What is the security level of Raiffeisen?

Customers at the Raiffeisen counter: Many are worried about the downgrading of the rating. Photo: Keystone

One hears gradually that the Raiffeisenbank is no longer safe. We have more than 150,000 francs of money at Raiffeisen and we ask if we should withdraw the money and place it with another bank. How do you evaluate the security of the Raiffeisen bank? PC

The downgrade of Raiffeisen Switzerland by the international rating agency Moody's to Aa3 with a negative outlook was a negative signal and has a negative impact on the price of bonds outstanding in the group.

this debt financing will become more expensive in the future. Because investors want more interest for more risk.

Raiffeisen still has a grade of A, and its obligations are therefore of good quality for institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies.

it was an additional ranking in the BBB area. Then, some investors would separate from their Raiffeisen bonds. Nothing indicates for the moment that this will happen, even if the critical report of the Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority Finma alarmed many investors

For investors, less of the past that the future is crucial: Raiffeisen must face the shortcomings and the lack of supervision working on the past even further, which may provoke passionate discussions at the next meeting of delegates.

It is important, however, that current leaders have taken corrective action and greatly improved supervision. The errors are known to the management of today as well as the board of directors and, as far as I can judge from the outside, corrected.

It must be shown to what extent reputational damage has a major impact on operations. Up to now, at least, the Raiffeisen group has been operating under excellent conditions and recorded record figures last year.

Commercial operations should not go without negative consequences. From my point of view, there is no reason for this, especially since the individual cooperatives work hard regardless of what happened at headquarters.

For you as a customer of one of these cooperatives First of all, how much your local bank is doing. In addition, the legal protection of deposits applies: As a result, deposits of up to 100,000 francs per customer are guaranteed by Esisuisse deposit insurance.

Your money would not be simply lost. In the worst case – but I do not expect it – the share above the guaranteed amount of 100,000 francs would be compromised

In general, I advise the diversification of bank deposits, as much more than the protection of Franks deposits is limited and in a bankruptcy of several banks would be barely enough.

In my opinion, you should as much as possible to any bank of liquid funds of more than 100,000 francs just parked in the account. First, except in the case of cantonal banks benefiting from a full government guarantee, they carry an increased risk.

And second, you have virtually no interest in money. Diversify or invest some of the money in securities such as funds, bonds or stocks.

You can get a little more return based on risk appetite and reduce the risk of filing even in bankruptcy.