The glossaryDiscretionary mandate
A discretionary mandate is an investment arrangement in which a client authorises a professional asset manager — usually a bank or wealth manager — to make investment decisions on their behalf, within a pre-agreed strategy and risk profile. The client doesn’t approve each trade; the manager has the discretion to act. The opposite is an advisory mandate, where every decision requires client sign-off. Discretionary mandates suit investors who want professional management without day-to-day involvement. Alpian’s investment mandates open from a CHF 2’000 minimum — bringing private-banking-quality discretionary investing to the mass affluent, instead of the CHF 500’000+ traditionally required.
Last verified: May 2026