The wealth of a non-resident or an entrepreneur cannot be steered with a simple Excel spreadsheet. Between cross-border tax complexity and market volatility, your assets demand a 360° view. At Balmont Conseil, we combine advanced digital tools with open-architecture advice to turn your wealth into an architecture built for performance.
Monitoring vs advice: which wealth management solution should you choose?
Today’s market falls into three broad families. Understanding their limits is the first step to securing your financial future:
- Retail banks: often restricted to their own products (“closed architecture”), they lack responsiveness on expatriation matters.
- Tracking apps (SaaS): excellent for centralising assets and real-time monitoring (like Finary), but they do not replace tax strategy. They observe; they do not advise.
- The open-architecture wealth management firm (CGP): this is our model. We use AI for precise wealth analysis, but it is the human adviser who decides on tax and estate optimisation.
Our international wealth management offering: the 5 pillars
For an expatriate or a company director, the diversification strategy must be global. Here is how we structure your international wealth management offering:
1. Financial investments & open architecture
No more underperforming “in-house” funds. We access the world’s leading asset managers (Vanguard, BlackRock, Rothschild & Co) to build bespoke portfolios.
- Objective: optimise the return/risk trade-off in line with your investment horizon.
- The Balmont edge: algorithmic analysis to stress-test your portfolio’s resilience through market crises.
2. Assurance-vie: the “Luxembourg” version
For our non-resident clients, the French assurance-vie (life-insurance savings wrapper) is often too rigid. We favour the Luxembourg policy for its tax neutrality and full portability.
- Security: your funds are protected by the Luxembourg “Triangle of Security”.
- Flexibility: multi-currency management (EUR, USD, CHF, GBP).
3. Buy-to-let property: the true net yield
Buy-to-let property remains the French favourite, but non-resident taxation can be punishing.
- Solutions: income-generating SCPI (European ones to avoid CSG/CRDS social levies), LMNP furnished lettings with depreciation, or split of ownership (démembrement).
- Support: from sourcing the property in Lyon or elsewhere through to the legal structuring.
4. Private equity: access to unlisted assets
Long reserved for institutional investors, private equity is now within reach. It lets you decorrelate your wealth from stock markets.
- Focus: growth companies, infrastructure, institutional real estate.
- Advantage: higher return potential over the long term.
5. Retirement savings plan (PER) & international retirement
Preparing for retirement when you move between countries is a challenge. The retirement savings plan (PER) is a powerful tool to deduct your contributions from your taxable income in France while building capital for the future.
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Comparison of solutions
| Criteria | Private banks | Apps (SaaS) | Balmont Conseil |
| Fee transparency | Low (hidden commissions) | High (subscription) | Full (fee-based) |
| Expat expertise | Limited | None | Built-in specialism |
| Architecture | Closed (in-house products) | N/A | Open (global market) |
| Tax planning | Standardised | None | Surgical (Art. 155 B, 150-0 B ter) |
| Technology | Outdated | Excellent | Hybrid (AI + expert) |
How to choose your wealth management solution
The choice depends on two factors: your assets under management and the complexity of your situation.
- “Solo” profile (wealth < €150k): a good tracking tool and low-cost ETFs may be enough.
- “Strategist” profile (expatriates, company directors, wealth > €300k): the support of a wealth management adviser becomes essential. Why? Because a single mistake on an international tax treaty can cost you more than ten years of advisory fees.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is advisory support preferable to software?
Software analyses the past. An adviser plans the future. AI can aggregate your accounts, but it cannot advise you on setting up a Pacte Dutreil or optimising an exit tax before moving to the USA.
What are the fees of an international wealth management firm?
At Balmont, we champion transparency. Our fees are set according to the complexity of the case (initial audit) and we focus on returns net of fees. See our Pricing page here.
Can you invest in private equity as a non-resident?
Yes — and it is an excellent diversification lever. We select funds eligible for expatriates, offering specific tax advantages or neutralised taxation.
Conclusion:
Your wealth deserves better than a “standard” solution. Whether you are in Lyon, Dubai or Singapore, Balmont Conseil brings you the rigour of wealth planning and the flexibility of modern tools.
Ready to take the next step?
Book your AI Wealth Diagnostic (3 min) and let’s talk about your project.
Sources & references:
- French Monetary and Financial Code — obligations of financial investment advisers.
- International tax treaties (OECD).
- ANACOFI annual report on the evolution of independent advice.