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What’s on our mind? Whether it’s ideas from the industry, emerging trends or team achievements you can read about it here.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Social Security, the program you may have spent a lifetime paying into, is designed to offer stability, supplemental income, and other valuable benefits that can play a role in your overall financial strategy after you retire. We've...

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Bridger Financial Group is proud to announce our participation in the upcoming 29th Annual Pittsburgh Buddy Walk®. We are thrilled to be supporting such a great cause, and we can't wait to connect with everyone involved. We hope...

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

If you ask the average investor which month is the most volatile for the stock market, they will probably say October. It's a reasonable answer, but it's incorrect. Despite October's reputation for market-defining events like the...

Thursday, August 31, 2023

US equities rallied despite recession concerns and persistent challenges. In June, stocks entered a new bull market, up more than 20% from the October 2022 low. US equities were led by a handful of stocks and outperformed international...

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

As financial professionals, we understand how vital it is to safeguard your personal and financial information. Unfortunately, in our increasingly digital world, cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, have become a prevalent...

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Monday, August 7, 2023

You’ve done a great job teaching your children vital life lessons and instilling values that will last a lifetime. As summer ends and a new school year begins, one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially for...

Monday, August 7, 2023

Click the link below to open the digital newsletter.  Bridger Newsletter Q2 2023

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Changes are coming to the complicated form that students must submit to qualify for college financial aid, known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Department of Education is calling it the “most...

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Changes to 529 Plans in the SECURE 2.0 ActThe SECURE Act was initially passed by Congress at the end of 2019 and was intended to improve retirement savings opportunities. It was a big deal at the time and the most significant piece of...

Thursday, July 6, 2023

What if your child needs braces? The cost may be as much as $6,000 for metal braces—more modern versions can run as much as $13,000. Your health insurance may cover only a portion of the cost. If you're well past the braces stage...

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Getting your affairs in order and outlining what you want done with your estate after you’re gone is one of the greatest gifts you can leave your loved ones. However, not preparing for the transfer of your assets can lead to...

Friday, June 16, 2023

As widely expected, the Federal Reserve paused its interest rate hiking campaign at its June meeting. The Fed had signaled that it wanted to review financial data coming in on the impact its rate increases had on inflation and the...

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Senior care costs can be overwhelming, particularly when long-term care is required due to illness or medical conditions. With the number of seniors in the U.S. expected to rise exponentially by 2030, it's crucial to be prepared for...

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Click the link below to open the digital newsletter. Bridger Newsletter Q1 2023

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Estate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your wishes.One popular tool that can be used in estate strategies is...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Economies move in cycles – always have, always willThe Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results, although inflation remains...

Friday, April 28, 2023

What Factors Have the Greatest Impact on Your Credit Score?BodyFun fact: You probably have dozens of credit scores out there, and each one might be a different number. You’re probably familiar with a credit score, why...

Monday, April 17, 2023

Important Financial Considerations to Make When Remarrying Later in LifeBodyDiscussing personal finances is important for any couple preparing for marriage. However, this topic can be more complicated for those who remarry later in...

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Top Considerations to Help Adult Children Be Better Prepared As You AgeBodyAs we get older, it’s important that our adult children are prepared to manage any aging-related situations that may arise. This includes everything from...

Thursday, March 30, 2023

We are excited to have Melissa Tacka join the Bridger Team this March!Melissa is your Client Support Specialist, bringing our team a rich and diverse skillset.  Here's a few questions we asked Melissa, and she was happy to...

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Read the latest newsletter from Q4 2022!

Friday, January 20, 2023

Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement. The law is called SECURE 2.0. Learn how your retirement may be affected.

Friday, December 23, 2022

Our holiday office hours

Friday, November 18, 2022

The Bridger offices will be closed on Thursday, November 24th, and Friday, November 25th in observance of Thanksgiving.Have a wonderful holiday!

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, your financial and estate needs may present different challenges from other married and partnered couples.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Meet the Bridger Financial Group Award Winners Join us in congratulating Melanie and Damon on their Five Star Wealth Management awards! Five Star Professional joins forces with the Wall Street Journal to share Five Star-designated...

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Are you having a hard time saving money? Many people would like to reduce their spending and increase their savings, but it seems like such a monumental task. Saving money can begin right now; you just need to know a few “secrets".

Monday, September 19, 2022

Read the latest Bridger newsletter from Q3 2022.

Monday, August 29, 2022

The Bridger office will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. Have a fun and safe holiday.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Like most women, you’re wearing more hats than ever, more people are counting on you, and you still have ambitious goals to reach. What if you had one simple tool to help with it all?  Women today are making significant...

Thursday, June 30, 2022

The Bridger office will be closed on Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Have a fun and safe holiday!

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

The Bridger team made chocolate lava cakes, rice pilaf and sweet and spicy chicken. It was delicious! 

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Rare collectibles can provide an entertaining form of alternative “investment,” and might seem particularly intriguing when markets are wobblier than Aunt Gertrude’s jello salad. Comic books can sell for millions of...

Thursday, May 12, 2022

History tells us that market volatility is a feature of how the market functions and not a bug. While it’s natural to have a reaction to market volatility, it’s also important to understand the potential impact of that reaction as well.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

While you may only think about your IRS 1040 tax form once a year, it actually provides a lot of information that can help you with your overall financial strategy.

Monday, March 14, 2022

The Federal Reserve met in mid-January, and clarified its position on monetary policy, providing the clearest hint yet about short-term interest rates. The fed hinted that the first interest rate hit could come as soon as March.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

If you or someone you know is in this situation due to COVID-19, you’ll likely have several questions about job hunting, unemployment insurance, and health care. You may also be wondering, “What should I do with my 401(k)?”

Monday, January 10, 2022

So what does this mean for you and your retirement strategy? Simply put, the higher the rate of inflation, the less your dollar will buy. For more information on how inflation can impact your retirement, take a look at this flyer.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Preparing for retirement just got a little more financial wiggle room. This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced new contribution limits for 2022.Staying put for 2022 are traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)...

Monday, November 15, 2021

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...

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Plan for tomorrow, today.That seems like sensible advice, doesn't it? Yet a surprising number of people leave no estate plan in place for their survivors. It makes a certain amount of sense. Nobody likes talking about death. But this...

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

When a business has multiple owners, it's vital that you have a mechanism to transfer ownership in case of an adverse event. Without a plan that all parties have agreed upon, it's much easier for personal and legal disputes to crop up...

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

It’s time for your life insurance checkup.September is National Life Insurance Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to review your coverage.1If you don’t have any life insurance, you’re not alone. Life...

Monday, August 16, 2021

Have you ever heard the Wall Street expression, "markets climb a wall of worry?"It's the idea that financial markets are constantly on edge. Traders fret about how long a market rally can continue before it runs into trouble. Worry...

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

On July 6, oil prices reached a six-year high of $76.98 a barrel. This benchmark came as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies failed to reach an agreement regarding an increase in production.1This...

Monday, July 12, 2021

With June officially behind us, it’s time to face the facts: we’re headed toward the second half of 2021. While there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the rest of summer, we encourage you to slow down and check up on...

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Inflation can be a scary word for people who are retired. It’s code for “prices are going up, but my income may stay the same.”The most recent reading on consumer prices put inflation back into the conversation. The...

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Since the 1980s, unemployment rates have trended higher amongst men than women during a recession. In previous periods of economic downturn, this made sense. Male-dominated industries, like construction and finance, were typically...

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Investors looking for "green shoots" to confirm that the economy is on the mend have seen plenty of examples in recent weeks. Retail sales rose 9.8% in March, the largest monthly gain since May 2020. It's important to remember that...

Monday, March 29, 2021

Among the many changes arising from the pandemic, one of the most noticeable was a change in American spending habits.A survey released in March 2021 by Pew Research shows that Americans have increasingly chosen to put away what extra...

Monday, March 8, 2021

I’m sure you’ve heard that the House recently passed the Senate another round of stimulus to try and counteract the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new stimulus package could narrow income eligibility to...

Monday, February 22, 2021

It can be easy to overlook the nation’s solid economic fundamentals when the financial media splashes stories every day about an army of amateur traders, short-selling mania, and initial public offerings (IPOs) that double in...

Monday, February 1, 2021

You may have heard the news about stocks for certain companies suddenly ballooning, quickly going from lunch money prices to several hundred dollars a share. In one case, the shares rose over 1700% since December 2020.1 So, what...

Monday, January 18, 2021

The personal savings rate in the United States, which is the amount of income left after taxes and household spending, has reached some significant milestones.In April, when much of the country stayed home to avoid the COVID-19...

Monday, January 11, 2021

The first week of 2021 has already had many ups and downs. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean that the 2020 issues go away, and so far, 2021 has been no exception to this rule.The markets opened on January 4 and...

Friday, December 11, 2020

Your investment strategy is a lot like a marriage. One day you may feel like everything’s going swimmingly. The next day, there might be an argument over who forgot to load the dishwasher. And even the best marriages and...

Thursday, November 26, 2020

As the United States sees a rise in cases of COVID-19 across the nation, news of two promising vaccines out of hundreds being tested has offered a ray of hope for a fatigued world.1A positive reaction to these vaccines affects every...

Monday, November 9, 2020

With all the election chatter and stock market volatility, it may have been easy to miss the ongoing uptrend in long-term interest rates.The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond is sitting just below 1%. Just a few short months ago, the...

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

It should come as no surprise that the economy is the most crucial issue in the upcoming election.But here's something that may surprise you. More than 90% of investors say they plan to change their portfolio in the 12 months...

Monday, October 19, 2020

Due to COVID-19, Americans are spending more time at home than ever before, leading to a record amount of spending on home improvement.1It’s not that big of a surprise since many Americans now find their homes are doing triple...

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Right now, many Americans are worried about their financial health due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the country. Adding to these concerns were July's consumer prices— excluding food and energy—which rose at the...

Friday, August 7, 2020

One of my favorite Wall Street quotes is from Mark Twain, who said:“October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June,...

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

With the economy and financial markets flashing mixed signals, it’s no wonder that lawmakers are deadlocked on whether to pass a Phase 4 of the CARES Act. More than $3 trillion in stimulus has been pushed into the economy since...

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Hindsight is 20/20. It’s only human to imagine what it might have been like to turn left instead of right on some fateful day. However, that sort of daydreaming is unhelpful when investing, especially when it leads you to try and...

Monday, May 4, 2020

The COVID-19 virus has Infected a lot more than people. Even if you don't have the virus, chances are it's had some impact on your money and personal finances.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Are you eligible for a stimulus check from the Treasury Department? Here are some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) many people are asking.

Monday, April 6, 2020

In honor of Administrative Professionals Day, we'd like to share our list of ideas to celebrate the indispensable people who keep our offices running so that we can focus on growing our businesses.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

In light of current events and potential financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Treasury, IRS, and Federal Government have announced several changes to tax season deadlines. Here is an overview of what you need to know.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act was recently signed into law. The CARES Act is designed to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also providing key provisions that may benefi

Thursday, March 26, 2020

EXCITING NEWS! The BRAND NEW Bridger Financial Group website has launched! 🚀 We’d love for you to come take a look! Our site features hundreds of videos, articles, and calculators to educate, entertain, and answer your questions...

Thursday, March 12, 2020

There’s been no shortage of scary things in the news lately. From the images of panicked selling on the stock market floor to press conferences with the World Health Organization officials, it seems like anything could happen...

Monday, March 9, 2020

On Saturday, March 7th our team headed to Akron, OH for the annual 21st Century Financial Awards Celebration! Congratulations to Bridger President Melanie Colusci for winning Silver Advisor of the Year! She also qualified for HTK...

Saturday, June 1, 2019

The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company (Penn Mutual) is pleased to announce Melanie Colusci, CFP®, AEP®, as the recipient of the 2019 Rob Holmes Financial Professional of the Year Award.

Monday, April 1, 2019

Bridger Financial Group, a Pittsburgh, PA-based financial services firm, is pleased to announce that Melanie Colusci has been recognized by broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC (HTK), as one of...

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

It was great to see so many of you at the Get Your Paper Organized event at the Sewickley Public Library! Certified Financial Planner™ Melanie Colusci joined forces with Certified Professional Organizer® Sandra Lane to share...

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Clients and friends of Bridger Financial group donned their favorite black and gold for the Black and Gold Party aboard the Gateway Clipper. During our 3-hour cruise, guests enjoyed beautiful Pittsburgh views, a tasty dinner, a...

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Thank you to the guys that joined us at Axe Throwing Pittsburgh - LumberjAxes for making our men’s event such a success. The guys enjoyed ditching the age-old meeting for axe throwing, beer drinking and connecting with friends!

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Melanie Colusci and Certified Professional Organizer Sandra Lane hosted a collaborative event jam-packed with tips and tricks on how to tackle the paper monster that many of us have. Melanie gave an informative presentation on what...

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Bridger Financial Group hosted a client appreciation event aboard the Gateway Clipper Fleet in downtown Pittsburgh. Clients and their guests spent three hours on the river while enjoying a dinner buffet, drinks and a beautiful evening...

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Melanie Colusci and the Bridger Financial Group team hosted a fun event for clients and their friends that featured both Style Truck, Pittsburgh's first mobile boutique, and House of Colour style consultant Julie Shields. Melanie...