Not only is Walkner Condon Financial Advisors' Syl Michelin, CFA, a native of France, but he also spent several years living in Switzerland and holds a Swiss passport. His wealth of knowledge on investing and financial planning as an American in Switzerland is perhaps exceeded only by the copious cliches about watches and chocolate (though, surprisingly, there was only one such reference in this episode). But, as Syl, Stan Farmer, and Keith Poniewaz make note of in this introduction to Switzerland – another in our series of episodes about key countries for U.S. expats – there is much more to life in Switzerland, including booming tech and biopharma industries. 

The big pillars that constitute financial life for U.S. expats in Switzerland are the canton system, the 26 member states of the Swiss Confederation, and the – drumroll, please – three-pillar pension system. Because of those cantons, your experience as an expat could be quite different depending on where you live. The good news across the board is the Swiss' treatment of capital gains, but you'll have to listen to the episode for more on that, Switzerland's mysterious fourth official language, and our team's budding idea for a horror novel staged in that region of Switzerland (we'd hate to spoil your audio appetite). If you have any questions about moving to Switzerland, or if you're a U.S. expat already in Switzerland, don't hesitate to reach out to our team.  

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