Joe Pitzl
Stuck in Neutral
Often as investors, we are forced to endure prolonged periods where it feels like our investments are stuck in neutral. These stretches of time can test our patience and resolve every bit as much as when markets are plummeting. The natural instinct is to believe that something must be broken, so we are tempted to […]
The Toll of New Trade Tensions and Your Portfolio
It was hard to miss the headlines about escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China last week—and hard not to notice the up-and-down market activity that went along with it. But what, if any, long-term impact does trade policy have on the economy and, by extension, our portfolios? The commentary below comes from our […]
The Fed, Government Shutdowns & the Winter Solstice
The end of this week marks the winter solstice. There is not a lot about that specific day to be excited about. On one hand, it is the darkest and shortest day of the year. On the other, it is the middle of winter, so it’s cold! As an added kicker, this year we even […]
Additional Comments on the Market Drawdown
Over the course of this year, we have spoken and written numerous times about how rare of a year 2017 was in terms of market volatility. With US markets rising around 20% and foreign markets rising nearly 30%, investing seemed risk free and easy. While us saying this is one thing, we wanted to offer […]
October Market Volatility
As you arise this morning, you likely know already that the global stock market fell very sharply yesterday. It was the worst day for markets since this past February. The selloff continued overnight in foreign markets, pushing them downward toward their 20-month lows. Predictably, the news media has a wide variety of things to blame […]
Musings on Trade Wars
(Edited from commentary by Larry Swedroe, Director of Research for The BAM Alliance) For some time now, investors have been very concerned about the potential for a global trade war – a war in which there are not any real winners. That, of course, worries investors, especially those who were taught that the Smoot Hawley […]
Welcome Richard Hall, CFP®
We are thrilled to announce the addition of Richard Hall, CFP® to the Pitzl Financial team. Rick brings two decades of experience in financial services to our firm, hailing from Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, and Norwest (Wells Fargo). As a Wealth Advisor at Pitzl Financial, Rick will be instrumental in the financial planning process with our […]
Ah…so that’s what risk feels like
Global markets have been thumped pretty bad over the last week, and the last two trading days in particular. As of the time of this writing (Tuesday morning, 4:30am), it appears today will open lower as well. Will that hold? I don’t know. It depends on whether traders buy more than they sell today. Yesterday, […]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
The highly anticipated tax reform we have been hearing much about lately is expected to be passed into law today. While the economic and political implications of this bill will be unknown for some time, we at least have an understanding of the individual changes taking shape that will impact your planning in the years […]
Equifax Data Breach – What You Need to Know
Last Friday, Equifax, one of the major credit reporting bureaus, issued a press release announcing that on July 29 it had discovered “unauthorized access” to data belonging to as many as 143 million U.S. consumers. We have compiled some information that we hope may help you understand what happened and what to do next. There […]