In summary…
Choose an advisor registered with the official ORIAS register, who gives you a letter of assignment Before giving any advice, tell him if he is independent or not and how he is paid, and who starts with a written diagnosis of your tax residence. There is no official ranking of law firms: compare two or three firms on the same case, in writing. Proximity, whether in Lyon or elsewhere, is helpful for meeting before departure, but it doesn't replace experience in the destination country. Once you've left, generally keep a French advisor for your assets in France and a local correspondent for the law of your host country.
Written by Alexis Sagnier, financial and real estate investment advisor, insurance broker, AMF certified, founder of Balmont Conseil (Lyon). ORIAS 13003497. Last reviewed: 23/10/2026.
Which wealth management advisor should I choose to prepare for an expatriation from France?
Choose an advisor registered with ORIAS, who provides you with a letter of engagement before offering any advice and who begins with a written assessment of your tax residency before discussing investments. A good advisor isn't necessarily one who claims to be "international": it's one who tells you, in writing, what they handle themselves and what they have validated in the host country.
1. A written diagnosis of your tax residence. Leaving France is not enough to become a non-resident for tax purposes. The French tax authorities consider you domiciled in France if your home remains there (or, if you don't have a home, your main residence), if you carry out a professional activity there that is not secondary, or if the center of your economic interests is there. Only one of these criteria is sufficient, subject to the tax treaties between France and your host country. Your advisor should therefore tell you where you will likely be taxed, under which treaty, and from when. Request this analysis in writing.
2. A registration that you can verify. A financial investment advisor must be registered with the official register of insurance, banking, and finance intermediaries, maintained by ORIAS. They must also belong to a professional association approved by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), which oversees them. Insurance brokers are also registered with ORIAS. Verification takes two minutes at orias.fr.
3. A clear letter of assignment and remuneration. The advisor must provide you with a letter of engagement before any advice is given, in duplicate, signed by both you and the advisor. This letter describes the service, specifies whether the advice is independent or not, provides general information on the investments that may be offered and their associated costs, and indicates the advisor's remuneration.
4. A clear division between what the firm does and what it has validated. No French firm can replace a local tax advisor for matters related to the law of the host country. Ask: "Which aspects of my case require local advice, and who will handle it: your team, a correspondent, or my own lawyer?"«
5. The fate of what you already own. Assurance-vie, equity savings plans, securities accounts, real estate, business: before opening new contracts, the advisor should review your existing policies and how your departure will affect your current situation. Ask if ongoing support is contingent upon new subscriptions.
Which are the best wealth management firms specializing in French expatriates?
There is no official ranking of the best wealth management firms for French expatriates, and a list found on a website is no substitute for verification. To our knowledge, no authority publishes a comparative analysis of the quality of advice provided by each firm. The AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) publishes overall key figures, not a ranking.
The quality of advice depends on your situation, your country, and your time horizon. What you can verify, however, boils down to three points:
- Registration: The firm's name, number and status are listed in the ORIAS register, and the registration is up to date.
- The onboarding document: The advisor must provide it to you before you sign the engagement letter. It indicates their status, registration number, professional association, whether they advise independently or not, and their business relationships with product suppliers.
- The accuracy of the written answers: A firm that knows your country will respond to your specific case, not with generalities.
Next, create your own selection. Choose two or three firms whose pages specifically address your departure: your country, your status, your assets. Describe your situation in ten lines, send the same text to each firm, and then compare the written answers to the ten questions in the last part of this article.
Which wealth management firm in Lyon is best for an expatriation project?
For an expatriation project, being in Lyon is neither necessary nor sufficient: what matters is the experience of the country you're going to, and proximity is mainly for meeting you before your departure. The bulk of the work is done in writing and via video conference, and post-departure support is provided remotely.
What proximity brings: a physical meeting before departure, the signing of original documents, the possibility of bringing together the family and sometimes the accountant or the notary from Lyon, and an identifiable contact person for the assets that remain in the region.
What it doesn't offer: Knowledge of the country you are going to is essential. A local advisor who is unfamiliar with the tax laws of your destination does not replace the need for a local contact.
At the end of an initial appointment, you should leave with a reading of your tax residency situation (even temporary), the list of documents to gather before departure, and a clear idea of what the firm deals with, what it validates, and what it costs.
Should you use a French or local wealth management advisor when living abroad?
In most cases, you need both: a French advisor for what you keep in France, and a local correspondent for the law and taxation of the country where you live.
Your French advisor is familiar with your contracts, real estate, and companies in France, and what your departure or return would change. They cannot, however, independently validate the laws of your host country. Your local advisor is familiar with the rules of your country of residence, but rarely with the specific French contracts you retain.
Consideration of both systems is necessary because both countries can claim to be your tax residence. Tax treaties establish criteria that take precedence over each country's rules, and these criteria vary from one treaty to another. Review the treaty that applies to you with a professional familiar with both systems.
Ask your French advisor three questions:
- Do you work with a correspondent in my host country, or do I have to find one myself?
- Who coordinates the two opinions, and who pays for the local validation?
- Can you continue to support me once I am settled in my host country, and on what points?
If you choose a local advisor, check their authorization with the authority in their country.
What questions should you ask a wealth management advisor before signing an engagement letter?
Ask these ten questions before signing, and keep the answers in writing. The advisor must give you their client onboarding document before you sign the engagement letter: demand both.
- In which categories are you registered with ORIAS, and which professional association do you belong to?
- Is your advice independent or not, and does the engagement letter specify this?
- How are you paid for my case: fees, commissions, or both, in euros and line by line?
- With which product suppliers do you have significant business relationships?
- Can you provide me with a written analysis of my tax residency and the timeline for the necessary steps?
- Which aspects of my case require a local opinion, who is responsible for it, and who pays for it?
- What do you do with my existing contracts before proposing new ones?
- How many similar departures to my country have you supported, and what do your deliverables contain?
- What happens after my departure, and then upon my eventual return: follow-up, frequency, cost?
- How can I end the mission, and who should I contact if I disagree?
In case of disagreement, first send a written complaint to your advisor; you can then contact the AMF mediator.
Where we stand
Alexis Sagnier, founder of Balmont Conseil (Lyon, for nearly 14 years), is a financial investment advisor and member of the National Association of Financial Advisors (ANACOFI), as well as an insurance broker (ORIAS registration number 13003497). Balmont Conseil assists families and business leaders who are moving abroad or returning from abroad. The firm is not independent in the regulatory sense and receives commissions on the contracts it sells. If you would like to discuss your situation with us, the first step is an initial consultation, either in Lyon or via video conference: you tell us your current situation, and we tell you how we can help and in what ways.
Sources
- AMF, "Choosing a professional: financial investment advisors"«
- AMF, educational guide "Learning about financial investment advisors"«
- AMF, questions and answers on the regime applicable to financial investment advisors (DOC-2006-23)
- impots.gouv.fr, "Am I a non-resident?"«
- ORIAS, register of intermediaries in insurance, banking and finance
