01Which legal entity will serve me?+
Ask for the company named on the contract, not only the brand. Cash, lending and investments may sit with different companies in the same group.
02Which regulator supervises that entity?+
Ask which regulator authorises the entity that will actually serve you, and in which country. A single brand can operate under more than one permission.
03Where will my cash be held?+
Ask which company takes the deposit and where the account is booked. The brand on the statement is not always the deposit-taker.
04Where will investments be custodied?+
Ask who the custodian is, how assets are registered, and whether custody sits with a different company from the one that holds cash.
05Can you continue to serve me if I move country?+
Ask before you move. A bank may continue the relationship, restrict new money or products, or stop servicing clients in the destination. It depends on the bank and the jurisdiction.
06Will I need to transfer to another booking entity?+
A move can mean the same brand asks you to contract with a different company. Ask whether that is likely, and what would have to be opened again.
07What happens to existing credit facilities if I relocate?+
Lending may be reviewed, restricted or asked to be repaid if residence changes. Ask whether the facility can continue. Any answer is subject to the bank’s credit terms.
08What currencies can I hold?+
Ask which currencies are available on the accounts you would use. Being able to hold a currency is not the same as spending, investing or borrowing in it.
09How are FX costs determined?+
Ask whether conversion uses a reference rate plus a margin, a spread, or a separate fee, and at what point the conversion happens.
10What types of lending are available?+
Ask which facilities exist for someone in your situation — for example mortgages, lending against investments, or short-term liquidity. Availability is subject to credit approval.
11What collateral does the bank accept?+
Eligible assets vary. Ask which holdings, property or other assets can support a facility, and which cannot.
12How are lending limits reviewed?+
Limits can change with collateral values, concentration and the bank’s own appetite. Ask how often a facility is reviewed and what can reduce it.
13What investment service do you provide?+
Some banks manage portfolios, some advise, some only execute, and some provide custody without advice. Ask which of those you would actually receive.
14Is investment advice independent or restricted?+
Ask whether advice can look across the wider market or is limited to the bank’s own range, and which legal entity gives it.
15Are proprietary products used?+
Ask whether investments the bank puts forward are managed by the bank or an affiliate, and how that is disclosed.
16What are the total fees and spreads?+
Ask for account fees, custody, investment charges, FX spreads and transaction charges together. This page does not publish those figures.
17Who receives commissions or referral income?+
Ask whether the bank, an affiliate or an introducer is paid when you use a product, and by whom.
18What reporting will I receive?+
Ask to see a sample that covers cash, investments, lending, income and currency, and whether those are shown together.
19Can my external advisers access information?+
Ask whether a lawyer, accountant or independent adviser can receive statements or a limited view, and what authority is required.
20What happens if my relationship manager leaves?+
Ask who else knows the relationship, and whether coverage sits with a team or only with one person.
21What happens if I no longer meet eligibility criteria?+
Ask what changes if deposits, assets or borrowing fall below the bank’s internal criteria. The relationship may not continue on the same terms.
22Can assets and cash be transferred elsewhere easily?+
Ask about notice, exit charges, whether holdings can move without being sold, and whether any product can only be held at that bank.
23Can family members be included in the relationship?+
Ask which family members can be added, what authority is required, and whether each person is a client of the same legal entity.
24How is the relationship handled if I become resident in another jurisdiction?+
Ask which permissions, products and reporting change, and whether a different entity would take over the relationship.
