As we move through 2026, the financial world in Switzerland is changing. While we have new rules like the "13th AHV pension" and the ability to make "catch-up" payments to your Pillar 3a, wealthy families are looking for even smarter ways to stay organized. One of the most talked-about tools this year is PPLI insurance. Even though it has a long name—Private Placement Life Insurance—it is actually a very simple and clever way to hold your money.

Think of PPLI insurance as a high-tech "money basket." Normally, if you own stocks in the US, a business in Zurich, and gold in a vault, you have to manage them all separately. This means lots of different tax forms and high fees. With PPLI insurance, you put all these different investments into one "insurance basket." Legally, the basket belongs to an insurance company, but you are the one who benefits from everything inside it. This small change in ownership makes a huge difference for three simple reasons.

First, it is tax-friendly. In Switzerland, we are seeing more focus on how wealth is taxed. When your investments are inside a PPLI basket, they can grow without being taxed every single year. Imagine your money is a plant. Instead of the government cutting off a leaf every year (taxes), the plant is allowed to grow full and strong inside a greenhouse (the PPLI wrapper). You only deal with the taxes much later, which allows your wealth to grow much faster in the meantime.

Finally, PPLI is built for global families. Many people in Switzerland today have children living abroad or businesses in other countries. Moving your wealth can be a nightmare of paperwork. Because PPLI is recognized as a standard insurance contract all over the world, it is "portable." For families in Switzerland who want to make sure their hard work lasts for the next generation, PPLI is the ultimate "Swiss Army Knife" for their wealth. Since we are seeing more people use these "wrappers" for non-traditional assets like private company shares, are you interested in how this might work for a family-owned business?