ThatDay

Who Runs ThatDay and How It's Structured

ThatDay is an independent insurance advisory practice based in Zurich operated by a single licensed broker, Alain Michel, who holds a federal diploma as a financial planner (Finanzplaner mit eidgenossischer Fachausweis) and is registered with FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, registration number F01259271). Michel brings over 15 years of experience in financial and insurance advisory, having built his expertise across personal finance, insurance mechanics, and risk management. The practice is deliberately small and specialized: beyond Michel, who handles broad advisory, the team includes Robert Kolar as a specialist in health insurance and hospital coverage, and Nicole Bohne as a specialist in retirement planning, taxes, and life insurance.

The firm's positioning is explicitly countercultural within the insurance industry. ThatDay states clearly that it is neither an insurance company, nor a price-comparison portal, nor a high-volume broker processing applications on assembly-line terms. Rather, it positions itself as a boutique advisor who reads insurance contracts in detail, explains the real implications of policy choices (not just the headline premium), and makes recommendations grounded in a client's specific situation rather than on a template or algorithm.

What ThatDay Offers for Arriving Residents

For newly arrived residents facing the three-month health insurance deadline, ThatDay's service is one-to-one advisory consultation. Clients book online and select their topic (health insurance, supplementary hospital coverage, income protection, pension planning, or other categories). The first consultation is positioned as free and non-binding, removing financial and commitment barriers to a first conversation. Consultations run 30 to 60 minutes depending on complexity, ending with three concrete deliverables: a clear comparison of options in writing, the firm's recommendation with a stated rationale for why it suits the client's situation, and a next-step plan including timing and implementation sequence.

A distinctive feature of ThatDay's advisory is its independence. Unlike brokers who develop preferred-partner relationships with certain insurers, ThatDay compares across leading Swiss carriers: SWICA, Sanitas, Helsana, CSS, and Groupe Mutuel. The firm can recommend staying with an existing policy if that proves superior to switching, which is a position that a commission-based broker often cannot ethically take (since the broker earns nothing on policies the client keeps). This independence lends credibility to the recommendation, especially for arrivals with existing coverage from abroad that they are unsure whether to maintain or replace.

The Advisory Toolkit and What It Covers

ThatDay structures its advisory menu around life stages and decision types. For arrivals, the relevant categories are basic health insurance (Grundversicherung), supplementary hospital coverage (semi-private and private beds with cost differences explained), outpatient supplements (alternative therapies, dental, physiotherapy), income protection insurance (Erwerbsausfallversicherung, which replaces income lost to illness or injury), occupational disability insurance (invalidity protection), and family insurance coordination (ensuring spouses and children are covered appropriately with no gaps or overlaps).

The firm offers two self-service tools for price research upfront. The first is a live calculator for basic insurance premiums, where clients enter postcode, age, desired deductible (Franchise), insurance model (Modell: managed care vs. free choice), and accident coverage status, and receive an immediate premium estimate. This allows arrivals to ballpark costs before speaking to an advisor, which is useful for budgeting.

The second tool is a supplementary hospital insurance cost sampler: the firm publishes median monthly premiums for semi-private (CHF 143) and private (CHF 220) hospital coverage, drawn from a dataset of 8 insurers and 6 cantons verified as of 20 August 2026. These are not personalized quotes but reference data showing the typical price range, allowing arrivals to understand the cost hierarchy before consulting.

How the Advisory Process Works

Clients book online through the website, selecting the advisory topic. ThatDay then coordinates via phone or email to schedule the consultation. The advisor's role is to understand the client's situation (health status, family structure, employment, existing coverage, budget), research relevant policy options, read the policy conditions document (the detailed terms that most clients never study), compare them side by side, and present a recommendation with reasoning.

The firm does not publish advisory fees or hourly rates, suggesting that costs are either project-based, included in a commission arrangement with insurers, or determined in consultation after understanding the scope. Initial health insurance consultations are explicitly positioned as free and non-binding, which is a significant incentive for arrivals to seek a second opinion or to clarify confusing options before making their own decision.

Notably, ThatDay does not appear to carry policies directly or handle enrollment; it appears to advise and then refer clients to insurers or to other brokers for actual enrollment. This is a limitation if an arriving client wants one firm to guide the decision and execute the purchase; instead, the client gets advisory clarity from ThatDay and then must navigate enrollment with the recommended insurer directly.

What ThatDay's Site Does Not Address

The website is entirely in German with no English option, creating a significant language barrier for non-German-speaking arrivals. While machine translation can render the content in English, policy wording and technical terms are error-prone in translation, potentially leading to misunderstandings about coverage terms.

The site does not confirm whether ThatDay can advise clients who are still abroad and have not yet relocated to Switzerland or secured a Swiss address. Many arrivals want to finalize health insurance before boarding a plane to Switzerland; it is unclear whether the firm can operate across that timeline or requires Swiss domicile to begin.

There is no published timeline for how long the advisory process takes from initial booking to enrollment in a recommended policy, which matters for arrivals racing the three-month statutory deadline. Similarly, the site does not clarify what documentation arriving residents need to provide (proof of relocation, employment letters, previous coverage history) or whether application timelines differ for those without a Swiss tax number or residence permit.

The site does not state whether English-language customer support is available after advisory consultation, which is important if questions or claims issues arise after enrollment. Finally, there is no information about in-person office hours; the practice appears to operate primarily by phone and email, which may be inconvenient for those who prefer face-to-face meetings before committing to advice.

Who ThatDay Suits Best and Least Well

ThatDay is best for arriving residents who are detail-oriented, value explanation over speed, and prefer personalized guidance over algorithmic shopping. The firm excels for those with complex situations (pre-existing conditions requiring certain specialists, existing policies they want verified, family members with different coverage needs). German-speaking professionals and those with fluent German will find the site and the advisory relationship seamless. Those already in Switzerland and not racing the three-month deadline can afford to book a consultation and think through options carefully without time pressure.

ThatDay is less convenient for arrivals who need coverage to activate before they physically relocate to Switzerland, or for those who just want the cheapest possible basic policy with minimal advisory input. Non-German speakers will struggle with the website and may require translation help to engage confidently. The lack of explicit pricing and the phone-based advisory model mean there is no quick self-service path or walk-in availability for those in a hurry. Finally, if ThatDay does not carry policies directly, arriving clients need to manage a separate enrollment process after receiving the advisory recommendation, adding complexity.