London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

UBS Plans Higher Fees to Push Rich Clients Out of Costly Cash

UBS Plans Higher Fees to Push Rich Clients Out of Costly Cash

UBS Group AG plans to increase charges for international wealth management clients located abroad and holding deposits in Switzerland, broadening its efforts to reduce costly cash holdings as negative interest rates persist.
Starting next year, the bank will charge wealth clients who don’t live in Switzerland 330 Swiss francs ($360) a month for holding cash deposits of 500,000 francs or less, according to a pricing list published on its website. Previously, the bank was charging clients about that amount for the year, a person familiar with the pricing details said.

At the end of June, depositors were given six months to decide whether to move a substantial amount of their holdings into investments or use other UBS services or face the increased charges, the person said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.

UBS and global peers have seen their profitability hurt by half a decade of negative interest rates, which effectively make banks pay for holding clients’ cash. Many European lenders are pushing clients to use more investment products after a recession sparked by the coronavirus pandemic increases the probability that rates will stay low or negative for the foreseeable future.

Holding large amounts of cash in a negative interest rate environment is a value destructive strategy for both the client and banks, according to a UBS spokesman, who declined to comment on the new charges. The bank is discussing alternatives with some depositors who live abroad and hold large cash balances in Switzerland, he said.

Swiss blog Insideparadeplatz reported the fees earlier.

While the Swiss National Bank in March reduced the burden from negative rates on lenders, UBS has moved forward with cost-saving initiatives and increased lending to improve profitability. UBS’s policy of passing on negative rates to rich clients, which began last year, contributed to $16 billion in outflows during the first quarter.

To stem the outflows, the bank earlier this year started offering some of its wealthiest clients in Switzerland a payment holiday of several months if they plan to eventually invest some of their cash holdings, people familiar with the matter said earlier.

UBS has been sharing the cost of negative interest rates with clients who have more than 500,000 euros or 2 million francs in cash deposits. In April, the bank lowered the deposit threshold for charging clients in Germany to 500,000 euros from 1 million euros.

Credit Suisse Group AG has also shared the burden of negative interest rates with clients. It charges for deposits of more than 2 million francs and 1 million euros.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×