Investing with Selma: review of the robo-advisor’s personalized investing (2026)

[Update – 08.07.2026: crypto preference added]
[Update – 02.03.2026: Introduction of Selma Family (fee reduction)]
[Update – 11.11.2025: New transaction filtering tool]
[Update – 04.11.2025: Introduction of new portfolio types and “Swiss Bias”]
[Update – 01.11.2025: Review of the Selma 3a offer]

When you start looking into investment solutions in Switzerland without doing everything yourself, you quickly come across four names:

• Yuh Investment, which allows you to manually buy stocks or ETFs.
• Neon Investment, which offers automated passive management via True Wealth.
• Inyova, focused on selectable societal causes.
• Alpian Investissement, for a mix of automation and human support.

And then there’s Selma, a Swiss robo-advisor that allows you to manage a diversified portfolio automatically, based on a questionnaire.

What does it mean to entrust your money to a fully automated solution?
Do you understand what is invested, under what conditions, and at what cost?
Can you maintain a minimum of control, or is everything fixed?

I’ve tested Selma in detail, from account opening to portfolio monitoring.
So here’s what Selma allows and what Selma doesn’t allow you to do…

Selma’s Investment Plan is 100% Automated

The entry into Selma starts with a questionnaire (accessible and without technical jargon).
It describes:

• Your life situation
• Your income
• Your investment goals
• Your risk tolerance

It’s on this basis that Selma generates a personalized investment plan.

But this “personalized” plan should be understood in a broad sense:

There is no manual selection possible, neither for securities nor for allocation.
Everything is managed by the algorithm. The proposed allocation is based on a combination of diversified ETFs, all filtered according to ESG criteria.

The approach is radically passive. No attempt to outperform the market. No tactical adjustments. Once the plan is validated, you can no longer intervene. The portfolio’s evolution follows its course according to the internal rules defined by Selma.

In comparison with alternatives in Switzerland:

• Yuh and Neon Invest allow you to choose your own securities.
  
• Inyova allows thematic selection (education, equality, climate, etc.).
  
• Alpian offers a fixed investment plan, but with an advisor available at any time.
  

Selma voluntarily limits intervention possibilities once the plan is validated.
This approach greatly simplifies management, but it will be less suitable for investors who wish to adjust their portfolio themselves.

What I actually got at the end of the questionnaire

Once the questionnaire is completed, Selma generates a portfolio entirely composed of ESG ETFs.
No fund names are displayed, only the main asset classes: equities, bonds, cash.

You receive a summary view of the allocation, but without details on the issuers or the ESG criteria applied.

Adjustment possibilities remain very limited. Selma offers a few predefined preferences, such as Swiss Bias or now crypto, but still does not allow for the free choice of securities or weightings.

You need to deposit at least 2,000 CHF to activate the investment (or 500 CHF for Pillar 3a).
This amount places Selma on par with Inyova or Alpian Essentials, but well above Yuh (25 CHF minimum) and Neon Invest, which starts from 1 CHF.

The account opening was done from the mobile app.
The process is well-structured: upload your ID, specify your tax status, income, and sign electronically.

Everything went smoothly, but the wait for the validation service was a bit long. My advice: call at the end of the day after 6:00 PM when most people have already passed.
As long as the 2,000 CHF are not deposited, the portfolio remains inactive.
This threshold is equivalent to Inyova or Alpian Essentials, but much higher than Yuh, which allows initial fractional investments from 25 CHF.

The app is fluid, but intervention possibilities remain limited

The interface is clean and well-constructed.
You can easily access the portfolio allocation, value evolution, and the latest important information.
The charts are readable, navigation is smooth, without unnecessary clutter.

A feature called “Insight” allows you to ask questions to an integrated AI.
It answers the most common queries (e.g., what is rebalancing? how does Selma manage inflation?), but doesn’t replace a real strategy or personalized exchange.

Action possibilities from the app are very limited:

• No possibility to buy or sell
  
• No free modification of the allocation, excluding predefined preferences
  
• No visualization of the exact funds used
  

The data is updated once a week.
It works the same way as with Managed by Alpian Essentials, but unlike Alpian, you cannot contact an advisor to ask specific questions.

Unlike Yuh or Neon, you don’t follow the market in real time, and you can’t adjust anything.
The experience is consistent with the promise of delegation. In return, the user has few possibilities to intervene directly.

Selma does not seek to beat the market or make tactical choices.
The portfolio is built solely from ETFs — funds that replicate the performance of a stock market index, such as the global market or government bonds.

These ETFs are filtered to exclude certain controversial sectors (oil, tobacco, weapons…), but no manual decisions are made:

→ There is no company selection,
→ no strategy change based on current events,
→ no possibility to target a specific theme like tech or climate.

The structure remains the same:

• a portion in stocks (more or less important depending on the risk profile)
  
• a portion in bonds
  
• some cash
  

The only possible adjustment is made automatically, at regular intervals.
Selma monitors an indicator called CAPE (for Cyclically Adjusted Price-to-Earnings), which is used to detect if the stock market is too expensive compared to its 10-year history.
When this threshold is crossed, a part of my portfolio is automatically transferred to a safety pocket, such as gold.
It doesn’t replace real active management, but it avoids staying too exposed to an overheating market.
And since everything is done behind the scenes, I don’t have to trigger anything myself.

My portfolio is built around three blocks:

• Growth, with global stock ETFs
• Stability, via bonds
• Protection, with a portion of gold

Selma adjusts the allocation based on my risk profile.
If I’m more cautious, the share in bonds and gold increases.

Regulated customization

Once the questionnaire is completed, Selma displays a proposed allocation.
It’s presented in the form of a pie chart, with a distribution between stocks, bonds, and cash, in my case, 45% in international companies, 18% in government bonds, 10% in real estate:

Just below, a performance simulation shows three possible scenarios: optimistic, moderate, pessimistic.

It’s quickly understood that the riskier the profile, the higher the share of equities.
But everything remains very general. No fund names are displayed, no details on the countries, sectors, or companies involved.

The adjustments remain limited once the plan is validated. I can update my profile and activate a few predefined preferences, such as Swiss Bias, retirement mode or, if I meet the conditions, crypto. However, I still cannot choose ETFs, freely modify weightings, or build my own allocation.

If I change jobs, if my goals evolve, or if I become more comfortable with risk, Selma offers me a new allocation. Updating the profile remains the main way to evolve the overall portfolio allocation.

In comparison:

• Inyova allows you to select causes to support (climate, equality, innovation…)
  
• Yuh and Swissquote offer total freedom to choose investments
  
• Alpian Essentials offers a pre-set strategy, with an available advisor, but without portfolio personalization
  
• The Alpian discretionary mandate (from 30,000 CHF) allows you to request precise adjustments (exclusions, weightings, etc.)
  

There are also several predefined portfolios that I can choose from the outset.
Three different approaches are offered, each with its own objectives. Depending on my situation, I can activate a ‘retirement’ mode that automatically adjusts the strategy to reduce risk.

So, what types of portfolios are available with Selma?

Classic Portfolio
This is the default option. It seeks a global balance between return and risk, without any particular bias. If you prefer not to overthink it, this option gets the job done.

Sustainability Portfolio
Here, Selma filters out companies linked to fossil fuels, armaments, or tobacco. The selection follows quite strict ESG criteria. While I cannot choose the exclusions myself, the approach aims to be more responsible.

Income Portfolio
This portfolio aims to generate consistent income. It is primarily designed for retirees or those who desire supplementary income without excessive exposure.

Each portfolio can be configured with or without a Swiss bias.

What changes with this famous “Swiss Bias” 🇨🇭?

When choosing your portfolio, you can activate an option that gives more weight to Swiss investments. With this local bias, your portfolio is less exposed internationally but more aligned with the country’s economy, which can be fiscally advantageous or simply reassuring.
Conversely, if I do not activate it, my strategy remains entirely global, without preference for Swiss assets.

And how does the “retirement” mode work?

Once switched to “Pension Mode,” Selma automatically adjusts the portfolio: the risk level decreases, the equity portion declines, and priority is given to more stable investments, often Swiss.
I can activate this mode from the app, without needing to contact anyone. It works with any type of portfolio.

Selma crypto: a highly regulated preference

Since June 2026, Selma has allowed a small exposure to cryptocurrencies to be added to its portfolio.

This is not about buying Bitcoin or Ether directly. Selma aims for an allocation of approximately 5% of the portfolio, invested via two US ETFs:

• two-thirds in the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT);
• one-third in the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA).

The remaining 95% continues to follow the strategy defined by Selma, which takes into account the additional risk brought by this crypto pocket.

The option remains very regulated. To activate it, you must:

• have at least 7,500 CHF invested in your Selma account;
• present both a high capacity and willingness to take risks.

The preference can be activated or deactivated from the app. It is automatically removed if these conditions are no longer met.

Selma does not charge extra for this feature. However, both ETFs have internal fees of 0.25%, to which spreads and exchange fees may be added during transactions.

In short: it’s a simple way to add a small crypto pocket without managing a wallet, private keys, or an account on a specialized platform. But it’s far from a true crypto offer: no direct holding, no trading, and no choice on the percentage, cryptocurrencies, or their distribution.

Selma works well when you want to invest without complicating your life, without having to follow markets or choose your investments.
You just need to fill out the questionnaire, validate the proposed plan, and then you have nothing else to do.

Selma is suitable if:

• you want to avoid complex decisions
  
• you’re looking to invest long-term, in a structured way
  
• We appreciate the idea of a portfolio filtered according to ESG criteria
  
• We accept not controlling everything, as long as the management is smooth and without surprises
  
• you want a small exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum without managing a separate wallet or crypto platform
  

There is nothing to manage on a daily basis and the application takes care of the monitoring.

What remains satisfying is being able to visualize the evolution of your portfolio over time.
Even if we don’t control anything, we see the performances, the distributions, the small automatic adjustments — and it gives a sense of continuity. We still maintain good visibility on what’s changing, which allows us to follow the broad lines without feeling left behind.

Selma is less suitable for those who wish to intervene regularly

Selma becomes less suitable as soon as you want to follow your investments in detail or keep more control over the choices made.
You don’t see which ETFs are used, you can’t filter sectors or adjust the allocation. You might want to be able to choose your cryptocurrencies, define their weight, or trade them directly.
Even with some interest in portfolio management, you hit a wall.

A large part of the decisions is automated from the start. This avoids having to manage the portfolio daily, but also limits the detailed understanding of the choices made.

This operation can, however, become frustrating:

For those who want to invest in line with their convictions, explore certain sectors, or simply adjust their strategy according to the context, Selma offers no flexibility.

In this case, it’s better to turn to other options:

Yuh or Neon Invest allow total freedom to invest by yourself;
Inyova allows you to choose concrete causes to support;
Alpian allows delegation with real room for adjustment.
As for Swissquote, it opens the door to more technical, more advanced management.

Selma remains consistent with its promise of simplicity, provided you accept the proposed framework and its limited adjustment possibilities.

Selma displays “sustainable” management by systematically integrating ESG criteria.
All portfolios are built with filtered ETFs: no weapons, no tobacco, no fossil fuels.
The selected funds rely on scores provided by external agencies — but we can’t choose which ones.

This ESG filter applies automatically, without the possibility of adaptation.
We can’t decide to strengthen certain exclusions, nor to highlight causes that are close to our hearts.

It’s impossible, for example, to build your portfolio around climate or health, or to exclude a sector that doesn’t align with your values.
Even the visualization is limited: no indicator allows you to track the real impact of your investments.

In short: Selma applies a basic ESG filter but offers few possibilities to customize this dimension. You have no control over the sustainable dimension of your portfolio beyond the initial filter.

In comparison:

• Inyova allows you to build a tailored portfolio, around your convictions, with a clear impact score
  
• Alpian offers an ESG option, without the possibility of refinement
  
• With Yuh, Neon Invest or Swissquote, nothing is filtered — everything relies on your own choices
  

With Selma, we know that our portfolio excludes certain sectors, but we don’t know exactly which ones. And if we’re looking to give precise meaning to our investments, this might not be enough.

Selma displays its fees transparently.
We pay an annual management fee, to which are added costs related to ETFs and currency exchange operations.

The structure is simple:

• Management fees: 0.68% up to 50,000 CHF invested, then decreasing to 0.42% from 500,000 CHF
  
• ETF fees: about 0.22% per year (internal fund fees)
  
• Exchange fees: about 0.25% for each conversion (CHF → USD or EUR)
  

In practice, this means that with a portfolio of 10,000 CHF, you pay:

• ~68 CHF/year for management
  
• ~22 CHF/year for ETFs
  
• A few CHF in exchange fees, depending on rebalancing

Quick comparison of fees (10,000 CHF invested)

*Unlike Selma, Yuh and Neon do not charge direct management fees,
but costs are integrated into the buy and sell prices, in the form of spreads.
These fees are less visible, sometimes more difficult to evaluate, and vary depending on the product or timing.

It’s more flexible… but not necessarily cheaper in the long run.

What are spreads again?
It’s the difference between the purchase price and the selling price of a financial product.
When buying an ETF on Yuh or Neon, you pay a price slightly above its real value.
This margin (invisible on the invoice) is taken by the platform.

The more orders you place, the more this hidden fee accumulates.
And since it depends on the product, timing, and liquidity, it is impossible to accurately anticipate.

Selma charges its fees in a direct, transparent, and stable way.
Yuh or Neon may seem cheaper, but their real cost depends on how often you invest and which products you use.

So in summary:
Selma is more predictable, but more expensive on paper.
Yuh/Neon are more flexible, but less clear and potentially more costly over time.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Selma Family: a real fee reduction… or just a minor detail?

At Selma, fees decrease as invested capital increases. The higher the amount, the lower the percentage charged. On paper, it makes sense. In practice, reaching the next tier on your own can take time.

This is precisely where Selma Family comes into play.

The principle is simple: instead of looking only at your own capital, Selma adds up the amounts invested with other users to reach a pricing tier more quickly.

This doesn’t mean merging portfolios or creating a joint account. Everyone keeps their own allocation, risk profile, and individual tracking. Only the applied rate changes.

Is the saving really significant?

Let’s take a concrete example.

With CHF 35,000 invested, fees amount to 0.68% per year. The next tier, at 0.55%, activates at CHF 50,000. If a family member invests CHF 30,000, the combined total reaches CHF 65,000. Both then benefit from the 0.55% rate.

On CHF 35,000, that represents CHF 238 per year at 0.68%, versus CHF 192 at 0.55%. The difference is therefore CHF 46 per year.

It’s not spectacular. But over ten or fifteen years, especially if capital grows, the impact becomes more tangible. We’re talking about optimization here, not a radical performance change.

Who can join a “Family”?

The term can be confusing. In reality, almost any Selma user can be included:

• a family member
• a partner
• a friend
• a colleague

No legal relationship is required.

It’s not a legal structure, but a collective lever to reduce a fee level.

When does this become relevant?

Selma Family makes sense when you’re close to a higher tier and several people around you are already investing via the platform. It allows you to reduce costs without having to significantly increase your own capital.

On the other hand, for a small amount invested alone, the effect remains limited. So it’s not a decisive argument for choosing Selma over a competitor. It’s an optimization mechanism relevant in a specific context.

Key takeaway

Selma Family doesn’t change the strategy, management, or risk level. It only affects the percentage of fees applied. Nothing more.

Selma relies mainly on digital and automated support.
Once the investment plan is validated, monitoring is essentially done from the app.

All steering is automated, and there is no interface to discuss your situation or ask questions about your strategy.

The app includes a feature called “Selma Insight”, a form of AI that allows users to ask general questions (e.g., “What is rebalancing?” or “Why did my portfolio change this week?”).
The answers are clear but generic. They do not take into account the user’s personal situation.

Support remains available for technical and general questions, but it does not replace a dedicated financial advisor. There are no appointments possible as with Alpian Essentials, no exchange with an advisor.

In comparison:

• Inyova offers a welcome call with an advisor, and possible contact in case of doubt
  
• Alpian (from the Essentials offer) provides a human advisor, available to explain and guide
  
• Yuh, Neon or Swissquote function like Selma: no advice, but total freedom of action.
  

At Selma, as everything is framed from the start, you don’t need help. On the other hand, Selma will be less suitable for those looking for regular exchanges with an advisor or human validation of their strategy.

When looking to invest simply in Switzerland, Selma is not alone in the market.
Other platforms offer passive or semi-automated approaches, with very different levels of freedom, advice, or impact:

Comparison Table – Selma vs. Swiss Alternatives (in
August 2026)

What I observe:

• Selma focuses on simplicity and extensive delegation, with a more rigid framework than many alternatives.
  
• Yuh allows complete freedom, but without guidance or ESG filter.
  
• Inyova is more engaging and customizable, but more expensive.
  
• Alpian Essentials offers a balance: automation + human presence, at a moderate price.

Selma is of clear interest if you want to delegate most of the management without building a tailor-made portfolio yourself. Investors looking for more control, customization, or support will, however, find more suitable alternatives.

Selma is a Swiss company, registered as an asset manager and supervised by FINMA through the OSIF supervisory body.
It acts as an intermediary, but does not hold funds or securities.

Specifically:

The portfolio is managed at VZ Vermögenszentrum

With a deposit account at Saxo Bank

• Saxo Bank (Switzerland) is a custodian bank regulated by FINMA.
  
• VZ VermögensZentrum is a recognized asset manager.
  
• ETFs are held in a personal securities account, opened in the client’s name.
  

This means that the assets remain the property of the client, even if Selma were to cease operations.
You can recover your entire portfolio, or transfer it to another provider.

Personal data is stored in Switzerland. Access to the application is secure, and operations go through double validation (2FA).

So to summarize: Selma is not a bank, but an interface. It does not manage money flows or securities custody. Everything relies on identified and regulated Swiss partners.

Selma keeps its main promise: invest effortlessly, without making choices, without managing arbitrage.
The experience is smooth, stable, well-framed. You delegate completely, and you can monitor your portfolio without get lost in details.

This simplicity, however, implies delegating almost entirely the steering of the portfolio.
The choice of ETFs, allocation, and adjustments remain mainly determined by Selma. The possibilities for customization and human support are therefore limited.

Selma is relevant if:

• you want to start investing without learning the technique
  
• you’re looking for a Swiss, simple, structured, ESG-filtered solution
  
• you accept paying a bit more to avoid any active management
  

Selma is not suitable if:

• you want to understand precisely where your money goes
  
• you’re looking to adapt your strategy to your convictions or current events
  
• you expect a minimum of human interaction or room for maneuver
  

“Selma allows you to delegate everything, but it can become a bit frustrating as soon as you seek to readjust, understand, or get more involved.”

But this comfort involves clear trade-offs: little flexibility, regulated customization, and essentially digital support. It all depends on the level of involvement you want to keep in your portfolio.

Selma Promo Code

Use the promo code NEOSEL to receive a CHF 34 bonus.

Free account ✔︎

Receive 34 CHF

Selma Promo Code: All the details

Also read

• Review and Test of Yuh Investment Trading
• Review and test of Neon Investment Trading
• Review and Test of Alpian Investment Trading

• Has the Selma app facilitated your investments?
• What feature would you like to customize or improve?
• Does Selma satisfy you in terms of advice?

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