Blog
Check back regularly for insights from the Krietzberg Wealth Management team into the world of investing, financial planning and preparing for a confident financial future.
Weekly Market Insights: Despite Stall, Debt Deal Optimism Cheers Markets
Stocks rallied last week, propelled by growing optimism over reaching a deal on raising the debt ceiling and avoiding a technical debt default by the U.S.The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.38% higher, while the Standard &...
Read MoreWall Street Focuses on Debt Ceiling
Would it surprise you to hear that investors have moved past worrying about inflation? They have, at least for now. Wall Street has shifted its attention to Washington’s budget negotiations and how the debt ceiling will be...
Read MoreThe 6 Things About Money You Were Never Taught
If you are just out of college and about to head out on your own, or at a point for the first time in your life that you are learning how to become financially independent, here’s a question: Are you prepared? Here are 6 things to know.
Read More9 Facts About Social Security
Social Security's been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you.
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Friday Rally Trims Losses; CPI Report Next Week
A Friday rebound, triggered by a big tech company’s earnings beat and a strong jobs report, shaved much of the week’s accumulated losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...
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A Smaller Social Security Bump May Be On the Way
A smaller social security bump may be on the way.
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Mixed Message Provokes Volatility
Modest gains in major market indices masked sharp volatility amid the uncertainty arising from mixed messages emanating from public officials and revived banking fears. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.18%, while the Standard...
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Markets Cautious After Banking Woes; Awaiting Fed Reaction
Amid the reverberations of two U.S. banks being taken over by regulators and the spread of uncertainty to European banks, stocks trended higher last week on the strength of the technology sector.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was...
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Bad News Gives Markets a One-Two Punch
Stocks tumbled last week as investors reconsidered their interest rate expectations after Fed Chair Powell’s Congressional testimony that rates may need to go higher. Stocks also were rattled when a west coast bank was placed...
Read MoreDon't Watch The Markets Too Closely
One of my favorite Warren Buffett quotes is, “Remember that the stock market is a manic depressive.”What he’s suggesting is that stock prices can sometimes swing wildly from day to day in response to even minor news....
Read MoreFeds Managing SVB, Inflation
For the Federal Reserve, credibility is everything. And its credibility is being tested by how it plans to manage the banking system in the days leading up to its March 21-22 meeting.Last month, Fed Chair Powell confidently told Wall...
Read MoreFed Chair Powell Can't Keep a Secret
Jerome Powell would be terrible to have in your book club. He would always reveal how the book would end.When the Fed Chair spoke following the Fed meeting in February, he said, “we’re in the early stages of...
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Fed’s Reassurance Boosts Stocks.
Weekly Market Insights
Read MoreEuropean Stocks At All-Time Highs
European stock market hits all time-highs.
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Mixed Feelings and Mixed Earnings
Stocks drifted lower as a week of mixed earnings reports and resurgent worries over Fed monetary policy dragged on investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.17%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined...
Read MoreIs the Fed Ready to Pause?
Over the years, the Fed has followed a similar pattern with interest rates. It raises interest rates, then pauses, so it can see how the economy is adjusting to the higher rates. The chart below shows the Fed’s pattern with...
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Cooling Inflation Brings Market Gains
A cooling inflation number ignited a powerful rally on Thursday, sending stocks to strong gains for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.15%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 5.90%. The Nasdaq Composite index...
Read MoreWarren Buffett on Contrarian Investing
You may have heard the phrase “contrarian investing,” but did you know that one of the most reliable contrary indicators is individual investors?Retail investors often do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But this year,...
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights: Plenty of Treats for Wall Street This Week
Stocks overcame poor earnings results from some of America’s largest companies to post gains last week as investors cheered positive earnings surprises, easing inflation and a rebound in economic growth.The Dow Jones Industrial...
Read MoreThe Biggest COLA Increase Since 1981
What does the latest Cost of Living Adjustment mean for you and your retirement?
Read More3 Shrewd Maneuvers in a Down Market
It’s natural to think “defense” during a bearish market season. But why not mix in some “offense” with your defense? Here are three moves that may be helpful during the current market downturn.Invest Your...
Read More9 Facts About Retirement
Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family members. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend...
Read MoreSummertime Financial Checkup
Summer’s here, and the time is right for vacations, outdoor activities, and fun. It’s also a good time to consider a few financial matters. Here are some questions to ask yourself mid-year.Goals still the same for...
Read MorePullbacks, Corrections and Bear Markets
When the market drops, some investors lose perspective that downtrends and uptrends are part of the investing cycle. When stock prices break lower, it's a good time to review common terms that are used to describe the market's downward...
Read MoreYour Changing Definition of Risk in Retirement
Will you rethink your risk tolerance once you are in or near retirement?
Read MoreMake the Most of your IRA
With so much media attention spotlighting retirement planning these days, you’d think the United States is a nation of hardcore investors, well-versed in the intricacies of all sorts of financial products. But the truth is most...
Read MoreGridlock in the Supply Chain
While the world has begun to recover from the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delayed reaction has been felt in the supply chain. Industrial shutdowns around the world slowed production to a relative crawl, leaving...
Read MoreTeaching Kids About Cashless & Online Finances
In an increasingly digital world, your kids will need to know how to handle their finances online and how to responsibly use debit cards. Start teaching with cash More and more consumers use cards and mobile devices to conduct everyday...
Read MoreStrategies for Managing Student Loan Debt
If college were a party, then student loans are the hangover. Unfortunately, the “hair of the dog” won't cure this headache, but here are some ideas for managing your student loan debt. The programs listed are not intended...
Read More3 Reasons to Give Life Insurance a Second Look
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much of our world, from day-to-day activities to long-range plans. But one thing hasn’t changed: the need for life insurance. If you have put off getting it—or more of it—here are...
Read MoreUnderstanding Your Options for College Funding
Tuition costs have risen dramatically over the last 30 years, and parents need all the help they can get in financing a college education. There are many of options available, including 529 plans and Coverdell accounts, so it’s...
Read MoreA Trust Made for Marriages
The now iconic TV show The Brady Bunch depicted what was, at least at the time, a very unusual family dynamic: a second marriage bringing together six children under one roof. These days it’s hard to imagine a show like The Brady...
Read MoreFour Steps to Managing Cash Flow in Retirement
To confidently manage your retirement funds, it’s important to understand not only how much you have, but how much you will need. Then you can determine how to fill in the potential gap. Keep in mind that creating a retirement...
Read MoreSmart Ways to Handle a Financial Windfall
When people imagine a financial windfall, they often think of winning the lottery or sweepstakes and using that money to purchase expensive luxury items. But financial windfalls generally occur in more traditional ways such as the sale...
Read MoreDo Retirees Need a New Investment Strategy?
If you’re like most investors, you want to achieve growth while you’re working and income after you retire. But that doesn’t necessarily make it smart to change your investment strategy when you retire by shifting...
Read MorePlanning for a Long Retirement
Americans are living longer than ever, thanks to advances in health care, improved diets and better exercise. About one out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90, and one out of 10 will live past age 95, according to...
Read MoreHow Much Will You Need to Retire?
How Much Will You Need to Retire? How much money will it take for you to retire in style? If the question leaves you scratching your head, you’re not alone. Just 38% of American workers have talked with a financial professional...
Read MoreAnalyzing the Flows in Your Financial Plan
For most investors—even those with significant wealth—a secure financial future doesn’t simply happen. Instead, it must be carefully crafted to help meet your most important goals. Of course, the future is...
Read MoreFinancially Savvy Women
Having a career that brings personal satisfaction and financial success places many demands on your time and energy. But no matter how busy you are, there’s one task you shouldn’t put off—planning for your financial...
Read MoreConcerned About Outliving Your Income?
One of the most common fears people share when considering retirement is the very real possibility of outliving the money they’ve worked so hard to save. Making sure your retirement is properly funded remains an ongoing challenge...
Read MoreTake Charge of Uncertainty: Weathering the Storm
With so much going on in the world today, it’s natural to feel anxious about the state of your finances. Staying focused on the big picture is important during periods of market volatility. Here are a few strategies to keep in...
Read MoreRaising Financially Savvy Kids
When it comes to having serious financial conversations, many parents aren’t sure where to begin. The tips and questions included in this guide are designed to help you talk to your kids about money and financial responsibility....
Read MoreThree Tips to Alleviate Financial Stress
Stressed about money? If you’re afraid to look in your mailbox and see another credit card bill or bank statement you’re not alone. In fact, over half of U.S. adults say financial stress has negatively impacted their...
Read MoreProvide a Financial Legacy
If you want to pass savings on to your children or grandchildren, working with a financial advisor on legacy planning strategies can help make your wishes a reality—in ways that benefit both you and the recipients of your generosity.
Read MoreHow to Be a Disciplined Investor
Discipline. You can’t be a successful investor without a healthy serving of discipline. But what does it mean to be a disciplined investor? To be a disciplined investor, one must learn how not to react emotionally to market...
Read MoreThe Return of Volatility (and why that's OK)
How many times have you heard "Stay the Course" or "Don't Panic?" My industry uses these phrases to attempt to dissuade investors from making any sudden moves when market volatility increases. This is like the pilot that addresses her...
Read MoreThe 3 Investment Truths
Although markets can be somewhat unpredictable at times, beyond expectations and predictions, hope and fear, there are certain investment truths that will always hold. Investment Truth #1 Through all the fog of distraction, the primary...
Read MoreTrade Wars - A New Hope
Can I tell you how long I've been waiting to somehow work a Star Wars reference into this blog? For those non-Star Wars fans, "Star Wars: A New Hope" is the name of the first movie that came out in 1977. I was 9 years old, so it was...
Read MoreWhen is an Index Fund NOT an Index Fund?
That’s a rhetorical question. While its always fun to start out with a riddle, we’ll answer this one. I’m sure you have heard of the phrase “Index Funds.” An index fund is a type of mutual fund with a...
Read MoreTell Me Again What Exactly is the Yield Curve?
The yield curve is just a graph that shows U.S. government bills and bonds with different maturity dates, along with the yield on those bonds for each date. The most common yield curve typically shows the interest rates for 3-month,...
Read MoreWhat is a Fiduciary and Are We Fiduciaries?
First thing’s first. Yes, we act in a fiduciary manner for our clients - we always have and always will. We will always place our clients’ interests and the integrity of the investment profession above our own interests....
Read MoreSeeing Through the Financial Fog
Seeing Through the Financial Fog It can't be August already. The summer just started, and school just ended – right? Summer always seems to fly past us too quickly. And while most of us got to relax a bit over the summer, it...
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