Annual Wealth Review

LEARN MORE

“Alexis, my wealth has grown nicely this year, but with the new Finance Act and my recent change in professional circumstances, I’m no longer sure my investments are still aligned with my objectives. Am I still on the wrong track?”

In the world of finance, standing still is the foremost enemy of performance. Wealth is not a fixed structure; it is a living organism, exposed to the erosion of inflation, fiscal storms and the changes of course in your personal life. Conducting a review once every ten years is like flying a plane while looking at yesterday’s weather chart.

The annual wealth review is the keystone of our support at Balmont Conseil. More than a mere formality, it is a high-precision strategic appointment that turns your wealth management into an agile navigation system. With ALTA, my Augmented Wealth Engineer, I use artificial intelligence to monitor your assets in real time, but it is during our annual wealth consultation that we validate together the decisions that safeguard your future.

Personalised analysis

What is an annual wealth review?

The annual wealth review is a periodic review of a client’s investments and legal structure. It involves scanning the entirety of your assets (property, financial, professional) and your liabilities to check that they remain consistent with your life objectives.

The difference between the one-off review & the annual review: from diagnosis to steering

Moving from a static view to dynamic management is the key to sustaining your wealth over time.

  • The One-Off Review (The Photograph): It freezes your situation at a given moment, usually around a life "shock" (inheritance, sale of assets, change in marital status). It is an essential compliance audit for correcting past mistakes and setting a sound foundation.
  • The Annual Review (The Film): It is the dashboard of your strategy. It measures the gap between your objectives and the reality of performance. This is where assets are rebalanced to keep an optimal trajectory.
  • The risk of inertia: Without revision, a financial arrangement quickly becomes obsolete. The constant evolution of taxation and markets can turn yesterday’s opportunity into today’s major risk. Ongoing monitoring ensures your advice remains agile and secure.

    • What is this regular monitoring actually for?

    The aim is to avoid any "drift" between your actual situation and your bespoke wealth strategy. This appointment serves to:
  • Maintain the consistency of your investments: Have your equities become too heavily weighted relative to your property? Should capital gains be locked in?
  • Adapt to changes: Whether legislative (a new tax, the removal of a tax break) or personal (birth, divorce, a move abroad).
  • Ensure continuous tax optimisation: Not settling for a "one-shot" tax reduction, but planning tax forecasts for the year ahead.
  • Assess risk: Checking that your asset protection remains sufficient in the face of inflation or the volatility of global markets.

    • How an annual review unfolds at Balmont Conseil

    We follow a rigorous four-step methodology, powered by our data-analysis tools:

    Step 1: Data gathering and budget analysis

    Ahead of the meeting, we consolidate your financial statements. We carry out a precise budget analysis: what has your actual income been, your effective savings capacity and the evolution of your lifestyle? This step feeds our reporting on asset performance.

    Step 2: The performance and cover audit

    We review every line of your wealth.

    • Financial: Analysis of the annual performance reports of your life insurance (AV) policies, PEA or securities accounts.
    • Property: Assessment of the net return on your rental income.
    • Protection: Audit of the cover under your protection (prévoyance) and health insurance contracts. Are they still suited to your current income?

    Step 3: The review meeting (The Human Touch)

    This is the heart of what we do. During this annual wealth consultation, we discuss your personal developments. Do you have new projects? A wish to accelerate family wealth transfer? This interaction brings the figures to life.

    Step 4: The wealth action plan

    We conclude by providing a concise document setting out the priorities for the next 12 months: portfolio rebalancing, investment switches, tax-return assistance or the implementation of new estate planning.

    The benefits: why is it a worthwhile investment?

    Informed decisions rather than emotional reactions

    The annual review allows you to rise above the media "noise". Instead of selling your shares because the press is sounding the alarm, you act in line with your bespoke wealth strategy.

    Peace of mind with the tax authorities

    Tax optimisation is painstaking work. The annual review allows you to anticipate your tax-relief needs and to prepare your tax-return assistance calmly, avoiding costly mistakes and overlooked tax credits.

    Protecting your family

    The review checks that your transfer strategy (beneficiary clauses, wills, gifts) remains aligned with the reality of your family relationships and your wealth. A poorly drafted or outdated beneficiary clause can cost your heirs tens of thousands of euros.

    For whom and by whom?

    Public recommandé

    The annual wealth review is essential for:
  • Entrepreneurs and business owners: for whom the line between professional and personal is blurred.
  • Professionals and senior executives: subject to heavy tax pressure and in need of rigorous retirement planning.
  • Families holding property assets: to monitor yields and the impact of the IFI (wealth tax on property).

    • Who can carry out this review?

    While an individual can attempt to track their assets with an Excel spreadsheet, the complexity of legal monitoring and taxation makes this a perilous exercise. Engaging an open-architecture wealth management adviser (CGP) or family office services guarantees complete objectivity and access to professional simulation tools.

    Costs and risks: the value of anticipation

    How much does it cost?

    The cost of an annual wealth audit varies according to the complexity of the case. At Balmont Conseil, we work on the basis of a transparent engagement letter or through annual support packages. Think of it as insurance: the cost of the advice is almost always lower than the tax savings generated or the performance gained through better portfolio rebalancing.

    The risks of not carrying out a review

    • Tax erosion: Paying taxes you could legally have avoided.
    • Liquidity risk: Ending up with too much property and not enough cash when you need it.
    • Succession obsolescence: Leaving an unsuitable legal framework that will create conflict or needless taxes on family wealth transfer.
    • Underperformance: Holding on to "dead" funds or investments that no longer deliver anything while the market offers better opportunities.

    FAQ: Your questions about the annual wealth review

    I already had a full review 3 years ago — is it really necessary to do it again?

    Does the annual review include help with the tax return?

    What is portfolio rebalancing?

    How does AI help with wealth monitoring?

    Take control of your financial future

    Wealth without monitoring is a ship without a rudder. The annual wealth review is the ultimate tool for turning your assets into an engine of freedom and protection for your family. Stop being at the mercy of events — anticipate them.

    Your wealth deserves elite attention.

    Book your annual review consultation and let us secure your trajectory together.

    Alexis Sagnier

    With over 17 years of expertise in financial engineering, Alexis Sagnier supports company directors and expatriates in securing their cross-border interests.

    BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

    Sources & References:

    Voir

    • French General Tax Code (CGI): Article 155 B.
    • Official Bulletin of Public Finances (BOFiP): Inbound expatriate regime (BOI-RSA-GEO-40).
    • 2025 Finance Act: Analysis of recent developments.
    • Case law on inbound expatriation: Rulings of the Conseil d'État on the reference remuneration.
    • ANACOFI Member Handbook: Standards of advice in wealth engineering.

    Ready to structure your future?

    Whether you are in Lyon or on the other side of the world, Alexis Sagnier and the Balmont Conseil team are here to listen.
    BOOK AN APPOINTMENT