Eric Hagen 3/15/13 Eric Hagen 3/15/13

Retirement Through Your Eyes

If you are like many baby boomers, your view of retirement is likely pragmatic compared to that of your parents. That doesn’t mean you have to have a “plain vanilla” tomorrow. Even if your retirement savings are not as great as you would prefer, you still have great potential to design the life you want. With that in mind, here are some things to think about

Eric Hagen 3/10/13 Eric Hagen 3/10/13

The Right Beneficiary

Here’s a simple financial question: who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k), life insurance policy, or annuity? You may be able to answer such a question quickly and easily. Or you may be saying, “You know … I’m not totally sure.” Whatever your answer, it is smart to periodically review your beneficiary designations

Eric Hagen 2/14/13 Eric Hagen 2/14/13

Interest Rates & Bonds

The Federal Reserve has said that it will do what it can to keep interest rates low, but these efforts cannot stem the tide forever; it’s inevitable, at some point, that interest rates will rise and diminish bond prices. The only question is: when and how much?

Eric Hagen 2/1/13 Eric Hagen 2/1/13

IRA Rollovers for Lump-Sum Pension Payouts

If you are taking a lump sum pension payout from your former employer, what is the next step for that money? It will be integral to your retirement; how can you make it work harder for you?

Eric Hagen 1/24/13 Eric Hagen 1/24/13

IRA Contribution Limits Rise for 2013

In 2013, you can contribute up to $5,500 to your Roth or traditional IRA. If you will be 50 or older by the end of 2013, your contribution limit is actually $6,500 this year thanks to the IRS’s “catch-up” provision. The new limits represent a $500 increase from 2012 levels

Eric Hagen 1/15/13 Eric Hagen 1/15/13

IRA Deadlines are Approaching

Many of us associate April with taxes. We should also associate it with IRAs, for April is the month with the deadlines for IRA contributions and mandatory IRA withdrawals.

Eric Hagen 1/9/13 Eric Hagen 1/9/13

Bad Money Habits to Break in 2013

Many people fall into the same financial behavior patterns year after year. If you sometimes succumb to these financial tendencies, the New Year is as good an occasion as any to alter your behavior.

Eric Hagen 1/5/13 Eric Hagen 1/5/13

The Fiscal Cliff Deal & Your Taxes

What will change (and won’t change) as a result of the new legislation - here are the major details in the bill, which in the big picture would raise taxes by roughly $600 billion across the next ten years.

Eric Hagen 1/2/13 Eric Hagen 1/2/13

Why 2013 May Be a Very Good Year

With 2013 approaching, stock market volatility seems to have increased. Equities rise on optimistic remarks about a fiscal cliff solution, then fall when another voice expresses pessimism, and vice versa. In addition to this constant seesawing, the market is contending with anxieties about Europe, with the eurozone now officially in another recession, and the strong possibility of higher taxes on capital gains and dividends in 2013 plus surtaxes on varieties of net investment income. Even so, 2013 may turn out to be a good year for stocks. Our economy looks to be healing, and that may give investors around the world more optimism.

Eric Hagen 12/21/12 Eric Hagen 12/21/12

Should You Always Withdraw from IRAs Last?

According to conventional retirement planning wisdom, you should structure your retirement withdrawals so that money comes out of your taxable accounts first, then your tax-deferred accounts, and then finally your tax-free accounts. Roughly speaking, that means withdrawing income from investment funds, CDs, money market accounts and bank accounts before taking a dime from your IRAs.

Eric Hagen 12/19/12 Eric Hagen 12/19/12

Will You Be Hit by the Medicare Surtax?

On January 1, a new 3.8% tax on certain kinds of investment income is set to take effect. The Medicare surtax (officially termed the Unearned Income Medicare Contribution) is slated to affect...

Eric Hagen 12/12/12 Eric Hagen 12/12/12

The Year in Review - A Look Back at 2012 Thus Far

Stock market bears might characterize 2012 as a year of living dangerously, a year in which Wall Street coped with major risks to the American and European economies. Stock market bulls might end up remembering 2012 for what didn’t happen: Greece had resisted a temptation to exit the euro, and it looked as if bipartisan negotiation might save the U.S. economy from heading over the fiscal cliff. In late November, stocks appeared on track for some solid yearly gains.

Eric Hagen 12/4/12 Eric Hagen 12/4/12

CEO of NEXT Financial on the 700 Club: Year-End Tax Tips

Watch this video for some great tax tips from the chairman & CEO of my company, Gordon D'Angelo on The 700 Club - he also talks about his New York Times best-seller "Vision: Your Pathway to Victory". These year-end financial planning tax tips will come in handy as tax season approaches in the new year.

Eric Hagen 11/21/12 Eric Hagen 11/21/12

Big Tax Questions of 2013

Decisions must be made. In the next couple of months, Congress will address several major tax matters. Here are the big questions looming...

Eric Hagen 11/16/12 Eric Hagen 11/16/12

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Plan for Retirement

You probably read or hear about some “Top Ten” list nearly every day. But take a moment to read this one. This list is different, and probably not the kind of list you’d expect a Financial Advisor to write.

Eric Hagen 11/10/12 Eric Hagen 11/10/12

Some Fiscal Cliff Scenarios

The fiscal cliff is getting closer and closer. In the worst-case scenario, Congress argues and deadlocks. Tax hikes and roughly $109 billion in federal spending cuts take a bite out of GDP and another recession becomes a possibility. There are other possibilities, however. The fiscal cliff may yet be averted, or at least we might back away from its edge. One of several scenarios might come to pass.

Eric Hagen 11/8/12 Eric Hagen 11/8/12

Avoiding Financial Catastrophe

Wildfires, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, floods, earthquakes … there are many disasters, both man-made and natural, that could happen without warning. For many, preparedness is a way of life. If you’ve lived all your life on a fault line, for example, then making your home and belongings earthquake-ready may be a no-brainer. But are you totally prepared? Are you financially prepared?

Eric Hagen 11/7/12 Eric Hagen 11/7/12

Overview of SIMPLE 401(k)s

What do you know about the SIMPLE 401(k)? Most business owners have heard of it, yet don’t know much about this retirement savings vehicle.

Eric Hagen 11/2/12 Eric Hagen 11/2/12

Important IRS Adjustments for 2013

The IRS has set annual contribution limits for IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement plans higher for 2013, and made other important adjustments for inflation as well. Here is an overview of some notable changes just announced.

Eric Hagen 11/1/12 Eric Hagen 11/1/12

Annual Financial To-Do List

What financial, business or life priorities do you need to address for 2013? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives. Some year-end financial moves may prove crucial to the pursuit of those goals as well.