Market Review – May 2016

WAITING ON CENTRAL BANKS? Commodity prices firmed up in April and gave investors another boost of confidence. Stronger commodity prices indicate increased demand, which is a positive sign for both developed and emerging economies. In particular, the price of oil found some support at more than $40 per barrel. Even as the number of active […]

Market Review – April 2016

GAINING MOMENTUM? Around the globe, March was a politically volatile month: the US is in the midst of a particularly nasty primary season, China continues to reform its economy, Europe struggled with terrorist attacks, and the Syrian crisis continues. In spite of all those troubles, the markets found some momentum and investors seemed to relax. […]

Four Really Good Reasons to Invest

Four Really Good Reasons to Invest Over half of Americans do not own any stocks, or stock-related investments, such as mutual funds, according to Bankrate’s Money Pulse survey.¹ Individuals may cite different reasons for not investing, but with important long-term financial goals, such as retirement, in the balance, the reasons may not be good enough. […]

Market Review – March 2016

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?? Back in January, investors grew more worried that global growth was slowing and that the global economy’s two main engines, the United States and China, were inching toward recession. China continues to struggle through a period of economic reform, February was another nervous ride for investors. Meanwhile, economic indicators are […]

Insurance Needs Assessment: For Empty Nesters and Retirees

Insurance Needs Assessment: For Empty Nesters and Retirees With the children now out of the house, financial priorities become more focused on preparing for retirement. At this stage, you may very likely be at the height of your earning power and fast approaching peak savings as you lay the groundwork for retirement. During this final […]

5 Items That Must Be On Your Retirement Planning Checklist for 2016

Richard Zeitz of Bravias Financial was recently featured on TheStreet.com regarding managing retirement risk in “5 Items That Must Be On Your Retirement Planning Checklist for 2016.” When it comes to saving for retirement, some financial advisers find that investors don’t truly understand or address risk inside a portfolio. Most think that  the way to reduce […]

Market Review – February 2016

GROWING PAINS? Investors should be happy to put January behind them. The New Year opened with the worst first week that global markets have seen in more than 20 years and the S&P 500 suffered its worst first week ever. The turmoil of that first week can be traced back to China, which continued to […]

What Is An Annuity?

What Is An Annuity? Individuals hold more than $2.0 trillion in annuity contracts; a tidy sum considering an estimated $7.4 trillion is held in all types of IRAs.1 Simply put, annuity contracts are purchased from an insurance company. The insurance company will then make regular payments — either immediately or at some date in the […]

Where To Invest in 2016

Richard Zeitz, President of Bravias Financial was recently featured in The College Investor regarding Where To Invest In 2016. Out of the gate, 2016 is already setting itself up to be an extremely volatile and unpredictable year as far as the markets go. There are a lot of things attributing to this: the election year, China […]

Does Your Portfolio Fit Your Retirement Lifestyle?

Most portfolios are constructed based on an individual’s investment objective, risk tolerance and time horizon. Using these inputs and sophisticated portfolio-optimization calculations, most investors can feel confident that they own a well-diversified portfolio, appropriately positioned to pursue their long-term goals.¹ However, as a retiree, how you choose to live in retirement may be an additional […]