ISFB Certificate
Retail Bankingking

Catalog | Retail and Corporate Banking

Context

Unique in Switzerland, this comprehensive and dense training program is aimed at both newcomers to the industry and practicing professionals wishing to update and strengthen their skills. Focused on the ability to apply the knowledge acquired directly in the workplace, the certificate covers all the topics of interest to private and corporate clients (SMEs), whether they are related to investments, assets, loans or other peripheral services.

Key objectives

  1. Manage and advise retail and SME clients in a professional manner
  2. Master the main products and services for retail and corporate customers
  3. Understand and master the key aspects of the environment (legal, tax, etc.)

Target audience

  • Specialists working in a function related to private clients (retail banking) and/or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who are destined to take on greater responsibilities and roles
  • Managers and support functions wishing to master the business and the environment related to the customer
  • People from related fields (IT, insurance, brokerage, ...)

Stakeholders

ISFB lecturers have been working in the banking and financial world, or in their respective fields, for many years and are recognized as some of the best experts in our ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland.

Organization

Program director: Frédéric Ruiz

Product Manager: Lionel Blanc

Certifications

  • 10 non-consecutive days for Part A 
  • 4 non-consecutive days for Part B
  • In person at the ISFB premises
  • Weekdays, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
  • Language : French

The certificate is composed of 15 one-evening modules:

Part A

Module 1: Economics - banking and financial systems

  • Money: the role of money in an economy; demand and supply of money; price determination; influence of money on the economic system
  • Banks: role in the economy; functions and its risks; types of banks; challenges in terms of business models
  • Macroeconomic variables: growth; inflation; historical and current situation of major economies; impact of the business cycle on financial markets and assets
  • Central banks: role and mandate of a central bank; tools of a central bank; analysis of the current environment; monetary policies (restrictive and expansive) in the international environment
  • Financial crises: historical aspects; analysis of the current context; potential risk factors

Module 2: Currencies - introduction

  • Characteristics of the foreign exchange market
  • Cross courses
  • Spot operations
  • Forward transactions
  • Purchasing Power Parity
  • Brief principles of technical analysis (concept, support/resistance, trends and turnarounds)
  • Economic variables influencing exchange rates

Module 3: Bonds - Introduction

  • Definition
  • Yield Estimation
  • Calculation of accrued interest
  • Risk factors and measures
  • Typology of obligations and specific obligations
  • Bonds and sustainable finance
  • Bond strategies

Module 4: Stock market and shares - introduction

  • The main world markets and their indices.
  • Primary market (IPO) and secondary market
  • Stock market orders and price formation
  • Operation of a stock exchange and dark pools
  • The action: Technical data
  • Classification of shares by size
  • Classification of shares by type of investment (defensive, value, growth)
  • Securities transactions and their impact on the share price (capital increase, merger, split, etc.).
  • Technical vs. fundamental analysis
  • Key figures in the evaluation of an action: the EP and the beta
  • The link between stock behaviour and position in the economic cycle

Module 5: Investment Funds - Introduction

  • The legal bases
  • How it works
  • Categories
  • Types of management
  • Swiss Taxation
  • Advantages and disadvantages
  • The analysis
  • Exercises

Module 6: Investment Strategy - Introduction

  • Fundamental financial laws (definition of risk, link between risk and return, correlation and diversification, market efficiency
  • Investment process, sources of performance, alpha and beta
  • Asset allocation vs. core satellite
  • Passive management Active management and absolute return management
  • Discretionary and advisory mandates
  • Risk and performance measures

Module 7: Compliance - introduction

  • Banking secrecy in Switzerland (Swiss Constitution, Swiss Civil Code, Article 47 of the Federal Banking Act, Law on the Harmonisation of Direct Taxes, principles of international legal cooperation, OECD Model Convention, current developments)
  • The fight against money laundering in Switzerland (Federal Banking Act, Swiss Criminal Code, Money Laundering Act and its FINMA Ordinance)

Module 8: Credits (Introduction)

  • Banks' financial intermediation function and credit securitisation
  • Types of credit, including consumer credit, leasing, Lombard credit, commitment credit
  • Nature of the covers and their purpose
  • Financing of companies according to their stage of development
  • Aims of the funding, criteria for granting and monitoring

Module 9: Sustainable Finance - Introduction

  • Sources of sustainable finance (actors, initiatives etc)
  • ESG criteria
  • Impact measures
  • Sustainable investment strategies
  • Sustainable investment vehicles

Module 10: Digital & Financial Innovation

  • History of technology in finance
  • Fintech Ecosystem
  • The main technologies and applications
  • Challenges, risks and opportunities

Part B

Module 1: Credit to SMEs

  • Understand the needs and define the type of financing
  • What information should be obtained?
  • Analysing documents: identifying obstacles & finding solutions. Study of practical cases
  • Calculating debt capacity
  • Writing a credit application
  • Monitoring credits

Module 2: Provisions

  • AHV
  • The 2nd pillar
  • Pillar 3 A and B
  • Art. 324 OR (salary protection in case of illness)
  • Overview of pension-related taxation
  • Overview of pension-related matrimonial property law
  • Overview of pension-related inheritance law
  • The main existing products

Module 3: Personal taxation

  • Tax harmonization (LHID)
  • Income tax
  • Wealth tax
  • Special taxes on income and wealth
  • Withholding tax (LIA)
  • Tax on inheritance and donation

Module 4: Practical credit cases

Module 5: Real Estate

  • The various real estate objects and their particularities
  • Types of financing
  • Evaluation of a property
  • Investing in real estate
  • Construction according to architect, general contractor or renovation
  • Tax aspects

Module 6: Business Law

  • General principles and sources of law
  • Aspects of inheritance law
  • Aspects of matrimonial law
  • Prosecution and recovery
  • The different types of contracts
  • General banking conditions

Price

CHF 5'950.00 (member price)

CHF 7'440.00 (non-member price)

The member prices apply to all ISFB member institutes and their employees.

Registrations

Please complete the online application form.

Your registration will then be considered as firm and definitive. 3 weeks before the beginning of the training, you will have access to our ISFB collaborative space, then a few days before the beginning of the training to the specific space reserved for the participants of this training.

The general conditions of the ISFB apply as soon as you validate our offer.

Opening of the next session

Kick-off: August 28, 2024 at 4 p.m.

The next session starts on September 10, 2024 at 08:30.
The full training schedule is available here.

Examination information

The validation of the certificate is done through a written exam of the QCS type (simple choice questionnaire, one and only one correct answer) of 120 minutes. The emphasis is on understanding, application and the ability to analyze and solve concrete cases using the tools and methods seen in training. Candidates are allowed to consult course materials, appendices and personal notes (open-ended exam concept)

Exam Part A - open-book - December 19, 2024
Exam Part B - open-book - February 27, 2025

Examination schedule

Application for registration