Through fair advice and targeted information on our products and services, we help ensure our clients are informed in a transparent, fact-based and needs-appropriate manner. To that end, we use various channels: personal as well as written communication, product labelling or our marketing and information material.

Our aim is to offer products and services that match our clients’ individual risk profile, sustainability preferences and other requirements. A key priority is the comprehensibility of our information on all communication channels and for the various stakeholders. This is centred on clear, comprehensible and transparent communication with our clients. Our financial products and services are described in such a way that risks, costs, functionality and impact can be understood.

Basic business

Zuger Kantonalbank’s basic business comprises accounts, cards, payment transactions and other key banking services. To ensure our clients always have transparent information about terms and conditions, services and functionalities, we post all relevant information on our website and in the relevant brochures and fact sheets. We always show prices, fees and product characteristics clearly and check them on a regular basis.

Lending business

The lending business is handled by specialised client advisors. To ensure they are informed about current product characteristics at all times, specific information pages with product descriptions, details of the target audience as well as references to brochures and fact sheets are available on the intranet. These documents present the product characteristics in a transparent manner and provide information that is comprehensible and easy to understand.

Investment business

We use various measures to meet disclosure obligations in the investment business, particularly in relation to investor analysis. This includes indicators on risk capacity, risk appetite as well as knowledge and experience with various investment classes. Based on this analysis, we draw up an individual risk profile. Together with the ESG preferences identified in the investor analysis, this constitutes the basis of the investment advice.

Twice a year we publish a sustainability report for our ZugerKB investment funds. The report includes details of our general ESG approach as well as the specific sustainability approach for each fund. This is complemented by various key ESG indicators, thus enabling prospective investors to view the ESG scores in relation to environment (E), social (S) and governance (G) as well as the ESG rating compared with the benchmark. The reports also show the Swiss Climate scores, which provide a transparent assessment of climate compatibility. This includes information on the fund’s greenhouse gas emissions, exposure to fossil fuels and renewable energy, global warming potential of the companies represented in the portfolio and on the proportion of companies with verified net-zero commitments. They also show whether a credible climate dialogue exists and whether the investment strategy is geared to a 1.5-degree decarbonisation path.

Inclusion of ESG criteria in our products and advice

Quality assurance

To ensure uniformly high quality of advice and avoid conflicts of interest, internal guidelines and processes are monitored and developed continuously. These including binding requirements for product selection, disclosure of relevant information and protection of client interests in all advisory situations.

All client advisors with their own clients are certified by the Swiss Association for Quality (SAQ) and receive regular training to ensure expert, legally compliant advice. The training concept used is continuously reviewed and updated to meet regulatory requirements and market developments. In addition, client feedback and internal quality controls are systematically assessed in order to identify potential weak points in the advisory process at an early stage and implement corresponding improvement measures.