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PPLI.com Bank Intelligence

Offshore private banks, rated for families who bank abroad

PPLI.com has one of the largest readerships of ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices and their advisers. Hardly a week goes by without one of them asking us about a bank: is it sound, can it handle a complicated family structure, how did it behave when things went wrong? This rating is how we answer. It draws on our own research and on a survey of several hundred ultra-high-net-worth clients about the banks they use.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSCUnited Arab Emirates
Bank of Singapore Limited, DIFC BranchUnited Arab Emirates
Emirates NBD Bank (P.J.S.C.)United Arab Emirates
First Abu Dhabi Bank P.J.S.C.United Arab Emirates
HSBC Bank Middle East LimitedUnited Arab Emirates
Julius Baer (Middle East) LimitedUnited Arab Emirates
Mashreqbank PSCUnited Arab Emirates
Standard Chartered Bank, DIFC BranchUnited Arab Emirates
UBS AG Dubai BranchUnited Arab Emirates
The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son LimitedBermuda
Clarien Bank LimitedBermuda
HSBC Bank Bermuda LimitedBermuda
CIBC Caribbean Bank (Bahamas) LimitedBahamas
Deltec Bank & Trust LimitedBahamas
Pictet Bank & Trust LimitedBahamas
Arab Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.Switzerland
Banque Audi (Suisse) SASwitzerland
Barclays Bank (Suisse) SASwitzerland
Banque Cantonale de GenèveSwitzerland
Banque Cantonale VaudoiseSwitzerland
Bordier & Cie SCmASwitzerland
CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SASwitzerland
Citibank (Switzerland) AGSwitzerland
Banque Cramer & Cie SASwitzerland
Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SASwitzerland
Edmond de Rothschild (Suisse) S.A.Switzerland
EFG Bank AGSwitzerland
Goldman Sachs Bank AGSwitzerland
Gonet & Cie SASwitzerland
Habib Bank AG ZürichSwitzerland
HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SASwitzerland
Hyposwiss Private Bank Genève SASwitzerland
J.P. Morgan (Suisse) SASwitzerland
Bank Julius Bär & Co. AGSwitzerland
LGT Bank (Schweiz) AGSwitzerland
Banque Lombard Odier & Cie SASwitzerland
Mirabaud & Cie SASwitzerland
Banque Pictet & Cie SASwitzerland
Piguet Galland & Cie SASwitzerland
Intesa Sanpaolo Wealth Management SASwitzerland
Rothschild & Co Bank AGSwitzerland
Bank J. Safra Sarasin AGSwitzerland
Banque Syz SASwitzerland
Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SASwitzerland
UBS Switzerland AGSwitzerland
Bank Vontobel AGSwitzerland
Zürcher KantonalbankSwitzerland
Arbuthnot Latham & Co., LimitedUnited Kingdom
Barclays Bank PLCUnited Kingdom
Coutts & CompanyUnited Kingdom
C. Hoare & Co.United Kingdom
HSBC UK Bank plcUnited Kingdom
Lloyds Bank plcUnited Kingdom
UBS AG (London Branch)United Kingdom
Weatherbys Bank LimitedUnited Kingdom
Barclays Bank PLC, Guernsey BranchGuernsey
Butterfield Bank (Channel Islands) LimitedGuernsey
HSBC Bank plc, Guernsey BranchGuernsey
Investec Bank (Channel Islands) LimitedGuernsey
Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Guernsey BranchGuernsey
Royal Bank of Canada (Channel Islands) Limited, Guernsey BranchGuernsey
Bank of Singapore Limited, Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
BNP Paribas, Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
Bank of China (Hong Kong) LimitedHong Kong
Citibank, N.A., Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
DBS Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedHong Kong
Goldman Sachs Asia Bank LimitedHong Kong
Hang Seng Bank LimitedHong Kong
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation LimitedHong Kong
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
LGT Bank AG, Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
Morgan Stanley Bank Asia LimitedHong Kong
Banque Pictet & Cie SA, Hong Kong BranchHong Kong
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedHong Kong
UBS AG (Hong Kong Branch)Hong Kong
Barclays Bank PLC, Isle of Man BranchIsle of Man
Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Isle of Man BranchIsle of Man
Nedbank Private Wealth LimitedIsle of Man
Santander Financial Services plc, Isle of Man BranchIsle of Man
Standard Bank Isle of Man LimitedIsle of Man
Barclays Bank PLC, Jersey BranchJersey
Butterfield Bank (Channel Islands) Limited, Jersey BranchJersey
HSBC Bank plc, Jersey BranchJersey
Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited, Jersey BranchJersey
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Jersey BranchJersey
Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Jersey BranchJersey
Nedbank Private Wealth Limited, Jersey BranchJersey
Royal Bank of Canada (Channel Islands) LimitedJersey
Santander Financial Services plc, Jersey BranchJersey
Standard Bank Jersey LimitedJersey
Butterfield Bank (Cayman) LimitedCayman Islands
Cayman National Bank Ltd.Cayman Islands
CIBC Caribbean Bank (Cayman) LimitedCayman Islands
RBC Royal Bank (Cayman) LimitedCayman Islands
Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) LtdCayman Islands
Bank Frick AGLiechtenstein
BENDURA BANK AGLiechtenstein
Kaiser Partner Privatbank AGLiechtenstein
LGT Bank AGLiechtenstein
Liechtensteinische Landesbank AktiengesellschaftLiechtenstein
VP Bank AGLiechtenstein
Banque de Luxembourg S.A.Luxembourg
BGL BNP Paribas S.A.Luxembourg
Banque Internationale à Luxembourg S.A.Luxembourg
Edmond de Rothschild (Europe)Luxembourg
J.P. Morgan SE, Luxembourg BranchLuxembourg
Lombard Odier (Europe) S.A.Luxembourg
Bank Pictet & Cie (Europe) AG, succursale de LuxembourgLuxembourg
Quintet Private Bank (Europe) S.A.Luxembourg
Société Générale LuxembourgLuxembourg
UBS Europe SE, Luxembourg BranchLuxembourg
Andbank Monaco SAMMonaco
Barclays Bank PLC, Monaco branchMonaco
CFM Indosuez Wealth (société anonyme monégasque)Monaco
CMB Monaco (société anonyme monégasque)Monaco
Edmond de Rothschild (Monaco)Monaco
Bank Julius Baer (Monaco) S.A.M.Monaco
Rothschild & Co Wealth Management MonacoMonaco
Société Générale Private Banking (Monaco) S.A.M.Monaco
UBS (Monaco) S.A.Monaco
Bank of Singapore LimitedSingapore
BNP Paribas, Singapore BranchSingapore
Bordier & Cie (Singapore) Ltd.Singapore
CIMB Bank Berhad, Singapore BranchSingapore
Citibank, N.A., Singapore BranchSingapore
DBS Bank Ltd.Singapore
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Singapore BranchSingapore
EFG Bank AG, Singapore BranchSingapore
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Singapore BranchSingapore
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Singapore BranchSingapore
Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Singapore BranchSingapore
LGT Bank (Singapore) Ltd.Singapore
Lombard Odier (Singapore) Ltd.Singapore
Maybank Singapore LimitedSingapore
Morgan Stanley Bank Asia Limited, Singapore BranchSingapore
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation LimitedSingapore
Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) LimitedSingapore
Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA, Singapore BranchSingapore
UBS AG, Singapore BranchSingapore
United Overseas Bank LimitedSingapore
VP Bank Ltd Singapore BranchSingapore
The Bank of New York MellonUnited States
Bank of America, National AssociationUnited States
Citibank, N.A.United States
Goldman Sachs Bank USAUnited States
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationUnited States
Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National AssociationUnited States
The Northern Trust CompanyUnited States
Safra National Bank of New YorkUnited States
Wells Fargo Bank, National AssociationUnited States

151banking profiles researched, 45 rated

98regulatory and court decisions against licence holders

15booking centres

From the questions of our readers to a rating they can use

The questions we receive

Families and their advisers write to us every week about banks. They want to know where their assets are protected, which banks can look after trusts, holding companies and family offices, which work well with outside managers, and how a bank behaves once something goes wrong.

The research behind it

We follow 80 banks and banking groups in 15 booking centres. We look at the legal entity that actually books the account: what regulators and courts have decided about it, the law that protects client assets there, the services and costs it publishes, and who owns it.

What clients told us

Several hundred ultra-high-net-worth clients answered our survey about their banks: how quickly they respond, how well they know their business, onboarding, fees, and how they handled a difficult moment. That experience counts for a great deal in every rating.

Every rating is signed by Noam Cohen, Editor, Bank Intelligence.

The method

Built for ultra-high-net-worth families

We only look at what a wealthy family and its advisers need to know before placing assets with a bank abroad. Retail products, branch networks and apps don't come into it, and lending counts as a service, Lombard loans for example, not on price. The editors then weigh this research against what clients tell us and the service they get, and settle on one rating. It is our opinion, and we sign it.

Conduct and enforcement

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have concluded about this licence holder in recent years.

Protection of client assets

Whether custody assets are ring-fenced by law in the booking centre, whether deposits are protected, and whether the custody terms can be read before signing.

Service for complex families

The breadth of private banking services the bank publishes for this booking unit, including work with external managers and family offices.

Cost transparency

Whether a prospective client can see the tariff and the bank's policy on third party payments before asking.

Ownership and control

Whether the bank's owners are public, how official assessments rate the anti-money-laundering regime of any owner's home jurisdiction, and whether a politically exposed person holds a significant stake. The same test applies to every bank.

Client opinions and service

What clients and their advisers tell us in confidence, and the service the bank actually gives to families.

This is not a credit rating and not a forecast of failure. How we rate · Find banks for your situation · Compare banks