NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Banking in Switzerland

Banking in Switzerland is characterized by stability, privacy and protection of clients' assets and information. The country's tradition of bank secrecy, which dates to the Middle Ages, was first codified in a 1934 law.^[1] All banks in Switzerland are regulated by the Federal Banking Commission (FBC), which derives its authority from a series of federal statutes. Bank secrecy (or bank privacy) is a legal principle under which banks are allowed to protect personal information about their customers, through the use of numbered bank accounts or otherwise. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œBankerâ€ redirects here. ...

Overview

Switzerland is an economically advanced and prosperous nation, with a gross domestic product (GDP) larger than that of some larger western European nations. In addition, the value of the Swiss franc (CHF) has been relatively stable compared to that of other currencies.^[2] In 2003, the financial sector comprised an estimated 14% of Switzerland's GDP and employed approximately 180,000 people (110,000 of whom work in the banking sector); this represents about 5.6% of the total Swiss workforce.^[3] Nominal GDP per person (capita) in 2006. ... Western Europe is distinguished from Central Europe and Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... ISO 4217 Code CHF User(s) Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione dItalia Inflation 1. ...

Swiss neutrality and national sovereignty, long recognized by foreign nations, have fostered a stable environment in which the banking sector was able to develop and thrive. Even though it is near Europe's geographical center, Switzerland maintained neutrality through both World Wars; is not a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area; and was not even a member of the United Nations until 2002.^[4]^[5] Neutrality: Neutrality in international law is the status of a nation that refrains from participation in a war between other states and maintains an impartial attitude toward the belligerents. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region or group of people, such as a nation or a tribe. ... This map shows some of the locations of claimants to the title of Centre of Europe An ongoing debate concerns where the geographical centre of Europe is to be found. ... A world war is a war affecting the majority of the worlds major nations. ... EFTA countries (except Switzerland) EU countries Together these form the EEA. The European Economic Area (EEA) came into being on January 1, 1994 following an agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union (EU). ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Currently an estimated one-third of all funds held outside their country of origin (sometimes called "offshore" funds) are kept in Switzerland. In 2001 Swiss banks managed US$ 2.6 trillion. The next year it only handled US$ 2.2 trillion, US$ 400 billion less than before. This has been attributed to both a bear market and possibly to stricter regulations on Swiss banking.^[6] 1 franco svizzero 1983 front File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1 franco svizzero 1983 front File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... A bear market is a prolonged period of time when prices are falling in a financial market. ...

The Bank of International Settlements, an organization that facilitates cooperation among the world's central banks, is headquartered in the city of Basel. Founded in 1930, the BIS chose to locate in Switzerland because of the country's neutrality, which was important to an organization founded by countries that had been on both sides of World War I.^[7] The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is a financial international organization established under the Hague agreements of 1930. ... Basel (British English traditionally: Basle and more recently Basel , German: , French: , Italian: ) is Switzerlands third most populous city (166,563 inhabitants (2004); 690,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerlands second-largest urban area as of 2003). ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ...

Foreign banks operating in Switzerland manage 870 billion Swiss francs worth of assets (as of May 2006).^[8] 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Law and regulation

The Federal Banking Commission, an independent agency of the Swiss government within the Federal Department of Finance, supervises most banking-related activities as well as securities markets and investment funds.^[9] Regulatory authority is derived from several statutes. A stock market is a market for the trading of publicly held company stock and associated financial instruments (including stock options, convertibles and stock index futures). ... Institutional fund management is fund management conducted by large financial firms such as banks, insurance companies and major investment organisations (e. ... The Statute of Grand Duchy of Lithuania A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ...

The office of the Swiss Banking Ombudsman, founded in 1993, is sponsored by the Swiss Banking Ombudsman Foundation, which was established by the Swiss Bankers Association. The ombudsman's services, which are offered free of charge, include mediation and assistance to persons searching for dormant assets. The ombudsman handles about 1,500 complaints raised against banks yearly.^[10] An ombudsman (English plural: ombudsmans or ombudsmen) is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. ... The Swiss Bankers Association is a professional organization of Swiss financial institutions. ... Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), aims to assist two (or more) disputants in reaching an agreement. ...

Statutes

Banking law of 1934

The Swiss Parliament passed the Banking Law of 1934, which codified the rules of secrecy and criminalizes violation of it. The secrecy provisions were not included in the first draft of the law, which mainly concerned administrative matters such as bank supervision. The provisions, found in Article 47(b), were added before passage of the bill due to Nazi authorities' attempts to investigate the assets of Jews and "enemies of the state" held in Switzerland.^[11] Enemy of the State is a 1998 film written by David Marconi, directed by Tony Scott, and starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet and Regina King. ...

Electronic payments

Swiss banks, as well as the post office (which handles some financial transactions) use an electronic payments system known as Swiss Interbank Clearing (SIC). The system is supervised by the Swiss National Bank and is operated via a joint venture.^[12] SIC handled over 250 million transactions in 2005, with a turnover value of 41 trillion Swiss francs.^[13] Swiss Post is the postal service of Switzerland. ... Postal savings systems were offered by many nations post offices to provide depositors who did not have access to banks a safe, convenient method to save money and to promote saving among the poor. ... Electronic money (or digital money) refers to cash and transactions using electronic means, encompassing the use of computer networks (such as the Internet) and digital stored value systems. ...

Major banks

As of 2006, there are 408 authorized banks and securities dealers,^[14] ranging from the "Two Big Banks" down to small banks serving the needs of a single community or a few special clients.

UBS AG and Credit Suisse are respectively the largest and second largest Swiss banks and account for over 50% of all deposits in Switzerland; each has extensive branch networks throughout the country and most international centers. UBS AG (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657 ) is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in Basel and ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ... The Credit Suisse Group (SWX:CSGN, NYSE: CS) is a financial services company, headquartered in ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ...

Due to their size and complexity, UBS and Credit Suisse are subject to an extra degree of supervision from the Federal Banking Commission.^[15]

UBS

UBS came into existence in June of 1998, when Union Bank of Switzerland, founded in 1862, and Swiss Bank Corporation, founded in 1872, merged. Headquartered in Zürich and Basel, it is Switzerland's largest bank. It maintains seven main offices around the world (four in the United States and one each in London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong) and branches on all five continents.^[16] UBS AG (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657 ) is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in Basel and ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ... Union Bank of Switzerland was located in Switzerland. ... Swiss Bank Corporation (German: Schweizerischer Bankverein (SBV), French: SociÃ©tÃ© de Banque Suisse (SBS), Italian:SocietÃ di Banca Svizzera) The history of the Swiss Bank Corporation (SBC) dates to 1854 and the consitution of Bankverein by which six Private Banking-houses: Bischoff zu St Alban, Ehinger & Cie. ... The phrase mergers and acquisitions or M&A refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies as well as assets. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... Basel (British English traditionally: Basle and more recently Basel , German: , French: , Italian: ) is Switzerlands third most populous city (166,563 inhabitants (2004); 690,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerlands second-largest urban area as of 2003). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ...

As of 2005, UBS had a net profit of US$7.2 billion, a market capitalization of over $100 billion, and 69,569 employees.^[17] 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Net profit is an accounting term which is commonly used in business. ... Market capitalization, or market cap, is a measurement of corporate or economic size equal to the stock price times the number of shares outstanding of a public company. ...

UBS has used the slogan "You & Us" in their marketing communication. The slogan aims to highlight the firm's client-based approach. Source: UBS branding

Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse is the second-largest Swiss bank. Based in Zürich, it was founded in 1856; its market capitalization (as of 2007) is $95.2 billion, and the company has about 40,000 employees. Credit Suisse Group offers private banking, investment banking and asset management services. It acquired The First Boston Corporation in 1988 and merged with the Winterthur insurance company in 1997; the latter was sold to AXA in 2006.^[18] The Credit Suisse Group (SWX:CSGN, NYSE: CS) is a financial services company, headquartered in ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ... First Boston Corporation was a New York-based investment bank, founded in 1932 and acquired by Credit Suisse in 1988, when it became CS First Boston. Globally referred to as Credit Suisse First Boston after 1996, the First Boston part of the name was phased out in 2006. ... Winterthur Group is a multinational insurance company founded in Winterthur Switzerland in 1875. ... Not to be confused with Sun Life Financial. ...

Central Bank

The Swiss National Bank serves as the country's central bank. Founded by the Federal Act on the Swiss National Bank (16 January 1906), it began conducting business on 20 June 1907. Its shares are publicly traded, and are held by the cantons, cantonal banks, and individual investors; the federal government does not hold any shares.^[19] Although a central bank often has regulatory authority over the country's banking system, the CNB does not; regulation is solely the role of the Federal Banking Commission.^[20] The Swiss National Bank is a central bank and responsible for the monetary policy of Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2061x1712, 656 KB) Summary Description: Hauptfront der Schweizerischen Nationalbank in Bern Source: photo taken by me, September 2005 Photographer: Baikonur Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2061x1712, 656 KB) Summary Description: Hauptfront der Schweizerischen Nationalbank in Bern Source: photo taken by me, September 2005 Photographer: Baikonur Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ...

Cantonal banks

There are, as of 2006, 24 cantonal banks; these banks are state-guaranteed semi-governmental organizations controlled by one of Switzerland's 26 cantons that engage in all banking businesses.^[21] The largest cantonal bank, the Zürich Cantonal Bank, had a 2005 net income of CHF 810 million.^[22] The logo of the cantonal banks, with the motif of the cantonal banks Cantonal banks (German: Kantonalbank, French: Banque Cantonale, Italian: Banca Cantonale) are Swiss governmental-owned commercial banks, that use the canton that they are based in question as guarantee for the assets held there. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ...

Banking privacy

Swiss bank secrecy protects private banking information; the protections afforded under Swiss law are similar to confidentiality protections between doctors and patients or lawyers and their clients. The Swiss government views the right to privacy as a fundamental principle that should be protected by all democratic countries. While secrecy is protected, in practice all bank accounts are linked to an identified individual, and a prosecutor or judge may issue a "lifting order" in order to grant law enforcement access to information relevant to a criminal investigation.^[23] Bank secrecy (or bank privacy) is a legal principle under which banks are allowed to protect personal information about their customers, through the use of numbered bank accounts or otherwise. ... Privacy has no definite boundaries and it has different meanings for different people. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ...

Taxation

Swiss law distinguishes between tax evasion and tax fraud. If any holdings are not declared to the taxation authorities, a natural or legal person commits tax evasion. Tax evasion is not considered an offence, but only a misdemeanour. It is assumed that failed declaration of one's assets is not sufficient evidence for criminal intent, as the chance of unintentional failure is too high. However, tax fraud is considered a criminal offence under Swiss law and prosecuted according to the Swiss Penal Code. A forged tax declaration, like the statement of significantly below-market valuation of real estate or the counterfeiting of bank statements, is such a criminal offence of tax fraud. This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax resistance and tax mitigation. ...

European Union

Pressure on Switzerland has been applied by several states and international organizations attempting to alter the Swiss privacy regime. The European Union, whose member countries geographically surround Switzerland, has complained about member states' nationals using Swiss banks to avoid taxation in their home countries. The EU has long sought a harmonized tax regime among its member states, although many Swiss banking officials (and, according to some polls, the public) are resisting any such changes.^[24]

Since July 1, 2005, Switzerland has charged a withholding tax on all interest earned in the personal Swiss accounts of European Union residents.^[25] is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Union withholding tax, more commonly known as the EU withholding tax is a withholding tax which is deducted from interest earned by European Union residents. ...

In 2001 and 2002, an amnesty was offered by the government of Italy in which taxes and penalties on repatriated funds were limited on funds repatriated from Switzerland; 30 to 35 billion euro worth of deposits were returned to Italy.^[26] In 2003, a similar amnesty was approved by the government of Germany.^[27] Look up Amnesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section should be merged with Italian Government Italy has been a democratic republic since June 2, 1946, when the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum (see Birth of the Italian Republic). ... â€œEURâ€ redirects here. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (in German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is a federal representative democracy. ...

United States

In January of 2003, the United States Department of the Treasury announced a new information-sharing agreement under the already extant U.S.-Swiss Income Tax Convention; the agreement is intended to facilitate more effective tax information exchange between the two countries. Said a Treasury official, "This Mutual Agreement should improve our access to needed information" under the terms of the tax treaty.^[28] The U.S. Treasury building today. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series â€œIRSâ€ redirects here. ...

Money laundering

There are several measures in place to counter money laundering. The Money Laundering Act sets forth requirements of account holders' identification, and requires reporting of any suspicious transactions to the Money Laundering Reporting Office.^[29] Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial transactions in order to conceal the identity, source and destination of the money in question. ...

According to the CIA World Factbook, Switzerland is "a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries..."^[30] However, Switzerland's cooperation in transnational financial issues has been praised by several major U.S. officials. A Federal Bureau of Investigation anti-terrorism official noted that Switzerland was one of several countries to participate in joint task forces targeting financing of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells; a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury praised Swiss cooperation and the country's assistance in the finding and freezing of terrorist and Iraqi assets.^[31] World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), serving as both a federal criminal investigative body and a domestic intelligence agency. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the finance minister of the Federal Government of the United States. ...

Numbered bank accounts

Some bank accounts are afforded an extra degree of privacy. Information concerning such accounts, known as numbered accounts, is restricted to senior bank officers, rather than being accessible to all the employees of a bank. However, the information required to open such an account is no different from that of an ordinary account; completely anonymous accounts are prohibited by law. Should a criminal investigation take place, law enforcement has access to information related to a numbered account in the same way it has access to information about any other account.^[32] Numbered bank accounts are offered by Swiss banks to the majority of their clients. ... Numbered bank accounts are offered by Swiss banks to the majority of their clients. ...

Swiss banks and World War II

Several inquiries have been made into the conduct of Swiss banks during the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany (1933–1945), especially regarding funds deposited by or stolen from victims of the Holocaust. The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly, the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ...

In October of 1996, as inquiries into the banks' activities during the Holocaust were ongoing, Swiss ambassador to the United States Carlo Jagmetti admitted that some banks prevented Holocaust survivors from accessing their funds, although he disputed the amounts claimed in lawsuits by survivors. Among those leading inquiries into the banks' conduct during the war was Alfonse D'Amato, a United States Senator from New York.^[33] United Bank of Switzerland security guard Christoph Meili became a prominent whistleblower when he prevented the destruction of Holocaust-era records and brought attention to their existence. Due to his actions, Meili lost his job and received death threats; he became the first Swiss citizen ever granted political asylum in the United States. After settling in southern California, he was honored by the Los Angeles Jewish community.^[34] Meili was supported financially by several Jewish organizations, and was offered a full scholarship at Chapman University in California.^[35]^[36] In 1998, an international panel of historians released a study that claimed a significant amount of gold had been stolen from Holocaust victims, as well as the treasuries of conquered countries, and deposited in the Swiss National Bank. The panel found that, despite evidence of theft and wrongful acquisition of the gold, the SNB continued to accept the deposits.^[37] In 2000, a United States District Court judge approved a US$1.85 billion settlement between several Swiss banks and Holocaust victims. An estimated 50,000 accounts in Switzerland were opened by victims during the Nazi regime; some banks refused to make payments to victims' families because of the lack of death certificates.^[38] However, an article published on October 13, 2001 in The Times of London claimed that the tribunal entrusted with tracing Holocaust era accounts found that only 200 of the 5,570 abandoned foreign accounts in question, containing about 12 million dollars, could be traced back to Holocaust survivors; most of the abandoned accounts were owned by wealthy gentiles, and half the accounts contained less than 1,000 francs. An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... Alfonse Marcello DAmato (born August 1, 1937) is a former New York politician. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the... â€œNYâ€ redirects here. ... Christoph Meili (born April 12, 1968) is a Swiss whistleblower. ... A whistleblower s an employee, former employee, or member of an organization, especially a business or government agency, who reports misconduct to people or entities that have the power and presumed willingness to take corrective action. ... Power lines leading to a trash dump hover just overhead in El Carpio, a Nicaraguan refugee camp in Costa Rica Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Map of the boundaries of the United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Death Certificate is the second solo album from rapper Ice Cube, released by Priority Records on October 29, 1991. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The word gentile is an anglicised version of the Latin word gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe. ...

Swiss Banks to return Abacha Funds to Nigeria

The Swiss foreign ministry says it has done all it can to ensure that funds stolen by the late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha were used properly in his homeland. Sani Abacha General Sani Abacha (Kano, 20 September 1943 â€“ Abuja, 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian politician and military leader. ...

The authorities were responding to allegations that $200 million (SFr240 million) of $700 million handed back by the Swiss Banks to Nigeria had been misappropriated.[1]

International competition

With recent changes in the Swiss bank secrecy regime, other states, such as Panama and Singapore, have attracted depositors seeking privacy and protection. Having taken steps to make its banks more attractive, Singapore strengthened penalties for violators of bank secrecy (and now imposes steeper fines and longer jail sentences for offenders), and modified its laws on trusts and inheritance. Singapore is also now the location of Credit Suisse's international banking headquarters.^[39] An offshore bank account is a bank located outside the country of residence of the depositor, typically in a low tax jurisdiction (or tax haven) that provides financial and legal advantages. ... This law-related article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Panama on the other hand, is Latin America's largest banking centre, where major international banks are located. Often criticized for alleged non-compliance of banking regulations aimed to deter money laundering, in reality the Panamanian Banking Centre is far more strict than several States of the United States and other banking centres of the Caribbean (citation required).

Trivia

This article is about the novel. ... The Depository Bank of Zurich is a fictional Geldschrankbank (secure depository facility) appearing in the 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. ... The Bourne Identity is a 1980 spy fiction thriller by Robert Ludlum about an amnesiac who must discover who he is and why several different groups, including an assassin and the CIA, are trying to kill him. ... Munich is a 2005 drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth which depicts the 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes by Black September gunmen, and the Israeli governments secret retaliation assassinations. ... (Hebrew: ×”×ž×•×¡×“ ×œ×ž×•×“×™×¢×™×Ÿ ×•×œ×ª×¤×§×™×“×™× ×ž×™×•×—×“×™×, The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations), often referred to as The Mossad (meaning The Institute), is Israels intelligence agency and is responsible for intelligence collection, counter-terrorism, covert operations such as paramilitary activities, and the facilitation of aliyah where it is banned. ... Street Fighter is a 1994 action movie based on Capcoms popular fighting game series Street Fighter. ... For the Street Fighter character known as M. Bison in Japan, see Balrog (Street Fighter). ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Inside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster, and directed by Spike Lee. ... This article is about the gemstone. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... Casino Royale, released in 2006, is the 21st film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Daniel Craig as MI6 agent James Bond. ... A high roller, also referred to as a whale in the casino industry, is an gambler who wagers large amounts of money. ... A game of Texas hold em in progress. ... This article is about the legal arrangement. ... Paul Emil Erdman (May 19, 1932-April 23, 2007 (in Sonoma County, California[1])) was one of the leading business and financial writers in the United States. ... Artemis Fowl is a teen fantasy novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. ... Artemis Fowl is a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. ... This article is about the movie. ... For the football player of the same name see Steve Martin (football player). ...

Contents

Overview

Law and regulation

Statutes

Banking law of 1934

Electronic payments

Major banks

UBS

Credit Suisse

Central Bank

Cantonal banks

Banking privacy

Taxation

European Union

United States

Money laundering

Numbered bank accounts

Swiss banks and World War II

Swiss Banks to return Abacha Funds to Nigeria

International competition

Trivia

See also

Notes

External links

Contents

Overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Law and regulation

Statutes

Banking law of 1934

Electronic payments

Major banks

UBS

Credit Suisse

Central Bank

Cantonal banks

Banking privacy

Taxation

European Union

United States

Money laundering

Numbered bank accounts

Swiss banks and World War II

Swiss Banks to return Abacha Funds to Nigeria

International competition

Trivia

See also

Notes

External links

Overview