform within the scope of its tasks in accordance with Article 26 FinIA. Article 35 FinIA remains reserved. 2A manager of collective assets which also offers personalised asset management in accordance with Article 6 paragraph 4 in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph 1 FinIA may not invest the investor's assets, whether in full or in part, in units of collective investment schemes that it manages, unless the client has given their general consent beforehand. 3If the rendering of additional services increases the risks to which managers of collective assets are exposed, this must be taken into account within the scope of supervision (Articles 61 and 63 FinIA). |
Art. 40 Delegation of tasks
(Art. 14 and 27 FinIA) 1Whether a delegation of investment decisions is deemed to have the necessary authorisation in accordance with Article 14 paragraph 1 FinIA is determined in accordance with Article 24 FinIA. Foreign managers of collective assets must be subject to authorisation and supervision which is at least equivalent. 2Where foreign law requires an agreement on cooperation and the exchange of information with the foreign supervisory authorities, investment decisions may only be delegated to managers of collective assets abroad if such an agreement is in place between FINMA and the foreign supervisory authorities relevant for the respective investment decisions. |
Art. 41 Risk management and internal control
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Managers of collective assets must have an appropriately defined risk management system in place as well as an effective internal control structure to ensure in particular compliance with legal and internal provisions. 2They shall set out guidelines for the basic principles of risk management and define their risk tolerance. 3They will keep the functions of risk management and compliance functionally and hierarchically separate from the operational business units, in particular from the function of investment decisions (portfolio management). 4The body responsible for the governance, supervision and control of the manager of collective assets is charged with establishing, securing and monitoring the internal control system (ICS). This body also defines risk tolerance. 5The body responsible for management implements the corresponding requirements stipulated by the body for governance, supervision and control, it develops suitable guidelines, procedures and processes, and reports periodically to the body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 6Paragraphs 4 and 5 do not apply to managers of collective assets which are granted an exemption in accordance with Article 37 paragraph 5. 7If a body responsible for governance, supervision and control has been appointed in accordance with Article 37 paragraph 4, FINMA may also require that internal auditors who are independent of management be appointed where the nature and scope of activity so dictate. 8Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may depart from these requirements. 9FINMA shall regulate the details. |
Art. 42 Minimum capital
(Art. 28 para. 1 and 3 FinIA) 1The minimum capital of managers of collective assets must amount to at least CHF 200,000 and be paid up in full. This amount must be maintained at all times. 2The minimum capital requirements of companies limited by shares and of partnerships limited by shares must be met with share and participation capital, those of limited liability companies must be met with nominal capital. 3The minimum capital requirements of partnerships must be met with:
4The capital accounts and assets of partners with unlimited liability may only be counted towards the minimum capital requirement if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
5The declaration in accordance with paragraph 4 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the audit firm. 6If a manager of collective assets for foreign collective investment schemes conducts the fund business within the meaning of Article 26 paragraph 2 FinIA, FINMA can stipulate a higher minimum capital requirement. |
Art. 43 Collateral
(Art. 28 para. 2 and 3 FinIA) 1FINMA may permit partnerships to provide, instead of minimum capital, collateral in the form of a bank guarantee or a cash deposit in a blocked account with a bank, said collateral being equivalent to the minimum capital in accordance with Article 42. 2Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may stipulate a different minimum amount. |
Art. 44 Level of capital adequacy
(Art. 29 FinIA) 1The capital stipulated in Article 29 FinIA must be maintained at all times and amount to at least one quarter of the fixed costs reported in the most recent annual accounts and no more than CHF 20 million, including capital in accordance with paragraph 2. 2Managers of collective assets must:
4Fixed costs in accordance with paragraph 1 are:
5The portion of personnel expenses which is exclusively dependent on the business result or in relation to which no legal entitlement exists is to be deducted from personnel expenses. 6Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may ease requirements. |
Art. 45 Qualifying capital
(Art. 29 FinIA) 1Legal entities may count the following as qualifying capital:
2Partnerships may count the following as qualifying capital:
3Managers of collective assets may also count as qualifying capital any loans granted to them, including bonds with a maturity of at least five years, if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
4The declaration in accordance with paragraph 3 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the audit firm. 5Own capital in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 must amount to at least 50% of total capital required. |
Art. 46 Deductions applied when calculating the level of capital adequacy
(Art. 29 FinIA) The following shall be deducted when calculating the level of capital adequacy:
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Art. 47 Accounting and annual report
(Art. 9, 28 and 29 FinIA) 1Managers of collective assets are subject to the accounting regulations of the CO20. Where managers of collective assets are subject to specific, more stringent accounting standards, such regulations take precedence. 2The manager of collective assets shall submit to FINMA the annual report and the full report for the body responsible for governance, supervision and control within 30 days of receiving approval from the body responsible for management. The manager of collective assets shall append to the annual report a list of the prescribed and available capital as at the balance sheet date. 3Paragraph 2 does not apply to managers of collective assets which are granted an exemption in accordance with Article 37 paragraph 5. |
Section 3 Fund Management Companies |
Art. 49 Independent management of investment funds
(Art. 32 FinIA) 1The independent management of investment funds in its own name and for the account of investors by the fund management company comprises in particular:
2Institutions which engage solely in administration activities for externally managed SICAVs pursuant to CISA21 manage investment funds independently and as fund management companies require authorisation in accordance with Article 5 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 32 FinIA. |
Art. 50 Head office in Switzerland
(Art. 33 para. 1 FinIA) The head office of the fund management company is deemed to be in Switzerland if the following conditions are met:
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Art. 51 Organisation
(Art. 9 and 33 FinIA) 1Fund management companies shall as a rule have at least three full-time positions with authority to sign. 2Two authorised signatories must sign jointly. 3The body responsible for management must comprise at least two persons. 4Fund management companies must appoint a special body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 5Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow relaxations of these requirements or it may impose more stringent requirements. |
Art. 52 Body responsible for governance, supervision and control
(Art. 9 and 33 FinIA) 1The body responsible for governance, supervision and control must comprise at least three members. 2The majority of the members of this body may not also be members of the body responsible for management. 3The chair may not at the same time hold the office of chair of the body responsible for management. 4At least one third of members must be independent of the persons who hold a qualified participation in the fund management company and in companies of the same group. Fund management companies which are part of a financial group subject to consolidated supervision by FINMA are exempted. 5Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow relaxations of these requirements or it may impose more stringent requirements. |
Art. 53 Independence
(Art. 33 para. 3 FinIA) 1Simultaneous membership of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control of the fund management company and that of the custodian bank is permitted. 2Simultaneous membership of the body responsible for management of the fund management company and that of the custodian bank is not permitted. 3The majority of the members of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control of the fund management company must be independent of the persons at the custodian bank who are tasked with the duties in accordance with Article 73 CISA23. Persons at the custodian bank at management level tasked with duties in accordance with Article 73 CISA are not deemed to be independent. 4None of the authorised signatories of the fund management company may at the same time be responsible at the custodian bank for duties in accordance with Article 73 CISA. |
Art. 54 Conduct of fund business
(Art. 33 para. 4 FinIA) 1In addition to the tasks specified in Articles 32 and 33 paragraph 4 FinIA as well as in accordance with Article 49, fund business specifically entails:
2The fund management company may only perform these activities and any further services in accordance with Article 34 FinIA if its articles of association so provide. 3Article 26 paragraph 2 FinIA applies by analogy to the conduct of fund business for foreign collective investment schemes. |
Art. 55 Tasks
(Art. 34 FinIA) 1Fund management companies shall keep their own assets separate from managed assets at all times. 2They shall ensure that the valuation of investments, portfolio management and trading and settlement are kept separate both functionally and in terms of personnel. 3A fund management company which also offers personalised asset management in accordance with Article 6 paragraph 3 in conjunction with Article 17 paragraph 1 FinIA may not invest the investor's assets, whether in full or in part, in units of collective investment schemes that it manages, unless the client has given their general consent beforehand. 4Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow exemptions or it may order the separation of further functions. |
Art. 56 Delegation of tasks
(Art. 14 and 35 FinIA) 1Whether a delegation of investment decisions is deemed to have the necessary authorisation in accordance with Article 14 paragraph 1 FinIA is determined in accordance with Article 24 FinIA. Foreign managers of collective assets must be subject to authorisation and supervision which is at least equivalent. 2Where foreign law requires an agreement on cooperation and the exchange of information with the foreign supervisory authorities, investment decisions may only be delegated to managers of collective assets abroad if such an agreement is in place between FINMA and the foreign supervisory authorities relevant for the respective investment decisions. |
Art. 57 Risk management and internal control
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Fund management companies must have an appropriately defined risk management system in place as well as an effective internal control structure to ensure in particular compliance with legal and internal provisions. 2They shall set out guidelines for the basic principles of risk management and define their risk tolerance. 3They will keep the functions of risk management and compliance functionally and hierarchically separate from the operational business units, in particular from portfolio management. 4The body responsible for the governance, supervision and control of the fund management company is charged with establishing, securing and monitoring the ICS. This body also defines risk tolerance. 5The body responsible for management implements the corresponding requirements stipulated by the body for governance, supervision and control, it develops suitable guidelines, procedures and processes, and reports at appropriate intervals to the body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 6Where the nature and scope of activity so justify, FINMA may require the appointment of internal auditors who are independent of management. 7Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, it may depart from these requirements. 8It shall regulate the details. |
Art. 59 Level of capital adequacy
(Art. 37 FinIA) 1The level of capital adequacy stipulated in Article 37 FinIA must be maintained at all times. They must amount to no more than CHF 20 million, including the capital in accordance with paragraph 5. 2They will be calculated as follows in percentages of the total assets of the collective investment schemes managed by the fund management company:
3Where the fund management company renders further services in accordance with Article 34 FinIA, the operational risks arising from such transactions are calculated using the basic indicator approach as defined in Article 92 of the Capital Adequacy Ordinance of 1 June 201224 (CAO). 4If the fund management company is entrusted with the administration and portfolio management of the assets of a SICAV, its total assets must be included in the calculation of capital in accordance with paragraph 2. 5If the fund management company is solely entrusted with the administration of a SICAV, it must hold additional capital of 0.01% of the total assets of the SICAV. |
Art. 60 Qualifying capital
(Art. 37 FinIA) 1Fund management companies may count the following as qualifying capital:
2Fund management companies may also count as qualifying capital any loans granted to them, including bonds with a maturity of at least five years, if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
3The declaration in accordance with paragraph 2 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the audit firm. 4Capital in accordance with paragraph 1 must amount to at least 50% of total capital required. |
Art. 61 Deductions applied when calculating the level of capital adequacy
(Art. 37 FinIA) The following shall be deducted when calculating the level of capital adequacy:
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Art. 62 Accounting and annual report
(Art. 9, 33, 36 und 37 FinIA) 1Fund management companies are subject to the accounting regulations of the CO25. Where fund management companies are subject to specific, more stringent accounting standards, such regulations take precedence. 2The fund management company shall submit to FINMA the annual report and the full report for the body responsible for governance, supervision and control within 30 days of receiving approval from the body responsible for management. The fund management company shall append to the annual report a list of the prescribed and available capital as at the balance sheet date. |
Section 4 Securities Firms |
Art. 65 Commerciality
(Art. 3 and 41 FinIA) 1Securities firms within the meaning of Article 41 letter a FinIA are deemed to pursue their activities on a commercial basis if they directly or indirectly manage accounts or hold securities in safekeeping for more than 20 clients. 2The following are not deemed to be clients within the meaning of Article 41 letter a FinIA:
3Activities for schemes and persons in accordance with Article 2 paragraph 2 letters a, b, d and e FinIA are not factored into the assessment of commerciality. 4The proper functioning of the financial market is deemed potentially jeopardised within the meaning of Article 41 letter b item 1 FinIA if the total volume of executed trades in securities exceeds CHF 5 billion per calendar year in Switzerland. 5Any party admitted as a direct participant of a trading venue is deemed to be operating as a member of a trading venue within the meaning of Article 41 letter b item 2 FinIA. 6A securities firm shall publicly quote prices within the meaning of Article 41 letter c FinIA if the prices according to Article 3 letters g and h FinSA28 are part of an offer to the public. Offers to schemes and persons in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 are not deemed public. 7Fund management companies are not deemed to be securities firms. |
Art. 66 Organisation
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Securities firms must be able to be represented by a person who has their place of residence in Switzerland. This person must be a member of the body responsible for management or of the body responsible for governance, supervision and control. 2The body responsible for management must comprise at least two persons. 3Firms trading for the account of clients and firms acting as market makers within the meaning of Article 41 letters a and c FinIA must appoint a special body responsible for governance, supervision and control. Its members may not be members of the body responsible for management. 4Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow relaxations of these requirements or it may impose more stringent requirements. |
Art. 67 Tasks
(Art. 44 FinIA) 1Within the frame of their tasks in accordance with Article 44 FinIA, securities firms shall ensure an effective internal separation between the functions of trading, asset management and settlement. Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow exemptions or it may order the separation of further functions. 2If they do not operate primarily in the financial sector, firms trading for the account of clients and firms acting as market makers within the meaning of Article 41 letters a and c FinIA must keep securities trading activities legally separate. 3In all other respects, Article 14 applies. |
Art. 68 Risk management and internal control
(Art. 9 FinIA) 1Securities firms must have an appropriately defined risk management system in place as well as an effective internal control structure to ensure in particular compliance with legal and internal provisions. 2They shall set out guidelines for the basic principles of risk management and define their risk tolerance. 3They will keep the functions of risk management and compliance functionally and hierarchically separate from the operational business units, in particular from the function of trading. 4Firms trading for the account of clients and firms acting as market makers within the meaning of Article 41 letters a and c FinIA shall appoint internal auditors who are independent of management. Internal auditors must be provided with sufficient resources and have unlimited audit rights. 5Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA may allow relaxations of these requirements or it may impose more stringent requirements. |
Art. 69 Minimum capital and collateral
(Art. 45 FinIA) 1The minimum capital of securities firms must amount to at least CHF 1.5 million and be paid up in full. This amount must be maintained at all times. 2In the case of companies formed using a contribution in kind, the value of the assets contributed and the extent of liabilities must be verified by a licensed audit firm. This also applies to the conversion of an existing company into a securities firm. 3In the case of securities firms in the form of a partnership, capital is deemed to be:
4Assets in accordance with paragraph 3 may only be counted towards the minimum capital requirement if a declaration is provided to the effect that:
5The declaration in accordance with paragraph 4 is irrevocable. It must be made in writing or in another form demonstrable via text and filed with the audit firm. 6FINMA may allow securities firms in the form of a partnership to provide, instead of minimum capital in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4, collateral of at least CHF 1.5 million, for example in the form of a bank guarantee or a cash deposit in a blocked account with a bank. 7Where there are legitimate grounds for so doing, FINMA can stipulate a higher minimum capital requirement. |
Art. 70 Capital and risk diversification
(Art. 46 FinIA) 1Securities firms which themselves do not hold accounts in accordance with Article 44 paragraph 1 letter a FinIA must maintain at all times capital amounting to at least one quarter of the fixed costs reported in the most recent annual accounts and no more than CHF 20 million. 2Fixed costs are deemed to be:
3The portion of personnel expenses which is exclusively dependent on the business result or in relation to which no legal entitlement exists is to be deducted from personnel expenses. 4Securities firms which themselves hold accounts in accordance with Article 44 paragraph 1 letter a FinIA must comply with the provisions of the CAO29. |
Art. 70a Eligible capital 30
(Art. 46 FinIA) 1 Securities firms may include the following as capital in accordance with Article 70 paragraphs 1 to 3:
2 The capital under paragraph 1 letters a to c can be included in full. 3 70% of the quarterly profits may be included after deducting the estimated profit distribution, subject to the existence of a complete income statement in accordance with FINMA's implementing provisions based on Article 42 of the Banking Ordinance of 30 April 201431 or of a complete income statement in accordance with an international standard recognised by FINMA, even if the income statement has not been audited. Where justified, FINMA can require an attestation. 4The following must be deducted in full from the eligible capital under paragraph 1 letters a to d:
5 If the capital under paragraph 1 letters a to d exceeds CHF 1.5 million after the deductions under paragraph 4, 40% of the subordinated bonds may be included for the excess amount. 30 Inserted by No I 7 of the O of 18 June 2021 on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, in force since 1 Aug. 2021 (AS 2021 400). |
Art. 71 Liquidity
(Art. 46 FinIA) 1Securities firms which themselves do not hold accounts in accordance with Article 44 paragraph 1 letter a FinIA must invest their resources such that sufficient liquidity is guaranteed at all times. 2Securities firms which themselves hold accounts in accordance with Article 44 paragraph 1 letter a FinIA must comply with the provisions of the Liquidity Ordinance of 30 November 201232. |
Art. 74 Record-keeping duty
(Art. 50 FinIA) 1The securities firm must keep a record of all orders received by it and all transactions in securities executed by it. 2The record-keeping duty also applies to orders and transactions in derivatives whose underlying instruments are securities admitted to trading on a trading venue or DLT trading facility34. 3It applies not only to transactions for own account, but also to transactions executed on behalf of clients. 4FINMA shall regulate which information is necessary and what form it is to be recorded in. 34 Term in accordance with No I 7 of the O of 18 June 2021 on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, in force since 1 Aug. 2021 (AS 2021 400). This amendment has been taken into account only in the provisions mentioned in the AS. |
Art. 75 Reporting duty
(Art. 51 FinIA) 1The securities firm shall report all transactions it executes involving securities admitted to trading on a trading venue or DLT trading facility. In particular, the following must be reported:
2The reporting duty also applies to transactions in derivatives whose underlying instruments are securities admitted to trading on a trading venue or DLT trading facility. 3It applies not only to transactions for own account, but also to transactions executed on behalf of clients. 4The following transactions executed abroad do not have to be reported:
5Third parties may be involved in reporting. |
Section 5 Branches |
Art. 76 Foreign financial institutions
(Art. 52 para. 1 FinIA) 1A foreign financial institution is any company organised in accordance with foreign legislation and which:
2If the foreign financial institution is effectively managed from Switzerland or if it executes its transactions exclusively or predominantly in or from Switzerland, it must be organised in accordance with Swiss legislation and be subject to the provisions governing domestic financial institutions.36 36 The correction of 26 Aug. 2022 concerns the French text only (AS 2022 470). |
Art. 77 Duty to obtain authorisation and authorisation conditions
(Art. 52 para. 1 and 53 FinIA) 1The foreign financial institution must have:
2The branch must:
3The foreign financial institution may only apply for entry of the branch in the commercial register when FINMA has granted said financial institution authorisation to establish the branch. |
Art. 78 Multiple branches
(Art. 52 para. 1 and 53 FinIA) 1If a foreign financial institution establishes multiple branches in Switzerland, it must:
2These branches must jointly meet the conditions of the FinIA and the present Ordinance. An audit report is sufficient. |
Art. 79 Annual and interim accounts of branches
(Art. 52 para. 1 and 53 FinIA) 1Branches may draw up their annual and interim accounts in accordance with the provisions which apply to the foreign financial institution, provided they satisfy international standards of accounting. 2Claims and liabilities must be stated separately:
3Paragraph 2 also applies to off-balance-sheet business. 4A branch shall send its annual and interim accounts:
5Publication is not required. |
Art. 80 Audit report
(Art. 52 para. 1 and 53 FinIA) 1The audit firm shall send its audit report:
2It shall provide a copy to the branch manager responsible. 3The branch will send the copy of the audit report to the unit of the foreign financial institution which is responsible for the business activities of the branch. |
Section 6 Representations38
38 Amended by No I 7 of the O of 18 June 2021 on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, in force since 1 Aug. 2021 (AS 2021 400). |
(Art. 58 para. 1 and 2 and 59 FinIA) |
Art. 82
1 The representative office of a foreign financial institution that provides financial services in accordance with Article 3 letter c of the FinSA39 must:
2 The prohibition on establishing a representative office of a foreign fund management company in accordance with Article 58 paragraph 2 of the FinIA40 applies exclusively to the office's activities in relation to the administration and management of investment funds. |
Chapter 3 Supervision |
Section 1 Portfolio Managers and Trustees |
Art. 83 Domestic group companies
(Art. 61 para. 1 and 2 FinIA) 1For domestic portfolio managers and trustees which form part of a financial group FINMA can provide that ongoing supervision is performed exclusively within the framework of group supervision. This is conditional on the group company being closely integrated into the risk management, internal control and internal auditing structures of the financial group. 2FINMA shall publish a list of the group companies monitored by it in accordance with paragraph 1. |
Art. 84 Ongoing supervision
(Art. 61 para. 2 and 62 FinIA) 1The supervisory organisation shall verify on an ongoing basis whether the entities under its supervision specifically:
2FINMA shall provide the supervisory organisations with guidelines for auditing and supervision. In particular, it shall set down for the supervisory organisations a system of risk assessment as well as minimum requirements to be met by the supervision concept. It shall consult with the supervisory organisations beforehand. 3Audit actions and their findings shall be recorded in audit reports. Audit reports shall be published in an official language. Exemptions through audit firms in accordance with Article 43k FINMASA44 require the consent of the supervisory organisation. 4If the supervisory organisation supervises a financial institution whose activity requires a higher authorisation level on exceeding thresholds, the supervisory organisation will monitor compliance with these thresholds and notify FINMA and the financial if they are exceeded. 5The issuance of rulings is reserved to FINMA. FINMA shall intervene in the ongoing supervision by the supervisory organisation if this is necessary to enforce the financial market acts in accordance with Article 1 paragraph 1 FINMASA. |
Art. 86 Appointment of audit firms
(Art. 62 para. 1 FinIA) Where the supervisory organisation does not itself conduct the audit of supervised entities, it will ensure that:
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Art. 87 Audit frequency
(Art. 62 para. 2 and 3 FinIA) 1When defining the audit frequency and the intensity of supervision, the supervisory organisation shall be guided by the risks associated with the activity of those supervised and the risks associated with their organisation. 2In years in which no regular audit takes place, the supervisory authority shall collect standardised data on the risks associated with those supervised. 3It shall assess the self-declared data collected and take further measures where necessary. 4FINMA shall set down for, and in consultation with, the supervisory organisation guidelines for conducting an assessment in accordance with paragraphs 1–3. |
Section 2 Managers of Collective Assets, Fund Management Companies, Securities Firms, Financial Groups and Financial Conglomerates |
Art. 88 Auditing
(Art. 61 para. 3 and 63 FinIA) 1The audit firm shall verify whether the entities under its supervision specifically:
2Supervised entities for which the audit firm submits an annual risk analysis are exempted from the duty to report on their business activity's compliance in accordance with Article 63 paragraph 3 FinIA. |
Section 3 Measures under Insolvency Law |
(Art. 67 FinIA) |
Chapter 4 Final Provisions |
Art. 92 Transitional provisions for portfolio managers and trustees
(Art. 74 FinIA) 1Portfolio managers and trustees which until entry into force of the FinIA were supervised by FINMA as financial intermediaries directly subordinated to it pursuant to the AMLA50 are no longer required to be affiliated to a self-regulatory organisation in accordance with Article 24 AMLA if, within one year of entry into force of the FinIA, they:
2They shall submit a report on their business activity's compliance with the provisions of the AMLA:
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Art. 93 Further transitional provisions
(Art. 74 FinIA) 1Article 5 paragraph 2 FinIA is not applicable to financial institutions which on entry into force of the FinIA are already entered in the commercial register. 2Financial institutions which provide services in accordance with the FinSA51 must be affiliated to the ombudsman's office within six months of the Federal Department of Finance recognising or establishing for them an ombudsman's office in accordance with Article 84 FinSA. The period is deemed met on submission of the application. 3Financial institutions that have their registered office abroad and by reason of a branch or representation in Switzerland already hold authorisation are not required to submit a new application for authorisation. They must satisfy the legal requirements within one year of entry into force. 4Financial institutions that have their registered office abroad and by reason of a branch or representation in Switzerland are newly required to obtain authorisation pursuant to the FinIA shall report to FINMA within six months of entry into force. They must satisfy the legal requirements and submit an application for authorisation within three years of entry into force. They may continue their activities until a decision on authorisation is made. 5Article 77 paragraph 3 is not applicable to branches which on entry into force of the FinIA are already entered in the commercial register. 6Exemptions granted by FINMA based on Article 18 paragraph 3 CISA52 in the version of 28 September 201253 to managers of collective investment schemes remain valid under Article 7 of the present Ordinance. |
Annex |
(Art. 91) |
Repeal and amendment of other legislative instruments |
I The Stock Exchange Ordinance of 2 December 199654 is repealed. II The legislative instruments below are amended as follows: …55 |