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You are not a client but would like to have more information about Societe Generale Private Banking? Please fill in the form below.

Local contacts

France: +33 (0)1 53 43 87 00 (9am - 6pm)
Luxembourg: +352 47 93 11 1 (8:30am - 5:30pm)
Monaco: +377 97 97 58 00 (9/12am - 2/5pm)
Switzerland: Geneva +41 22 819 02 02
& Zurich +41 44 218 56 11 (8:30am - 5:30pm)

You would like to contact us about the protection of your personal data?

Please contact the Data Protection Officer of Societe Generale Private Banking France by sending an email to the following address: protectiondesdonnees@societegenerale.fr.

Please contact the Data Protection Officer of Societe Generale Luxembourg by sending an email to the following address: lux.dpooffice@socgen.com.

For customers residing in Italy, please contact BDO, the external provider in charge of Data Protection, by sending an email to the following address: lux.dpooffice-branch-IT@socgen.com

Please contact the Data Protection Officer of Societe Generale Private Banking Monaco by sending an email to the following address: list.mon-privmonaco-dpo@socgen.com

Please contact the Data Protection Officer of Societe Generale Private Banking Switzerland by sending an email to the following address : ch-dataprotection@socgen.com

You need to make a claim?

Societe Generale Private Banking aims to provide you with the best possible quality of service. However, difficulties may sometimes arise in the operation of your account or in the use of the services made available to you.

Your private banker  is your privileged contact to receive and process your claim.

 If you disagree with or do not get a response from your advisor, you can send your claim to the direction  of Societe Generale Private Banking France by email to the following address: FR-SGPB-Relations-Clients@socgen.com or by mail to: 

Société Générale Private Banking France
29 boulevard Haussmann CS 614
75421 Paris Cedex 9

Societe Generale Private Banking France undertakes to acknowledge receipt of your claim within 10 (ten) working days from the date it is sent and to provide you with a response within 2 (two) months from the same date. If we are unable to meet this 2 (two) month deadline, you will be informed by letter.

In the event of disagreement with the bank  or of a lack of response from us within 2 (two) months of sending your first written claim, or within 15 (fifteen) working days for a claim about a payment service, you may refer the matter free of charge, depending on the nature of your claim, to:  

 

The Consumer Ombudsman at the FBF

The Consumer Ombudsman at the Fédération Bancaire Française (FBF – French Banking Federation) is competent for disputes relating to services provided and contracts concluded in the field of banking operations (e.g. management of deposit accounts, credit operations, payment services etc.), investment services, financial instruments and savings products, as well as the marketing of insurance contracts.

The FBF Ombudsman will reply directly to you within 90 (ninety) days from the date on which she/he receives all the documents on which the request is based. In the event of a complex dispute, this period may be extended. The FBF Ombudsman will formulate a reasoned position and submit it to both parties for approval.

The FBF Ombudsman can be contacted on the following website: www.lemediateur.fbf.fr or by mail at:

Le Médiateur de la Fédération Bancaire Française
CS 151
75422 Paris CEDEX 09

 

The Ombudsman of the AMF

The Ombudsman of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF - French Financial Markets Authority) is also competent for disputes relating to investment services, financial instruments and financial savings products.

For this type of dispute, as a consumer customer, you have therefore a choice between the FBF Ombudsman and the AMF Ombudsman. Once you have chosen one of these two ombudsmen, you can no longer refer the same dispute to the other ombudsman.

The AMF Ombudsman can be contacted on the AMF website: www.amf-france.org/fr/le-mediateur or by mail at:

Médiateur de l'AMF, Autorité des Marchés Financiers
17 place de la Bourse
75082 PARIS CEDEX 02
FRANCE


The Insurance Ombudsman

The Insurance Ombudsman is competent for disputes concerning the subscription, application or interpretation of insurance contracts.

The Insurance Ombudsman can be contacted using the contact details that must be mentioned in your insurance contract.

To ensure that your requests are handled effectively, any claim addressed to Societe Generale Luxembourg should be sent to:

Private banking Claims department
11, Avenue Emile Reuter
L-2420 Luxembourg

Or by email to clienteleprivee.sglux@socgen.com and for customers residing in Italy at societegenerale@unapec.it

The Bank will acknowledge your request within 10 working days and provide a response to your claim within 30 working days of receipt. If your request requires additional processing time (e.g. if it involves complex research), the Bank will inform you of this situation within the same 30-working day timeframe.

In the event that the response you receive does not meet your expectations, we suggest the following:

Initially, you may wish to contact the Societe Generale Luxembourg Division responsible for handling claims, at the following address:

Corporate Secretariat of Societe Generale Luxembourg
11, Avenue Emile Reuter
L-2420 Luxembourg

If the response from the Division responsible for claims does not resolve the claim, you may wish to contact Societe Generale Luxembourg's supervisory authority, the “Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier”/“CSSF” (Luxembourg Financial Sector Supervisory Commission):

By mail: 283, Route d’Arlon L-1150 Luxembourg
By email:
direction@cssf.lu

Any claim addressed to Societe Generale Private Banking Monaco should be sent by e-mail to the following address: servicequalite.privmonaco@socgen.com or by mail to our dedicated department: 

Societe Generale Private Banking Monaco
Middle Office – Service Réclamation 
11 avenue de Grande Bretagne
98000 Monaco

The Bank will acknowledge your request within 2 working days after receipt and provide a response to your claim within a maximum of 30 working days of receipt. If your request requires additional processing time (e.g. if it involves complex researches…), the Bank will inform you of this situation within the same 30-working day timeframe. 

In the event that the response you receive does not meet your expectations, we suggest to contact the Societe Generale Private Banking Direction that handles the claims by mail at the following address: 

Societe Generale Private Banking Monaco
Secrétariat Général
11 avenue de Grande Bretagne 
98000 Monaco

Any claim addressed to the Bank can be sent by email to:

sgpb-reclamations.ch@socgen.com
 

Clients may also contact the Swiss Banking Ombudsman: 

www.bankingombudsman.ch

 

Philanthropy and the arts: what role can contemporary wealth management play?

For centuries, benefactors have naturally gravitated towards the arts and culture. Nowadays, around the world, this patronage is increasingly valuable, with over $1.7 trillion(1) in collectibles (primarily art) held by UHNW individuals(2) , and $1.5 trillion(3) in financial assets entrusted to private foundations. When love for the arts and a generous intention come together, what role can Private Banking’s wealth management play to give their clients the professional support they need to make their plans a reality? The author of this article breaks down this role into three steps.

Step 1: Weigh up the (many) options 

When it comes to art and philanthropy, options are almost endless. On the one side of the scale, some solutions that are easy to put in place and are not capital-intensive. They mainly involve giving financial support to organisations, such as museums, cultural centres or associations operating in the fields or arts and culture. Themes covered by such organisations vary tremendously, from the most ancient to the most avant-garde contemporary art forms, as does the type of organisation (public or private institutions). Levels of financial support are also flexible, with very low participation entry thresholds, often starting at a hundred euros or less (and from there, the sky is the limit for “major patrons”). The privileges that come with this support — invitations to events, access to the directors and curators of institutions, having the patron’s name inscribed on the tableaux d’honneur — will mostly depend on the pledged amount. Irrespective of the size and profile of the beneficiary organisations, patronage programmes are a very easy point of entry into the world of philanthropy, alongside a thrilling social experience. It is also the preferred form of patronage for collectors, 80% of whom support museums and non-commercial cultural organisations on a regular basis(4).

These programmes are therefore an excellent place to start for newcomers to the world of art and philanthropy. From there, one can take their engagement further in terms of time and financial resources, through personal initiatives that are independent of existing structures, for instance. Here again, there are a myriad of possibilities. Patrons, for example, can decide to provide financial support to emerging artists by buying their artwork, or through networking, in the way of centuries-old traditional patronage practised by likes of king of France Francis I or the Medici. In addition to supporting specific artists directly, patrons can set up structured and recurring solutions. Art prizes, grants, artist residencies and art festivals are some of the more popular options. Such initiatives require much more time and resources, with the most complex and demanding "format” by far being the creation of a private museum.

Step 2: sketch out and clarify a project

Once the favorite format is broadly determined, it’s time to analyse the context, resources and objectives outlining the projects. Close attention should be given to one’s family context: a patron without an heir or heirs wishing to support a museum is in a very different position to another individual, who would consider involving their children in a long-haul project. In some other cases, benefactors happen to own a company which they wish to associate with the project. Such criteria are decisive, as are the time horizon, the recurring or one-off nature of the initiative and, obviously, the amount of resources allocated to the project. Criteria can also vary significantly, ranging from gifts in kind (of an artwork or an entire collection), a monetary donation, to volunteering one’s skills and time — a form of support that younger generations of philanthropists particularly enjoy. In addition to resources, the future patron needs to think about their preferred areas of interests, i.e. the kind of artist (contemporary, emerging, more established), specific periods in art history, regions in the world, the art forms and formats (painting, video, photography, sculpture, drawing, digital art, street art, etc.).

In some cases, the patron’s philanthropic disposition extends beyond the art world, to include other areas, such as health or education. This can translate into initiatives where art -and sometimes even artists themselves- get engaged into programs that aim to provide help to specific communities (who may be located in hospitals, prisons, or areas with limited or no access to culture, just to mention a few examples). The benefactor’s end goals and philosophy therefore play a decisive role. Another point to keep in mind is that some projects are purely altruistic in nature (a prime example being the donation of an artwork to a museum without asking for anything in return), while others have another purpose altogether (creating an artist’s residency with a view to build a personal collection from the resulting artworks). Note that in the area of “venture philanthropy”(5), a fairly recent concept, acts of generosity are combined with the strict management of how resources are used, which also needs to be taken into account.  

 

Step 3: put a project in motion

Once better defined, the project can be implemented. This means addressing the legal, fiscal and financial structure, which may require a range of specialist expertise. In some cases, the financial aspect is easy enough to understand — especially if it involves a one-off commitment of resources. But it could prove more complex for long-term projects. Creating a private museum for instance requires a substantial initial capital investment, but also the ability to finance the long-term running costs which, experience shows, often tend to be underestimated. From this standpoint, it may be worth considering the merits of all other options available at hand, such as opening a virtual museum rather than  bricks-and-mortar institution. Naturally, the legal and financial structure will also depend on the patron’s country of tax residency, and where the project is located. Indeed, some parts of the world are far more generous towards philanthropists than others, and provide tax incentives that vary significantly, from place to another. On top of a robust financial, legal and fiscal structure, bringing a philanthropic project in the arts to life will also benefit from an in-depth understanding of the art world and its largely unwritten rules.

Take the case of an art prize: to truly benefit artists and the art ecosystem, this distinction must win the respect of the majority of institutions, dealers, critics and collectors. This means establishing a credible selection process, and putting together a robust jury, comprised of esteemed art world professionals and/or collectors.

More generally, ensuring continued cooperation and trust with artists, public and private institution, patrons, collectors, market intermediaries can open the door to surprising developments and opportunities. In some instances, an initiative can go beyond its local or national framework by tying up with global programs, such as the United Nations goal to protect the world’s culture and natural heritage(6), to pick one example among many other ones. This approach can turn the philanthropist’s project into a universal and long-term endeavour, and encourage international collaboration.

In conclusion...

... there are three takeaways. First, combining an interest in the arts with a generous intention opens up a vast and exciting world of possibilities. From there, it may also be useful to start small by supporting artists, museums or associations, for example, before moving onto more complex projects. This allows the philanthropist to build up practical experience and familiarise themselves with the art ecosystem. Secondly, it is important to first clearly outline the project before setting up the legal and fiscal structure. And thirdly, a successful project that is both sustainable and ethical is one that has been defined in the most informed and knowledgeable possible way. In all these matters — and given their growing financial importance, as mentioned in the introduction — your private banker and wealth manager can be of invaluable assistance.


(1) Art and Finance Report, 2019, Deloitte & ArtTactic, p.27.

(2) UHNW stands for Ultra High Net Worth

(3) Global Philanthropy Report, 2019, Harvard Kennedy School, p.10

(4)  Art Patronage in the 21st Century, 2020, ArtTactic, p.7.

(5) A new kind of philanthropy which involves applying the principles of capital venture to philanthropic pursuits.

(6) Goal 11.4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

WARNING:

This document was originally written and published by Deloitte, and Société Générale Private Banking assumes no responsibility for its content.

This document is provided for information purposes only and has no contractual value. The content of this document is not intended to provide investment, legal, tax or accounting advice or any other investment service and does not constitute an offer, a personalised recommendation or advice from Société Générale Private Banking with a view to the purchase or subscription or sale of investment services or financial products or an investment in asset classes.

Société Générale Private Banking cannot be held responsible for any investment decision taken by a reader on the basis of this information.

Société Générale Private Banking does not undertake to update or amend this document and will not assume any liability in this respect.

Laurent Issaurat