My investment portfolio in Switzerland

Last updated: November 16, 2024

I keep track of my portfolio yearly updates so that everyone can understand the changes I made throughout my investing journey — including myself!

Also, since 2019, I have started testing other investment vehicles such as real estate rental investing and value investing. You can see what it looks like in the articles listed in the link above.

05.2020 => today

For several years, I limited myself to 60kUSD of my favorite VT ETF, and I bought the VWRL ETF above that amount. Indeed, I wasn’t completely sure how the US estate tax (40% potentially!) worked. Then, I finally got a professional’s confirmation that we would be fine. That is, if Mrs. MP or I were to die, we would have nothing to pay to the US tax authorities until our portfolio was worth several millions.

That’s why from now on, my ideal portfolio of 3 ETFs (of the “Bogleheads” type) looks like this:

When I say ideal, I mean that if I didn’t own shares in my Swiss-based company (not so good to have a salary and shares coming from the same company!), then I would opt for this ETF UBS SMIM.

As for the money I should have in bonds (as recommended in a Bogleheads strategy where you have your age in bonds, and the rest in shares), if I didn’t have any second or third pillar, then I would keep that part of my allocation in cash (or at worst, I would look for US bonds that still yield some 1-2% — but until when…). Because the current negative bond rates don’t tempt me at all!

Finally, if you have chosen a broker that does not offer the Vanguard VT US ETF, then I recommend that you replace it with the following alternative: Vanguard’s Irish VWRL ETF (whose ISIN is IE00B3RBWM25). N.B. if you have chosen DEGIRO as your broker, then consider buying this VWRL ETF on the Amsterdam stock exchange (known as EAM or Euronext Amsterdam), as you won’t pay any transaction fee :)

11.2016 => today

[1] I don’t own this one yet as I still haven’t enough international ETFs, but that’ll be this Swiss based ETF that I’ll buy as soon as I can [2] My current allocation has too much bonds’ money nowadays. If I’d need more of it, I’d anyway keep it as cash, until bonds’ rise up again above 0%

06.2015 => 10.2016

Update 09.08.2016: I stopped investing after our home purchase back in summer last year. The portfolio below had quite a short term view with two CHF hedged ETFs. I wouldn’t recommend an hedge ETF anymore for a long term perspective. We’re going to be back into the market later this year, and I will update this page accordingly.

01.2014 => 05.2015