Private Banking

Trust through responsibility – How a bank operates in a regulated environment

A bank that lives and breathes responsibility.

Introduction

In an age of increasing economic complexity, trust is the most valuable currency. Banks in Austria are supervised by the FMA, the Austrian National Bank and the European Central Bank. This system protects customer funds, ensures stability and requires every bank to demonstrate a high degree of integrity, transparency and responsibility. But regulation is more than just control – it is an expression of a shared understanding of responsibility between individuals, communities and institutions.

The role of the bank

A responsible bank does not view regulations as a restriction, but as an obligation to serve its customers with the utmost care. It operates in an environment of clear legal frameworks – such as WAG 2018, MiFID II, PRIIPs, money laundering and data protection regulations – and sees this as an opportunity to enhance quality and trust. Every rule strengthens the reliability and transparency of the relationship between the bank, the advisor and the customer.

For customers

Laws and supervisory structures protect investors. They ensure that investment decisions are based on comprehensible information and that risks are explained in an understandable way. When a bank informs customers about the opportunities, risks and costs of a financial product, it is not only fulfilling a legal obligation – it is also laying the foundation for informed, self-determined decisions.

Regulation therefore creates closeness rather than distance: it gives customers the assurance that their assets are being managed in accordance with clear ethical and legal principles.

For advisors

Advisors are at the interface between customers and banks. They are responsible for understanding customers' needs and acting within the framework of legal requirements. A bank that supports its advisors – through training, digital tools and clear processes – enables advice to be provided at the highest professional level. Compliance is also an expression of integrity.

Culture of responsibility

True responsibility arises where people, institutions and communities interact. A bank that is committed to the legal framework sees itself as part of a social process in which transparency, fairness and trust form the basis for progress. Regulation not only creates rules, but also space for growth – in thinking, in action and in cooperation.

Conclusion

Trust arises when principles and people work together. A bank that lives up to its responsibilities fulfils legal requirements not only out of duty, but out of conviction: it understands regulation as a service to people and society. In this way, compliance becomes an expression of lived ethics and a long-term partnership between individuals, communities and institutions.

“As humanity emerges from childhood and approaches its collective maturity, the need for a new understanding of the relationships between the individual, the community, and the institutions of society becomes ever more pressing…” (Universal House of Justice, Message to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, 28 December 2010)

Why not the best? - The best for every customer

We firmly believe that every customer should have access to the best investment products on the market.

Nowadays, customers have a wealth of readily-available information on financial products. Nevertheless, we are convinced that qualified advice from a financial expert is essential. Only in this way can it be ensured that customers are able to make the best possible decisions.