Imperial Wealth Planning

08/09/2026

⚡ Electricity prices in Switzerland are set to fall again next year.

The median price for a typical household will drop by around 4% in 2027, according to the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission.

The median price will fall to CHF 0.265 per kilowatt-hour, around CHF 0.012 less than this year, mainly due to lower energy procurement costs.

Electricity prices had already fallen by around 4% this year.

The reduction should also put some downward pressure on Swiss inflation, which rose to 0.8% in August amid higher global energy prices.

The regulator says the recent rise in wholesale electricity prices linked to the Iran war has had little impact on prices secured for 2027, although the effects could become more visible in subsequent years.

04/09/2026

See you in Geneva! 🇨🇭

Join James Austin at Expat Expo Geneva on 26 September for a session on financial independence and retiring early.

You can also find the IWP team at Stand B7 throughout the event.

📣 Next in our Geneva 2026 Seminar Series

🎤 Speaker: James Austin, Founder & Director of Imperial Wealth Planning
💡 Topic: Set Your Finances on F.I.R.E.! - How to Become Financially Independent and Retire Early

State pensions can be uncertain. Private pensions can be restrictive. Long-term savings can lose value over time. In this session, James Austin, a FINMA-regulated independent financial adviser, explains how to take a more structured approach to your finances.

Discover practical ways to build lasting wealth, protect your savings, and work towards financial independence - with the goal of retiring early, on your own terms.

🕒 26 September, 16:00
📍 Expat Expo Geneva - Ramada Encore Conference Center

🎟️ Expo Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/tickets-geneva-expo-2026

01/09/2026

🇨🇭 Switzerland's economic outlook has improved, with a key indicator reaching its highest level since November 2021.

ETH Zurich's KOF Leading Indicator, which tracks the outlook for the Swiss economy, rose to 106.7, up from a revised 104.2 in July.

The increase follows surprisingly strong economic growth in the second quarter, with an initial estimate showing the Swiss economy expanded five times more than expected.

Manufacturing, some services and foreign demand were among the main drivers of the improved outlook, while indicators for private consumption remain slightly under pressure.

KOF says its barometer is now noticeably above its medium-term average and that "the outlook for the Swiss economy is positive."

28/08/2026

🏡 Buy or rent? Which makes more financial sense?

The answer might not be as straightforward as you think. 👀

📞 Book a free initial consultation with one of our experts: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-with-iwp

25/08/2026

💸 What happened to the purchasing power of $100 since 2019?

The answer varies dramatically depending on the country.

According to OECD-based data compiled by Visual Capitalist, Switzerland has seen the smallest loss of purchasing power among the 35 countries compared.

🇨🇭 Switzerland – $93.28 remaining
🇯🇵 Japan – $88.97
🇫🇷 France – $84.89
🇩🇪 Germany – $80.19
🇺🇸 United States – $77.16..
🇹🇷 Türkiye – $10.93

In other words, the equivalent of $100 in Switzerland at the end of 2019 has lost less than 7% of its purchasing power. In the US, the loss is almost 23%. At the other end of the ranking, Türkiye has lost almost 90%.

And lower inflation today doesn't reverse the price increases that have already happened.

21/08/2026

🇨🇭🇨🇳 Switzerland and China have agreed on an update to their free-trade agreement.

Under the new accord, 99.8% of Switzerland's current exports to China will receive tariff-free treatment, according to the Swiss government.

Watches, pharmaceuticals and precision instruments are among the Swiss exports set to become fully duty-free, while Swiss investors will also receive better access to the Chinese market.

China is Switzerland's third-largest trading partner after the EU and the US, with bilateral shipments worth around CHF 34 billion last year.

The deal comes as Switzerland's export-oriented economy continues to face uncertainty around US trade policy.

The updated agreement also includes stronger provisions on labour rights and environmental issues, as well as a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Formal signing is planned before the end of the year, followed by domestic approval procedures.

18/08/2026

📊 How much extra return would you demand to invest in a risky market?

The difference between countries can be enormous.

Estimates from NYU professor Aswath Damodaran put the equity risk premium at 30.9% in Belarus, Lebanon, Sudan and Venezuela – compared with just 4.2% in Switzerland.

Equity risk premiums reflect the additional return investors require for taking on equity-market risk, with country risk contributing to the differences between markets.

Among the highest in the 2026 estimates:

🇧🇾 Belarus – 30.9%
🇱🇧 Lebanon – 30.9%
🇸🇩 Sudan – 30.9%
🇻🇪 Venezuela – 30.9%

Some of the lowest:

🇨🇭 Switzerland – 4.2%
🇨🇦 Canada – 4.2%
🇩🇪 Germany – 4.2%
🇸🇬 Singapore – 4.2%
🇸🇪 Sweden – 4.2%
🇳🇱 Netherlands – 4.2%

The figures are based on estimates published earlier this year and highlight the wide differences in how risk is priced across global markets.

📞 For investing advice, book a free initial consultation with one of our experts: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-with-iwp

14/08/2026

🤖 You have 3 years to earn everything you'll ever need.

Sounds ridiculous? Maybe.

But with AI moving as fast as it is, the way we work – and earn – could look very different sooner than many of us expect.

So, what's the plan? Building financial independence might be more important than ever.

📞 Book a free initial consultation with one of our experts: https://tinyurl.com/book-a-call-with-iwp

11/08/2026

🕊️ Switzerland ranks as the world's third most peaceful country in 2026.

The latest Global Peace Index places Switzerland behind only Iceland and New Zealand, with seven European countries making the global top 10.

The index covers 163 countries and uses 23 indicators, including societal safety, ongoing conflict, political stability, terrorism and militarisation.

Top 5 in 2026:

🇮🇸 Iceland – 1st
🇳🇿 New Zealand – 2nd
🇨🇭 Switzerland – 3rd
🇸🇮 Slovenia – 4th
🇮🇪 Ireland – 5th

Outside Europe, Singapore ranks 8th and Japan 10th, while Canada is 14th.

At the other end of the index, countries affected by major conflicts and instability occupy the lowest positions, with Russia ranked last.

07/08/2026

💰 The world's biggest government debt doesn't always tell the full story.

The United States is projected to hold the world's largest government debt in 2026 at $40.7 trillion.

However, the picture changes when debt is measured against the size of the economy.

Largest government debt:

🇺🇸 United States – $40.7T
🇨🇳 China – $22.3T
🇯🇵 Japan – $9.0T

Highest debt-to-GDP:

🇯🇵 Japan – 204%
🇸🇬 Singapore – 172%
🇸🇩 Sudan – 169%