Pitzl Financial, LLC is owned by Joseph D. Pitzl, John M. Pitzl, Daniel C. Pitzl and Justin J.
Gabriel and has been providing advisory services since 2014. As of December 31, 2023,
Pitzl Financial managed $340,279,674 in client assets under management on a
discretionary basis.
Investment Management Services:
Pitzl Financial, LLC manages investment portfolios for individuals, trusts, charitable
organizations, businesses and qualified retirement plans. Pitzl Financial, LLC will work
with a client to determine the client's investment objectives and investor risk profile and
will design a written investment policy statement.
Pitzl Financial, LLC uses investment and portfolio allocation software to evaluate
alternative portfolio designs. Pitzl Financial, LLC evaluates the client's existing investments
with respect to the client's investment policy statement. Pitzl Financial, LLC works with
new clients to develop a plan to transition from the client's existing portfolio to the
portfolio recommended by Pitzl Financial, LLC. Pitzl Financial, LLC will then continuously
monitor the client's portfolio holdings and the overall asset allocation strategy and hold
review meetings with the client regarding the account as necessary.
Pitzl Financial, LLC will typically create a portfolio of no-load mutual funds and may use
model portfolios if the models match the client's investment policy. Pitzl Financial, LLC will
allocate the client's assets among various investments taking into consideration the overall
management style selected by the client. Pitzl Financial, LLC primarily recommends
portfolios consisting of passively managed asset class and index mutual funds. Pitzl
Financial, LLC primarily recommends mutual funds offered by Dimensional Fund Advisors
(DFA). DFA sponsored mutual funds follow a passive asset class investment philosophy
with low holdings turnover.
Pitzl Financial, LLC may also use exchange-traded funds, individual equities, actively
managed mutual funds and other securities at their sole discretion. Client portfolios may
also include some individual equity securities in situations where disposition of these
securities would present an overriding tax implication or the client specifically requests
they be retained for a personal reason. These situations will be specifically identified in the
client’s Investment Policy Statement (IPS).
Pitzl Financial, LLC manages mutual fund and equity portfolios on a discretionary
basis according to the investment policy selected by the client. A client may impose any
reasonable restrictions on Pitzl Financial, LLC’s discretionary authority, including
restrictions on the types of securities in which Pitzl Financial, LLC may invest client’s assets
and on specific securities, which the client may believe to be appropriate.
Pitzl Financial, LLC may also recommend customized, laddered fixed income portfolios to
investment management clients, which consist of managed accounts of individual bonds.
Pitzl Financial, LLC will request discretionary authority from investment management
clients to manage fixed income portfolios, including the discretion to retain a third-party
fixed income manager. Pursuant to its discretionary authority, Pitzl Financial, LLC will
retain a fixed income securities manager.
The fixed income securities manager will be provided with the discretionary authority to
invest client assets in fixed income securities consistent with the client’s Fixed Income
Investment Policy Statement. The fixed income manager will also monitor the account for
changes in credit ratings, security call provisions, and tax loss harvesting opportunities (to
the extent that the manager is provided with cost basis information). The fixed income
manager will obtain Pitzl Financial, LLC’s consent prior to the sale of any client securities.
On an ongoing basis, Pitzl Financial, LLC will answer clients’ inquiries regarding their
accounts and review periodically with clients the performance of their accounts. Pitzl
Financial, LLC will periodically, and at least annually, review clients’ investment policy, risk
profile and discuss the re-balancing of each client's accounts to the extent appropriate. Pitzl
Financial, LLC will provide to investment manager any updated client financial information
or account restrictions necessary for investment manager to provide sub-advisory services.
In addition to managing the client’s investment portfolio, Pitzl Financial, LLC may consult
with clients on various financial areas including income and estate tax planning, business
sale structures, college financial planning, retirement planning, insurance analysis,
personal cash flow analysis, establishment and design of retirement plans and trust
designs, among other things.
Pitzl Financial, LLC does not participate in or sponsor any wrap fee programs.
Financial Planning Services:
Pitzl Financial, LLC also provides advice in the form of Financial Planning. This service
involves various written financial reports, providing the client with detailed financial
information designed to achieve their stated financial goals and objectives.
The primary form of written financial planning recommendations is our Financial
Playbook. The planning process for Clients engaged in our comprehensive planning
program will be guided by a fully customized Financial Playbook. The written Playbook
content is further supplemented with financial planning software, monte carlo analysis, tax
projection software, various spreadsheets, charts and graphs.
Clients who engage Pitzl Financial on a project basis will not receive a Financial Playbook
unless otherwise specified in the advisory agreement.
The Financial Playbook will address any or all of the following areas that apply to the
specific client situation:
- PERSONAL: Family records, budgeting, personal liability, estate information and
financial goals.
- EDUCATION: Education IRAs, financial aid, state savings plans
(529 Plans), grants
and general assistance in preparing to meet dependent’s continuing educational
needs through development of an education plan.
- RISK: Review of existing risk management program, including all forms of insurance
policies, to ensure proper coverage for life, health, disability, long-term care,
liability, home, and automobile.
- TAX & CASH FLOW: Income tax and spending analysis and planning for past, current
and future years.
- DEATH & DISABILITY: Cash needs at death, income needs of surviving dependents,
estate planning and disability income analysis.
- RETIREMENT: Analysis of current strategies and investment plans to help the client
achieve his or her retirement goals.
- INVESTMENTS: Analysis of current and alternative investment holdings and costs,
examining the potential long-term effects on a client’s portfolio, recommending
appropriate investment options, allocations, or adjustments.
Pitzl Financial, LLC gathers required information through in-depth personal interviews.
Information gathered includes a client’s current financial status, future goals and attitudes
towards risk. Related documents supplied by the client are carefully reviewed and a
written report is typically prepared. Should a client choose to implement the
recommendations in the plan, Pitzl Financial, LLC suggests the client work closely with
his/her attorney, accountant or insurance agent. Implementation of financial plan
recommendations is entirely at the client’s discretion. Clients are encouraged to review
their plan on a regular basis, especially if there are any changes in their financial situation,
goals, need, or investment objectives.
Normally, financial planning is provided in conjunction with investment management
services, with the client’s investment fee also covering the planning work. Pitzl Financial,
LLC does not actively seek financial planning only engagements, but may offer the services
at its sole discretion. In these circumstances, Pitzl Financial, LLC will be compensated on
an hourly fee basis which is described in the “Fees and Compensation” section of this
Brochure. For financial planning only clients, the contract will terminate upon the delivery
of the plan/consultation, unless the advisory agreement includes an on-going retainer fee.
HYPE (Helping Young People Excel):
For certain lower asset balance clients, Pitzl Financial, LLC may utilize an automated
investment program (the “Program”) which Pitzl Financial, LLC refers to as HYPE (Helping
Young People Excel). Clients utilizing this program are invested in a range of investment
strategies we have constructed and manage, each consisting of a portfolio of exchange-
traded funds (“Funds”) and a cash allocation. The client’s portfolio is held in a brokerage
account opened by the client at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“CS&Co”). We use the
Institutional Intelligent Portfolios® platform (“Platform”), offered by Schwab Performance
Technologies (“SPT”), a software provider to independent investment advisors and an
affiliate of CS&Co., to operate the Program.
We are independent of and not owned by, affiliated with, or sponsored or supervised by
SPT, CS&Co., or their affiliates (together, “Schwab”). We, and not Schwab, are the client’s
investment advisor and primary point of contact with respect to the Program. We are solely
responsible, and Schwab is not responsible, for determining the appropriateness of the
Program for the client, choosing a suitable investment strategy and portfolio for the client’s
investment needs and goals, and managing that portfolio on an ongoing basis. We have
contracted with SPT to provide us with the Platform, which consists of technology and
related trading and account management services for the Program. The Platform enables us
to make the Program available to clients online and includes a system that automates
certain key parts of our investment process (the “System”).
The System includes an online questionnaire that can help us determine the client’s
investment objectives and risk tolerance and select an appropriate investment strategy and
portfolio. Clients should note that, if we use the online questionnaire, we will recommend a
portfolio via the System in response to the client’s answers to the online questionnaire.
Client may then indicate an interest in a portfolio that is one level less or more conservative
or aggressive than the recommended portfolio, but we then make the final decision and
select a portfolio based on all the information we have about the clients. The System also
includes an automated investment engine through which we manage client portfolio on an
ongoing basis through automatic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting (if the client is eligible
and elects).
We charge clients a fee for our services as described below under Item 5 Fees and
Compensation. Our fees are not set or supervised by Schwab. Clients do not pay brokerage
commissions or any other fees to CS&Co. as part of the Program. Schwab does receive other
revenues, including (i) the profit earned by Charles Schwab Bank, a Schwab affiliate, on the
allocation to the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Sweep Program described in the Schwab
Intelligent Portfolios Sweep Program Disclosure Statement; (ii) investment advisory
and/or administrative service fees (or unitary fees) received by Charles Schwab
Investment Management, Inc., a Schwab affiliate, from Schwab ETFs™ Schwab Funds® and
Laudus Funds® that we select to buy and hold in the client’s brokerage account; (iii) fees
received by Schwab from third-party ETFs that participate in the Schwab ETF OneSource™
program and mutual funds in the Schwab Mutual Fund Marketplace® (including certain
Schwab Funds and Laudus Funds) in the client’s brokerage account for services Schwab
provides; and (iv) remuneration Schwab may receive from the market centers where it
routes ETF trade orders for execution.
Pitzl Financial, LLC does not offer or participate in any wrap fee programs.