Andrew Pravlik has spent 30 years accumulating a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom in the financial industry, and in that time he’s found fulfillment in helping individual and business clients safeguard and develop their own material wealth and portfolios. He takes care to walk his clients through all the available investment or, when appropriate, retirement options in order to give them the best service possible.
“When people go to an independent firm for financial planning, they are generally not as limited to a list of specified products, or cookie cutter portfolios,” Pravlik says, “They generally are free to choose from a full spectrum of investment possibilities.”
Andrew Pravlik is proud of his multidisciplinary financial expertise. Not only boasting a specialization in alternative investment strategies and income-producing investment portfolios, Pravlik is a licensed life insurance and annuity agent with series 7, 63, and 66 licenses. With his breadth of financial wisdom and accreditation, he’s uniquely positioned to help his clients navigate the quagmire of financial planning and management.
Financial First Steps
Pravlik’s career started where many others’ did: as an intern at an existing financial firm. From 1992 to 1996, Andrew Pravlik worked as a financial intern for Hefren-Tillotson, where he quickly picked up the knowledge of brokerage and investment needed to succeed. This early experience working as an intern between college semesters was the launching pad for what would become a successful career. He’d go on to complete his college education at Allegheny College, where he studied economics, finance, and business, and then jump straight into the professional world he’d been training for.
A Portfolio of Career Success
His financial acumen was apparent and extensive, leading to him being hired on as First Vice President at Hefren-Tillotson—a rather significant promotion, considering his prior internship. His success garnered much attention; he was featured prominently on the KDKA radio show, “Your Money and You,” Pittsburgh’s top rated financial radio show. Andrew Pravlik excelled at Hefren-Tillotson for over 13 years, where he worked with his team to guide clients through financial planning, insurance and estate planning, and stock and bond portfolio management. It was in this role as a registered representative and broker that he developed the persistence and decisiveness that have defined his career.
The heights of his financial career were yet to come, however. After stepping away for a couple years, Andrew Pravlik returned to finance in 2011 as Executive Vice President and Director of Investments for Pittsburgh Wealth Management Group (PWMG). As both a broker and a leader, Pravlik has consistently proven to be innovative and growth-oriented, and his oversight of the investment strategy and performance of the firm demonstrated that.
After his tenure at PWMG, Andrew Pravlik had greater ambitions. In 2022, Pravlik decided his clients and community were best served by an independent practice, and founded his own firm, Pittsburgh Financial Group (PFG), where he is CEO, President, and Managing Partner. At PFG he chose to refine his financial advisory services and specialize in income planning, retirement planning, and managing client portfolios. He works to help clients achieve their financial goals with personalized and holistic solutions, and is passionate about empowering clients to make informed financial decisions.
Beyond the continued stream of satisfied clients, Pravlik’s leadership and decision making has proven effective in other ways. Sensing an opportunity in an underserved market, the firm expanded with the establishment of a subsidiary group in Seattle, Washington to serve clients on the West Coast. Decisiveness is one of his secrets to success; Pravlik is not afraid to make transformative changes when the business demands it.
“It is important to have a process, but also I have found in my experience, being proactive is always more desirable than reactive,” Pravlik says. “Look at the objectives, all the alternatives, and consider the best possible outcomes. In almost all decision making, there will be trade-offs, uncertainty and risk and yes, luck—but it is best to act. Fortune often favors the bold.”
A Growth Mindset
To be successful in an evolving world means being able to grow and evolve to keep up with new trends and technologies. Andrew Pravlik keeps himself sharp primarily through reading and continuous learning efforts. For his own industry (and the news), he reads The Economist, the Wall Street Journal Daily, the Financial Times, Kiplinger, and Bloomberg; he treats the acquisition of new knowledge and information as vital to his practice.
“Even in this day and age of being able to Google and have facts at your fingertips, nothing beats having learned and taken in something and being able to remember it,” he says.
Beyond reading, he also regularly meets and speaks with other industry leaders and investment professionals to keep track of the shifting economic, monetary, and political environment. He’s become particularly intrigued by the current rising interest rate market, as it’s provided his business with the unique and tremendous opportunity to help clients navigate the highest rates in nearly 50 years.
Philanthropy and Community Outreach
Andrew Pravlik also intends to expand the reach of his financial guidance beyond the boundaries of his office. He and his partner, Gina McCafferty (Director of Operations and COO), are working to bring a new weekly radio show to both Pittsburgh and Seattle markets. The radio show will be focused on guiding listeners through the strategies needed to best invest their hard earned money and prepare for their retirement.
“Our goal is to provide unbiased information in an educational format, ensuring that retirees receive the best possible advice tailored to their needs,” Pravlik explains, “We want our listeners to feel informed and empowered about their financial future.”
Andrew Pravlik is dedicated to giving back to his community in a variety of ways. In addition to the education provided by his radio show, Pravlik and PFG regularly sponsor charity events and work with organizations to empower people around the country. For example, in late May of 2024 the firm sponsored the Justin Bibbo Charitable Golf Tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the world’s leading organization in search of a cure for the devastating genetic disorder.
Between his professional work and his personal contributions, Andrew Pravlik is determined to educate and guide his community and clients alike through the trials and tribulations of the modern financial world. Knowledge is power, and he works hard to make sure the people in his care are well armed.
