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Switzerland has a well-deserved reputation as the country of choice for discerning customers looking to conduct their business in secrecy while still enjoying traditional Swiss attention to excellent customer service. This is why a lot of private individuals as well as overseas entities often choose to acquire a seasoned Swiss trust company as the vehicle of their long-term business operations. In this article, you will discover what a Swiss trust company is, why it is so valuable and why you should always look for vintage - rather than newly established - entities when looking to secure the benefits typically associated with them - benefits which include credibility, favorable tax regimes, discretion on behalf of authorities and qualifying for applying for listing on Frankfurt and/or Austrian stock exchanges.

A Swiss trust company is normally defined as a business entity organized to provide fiduciary services on behalf of its beneficiaries. Trust companies are frequently used for the purposes of estate administration, asset management and preservation and investment, to name a few.

Seasoned trust companies are corporations that had been active at one point, but had become dormant for one reason or another. Specialized agencies purchase and reactivate such entities, and make them available for purchase to interested parties. Upon selling the company, such agencies ensure that the buyer receives a tax and liability waiver certificate, meaning that they are able to conduct operations through the trust company without worrying about the "luggage" of what the company did or did not do in the past. Some agencies also offer bearer share certificates to further preserve and enhance the anonymity and privacy of the company's new owners.

The single most important advantage of a seasoned trust company in Switzerland over a newly incorporated entity is credibility. A seasoned Swiss shell trust is one that has been incorporated dozens of years ago (some even as far back as 1920s). When a vintage trust company such as this is acquired by new owners, it still retains its original date of incorporation, meaning that the customer can legitimately claim that his company was founded all the way back in 1920s! Needless to say, this provides immense benefits in the form of credibility, prestige and perception, enabling the client to better negotiate with financial institutions and government officials. It goes without saying, of course, that ownership of a Swiss trust shell often enables the client to benefit from advantages typically associated with doing business in Switzerland - favorable tax regimes and discretion on behalf of authorities, to name a few.

Another substantial advantage of a seasoned Swiss trust company is the ease with which it can be listed on the world's major stock exchanges. Normally, a trust company needs to be at least 25 years old before it can qualify for applying for a stock exchange listing. As a result, only genuinely vintage Swiss trust companies make the cut. Of course, it goes without saying that in addition to qualifying for an application for Frankfurt and/or Austrian stock exchanges, a vintage Swiss trust company also offers several critical benefits that make its operation easier, such as commercial accounts, merchant accounts with credit card providers and improved standing and business relationships with financial institutions, intermediaries and business partners.

Dr. Robert F. Wagner is a partner at First Fidelity Trust - a Swiss-based agency which provides vintage Swiss trust company acquisition services to discerning clients. Established in 2005, First Fidelity Trust has consistently maintained a 100% customer satisfaction record, and provides its clients with an unparalleled range of flexible, custom-tailored solutions all while respecting the privacy and the need for discretion of its clients. FFT's Swiss trust company services are available to worldwide clients without exceptions.