Retirement planning involves covering estimated expenses in retirement from known resources. Those resources may include pensions, Social Security benefits, earnings from investments, part-time work, or any combination of the above. Estimating expenses in retirement can be a more “interesting” exercise. Many pre-retirees can make a reasonable estimate of basic living expenses (usually in today’s dollars […]

The “talking heads” on the financial news networks broadcast a seemingly never-ending stream of numbers and discuss the implications of those numbers on the investment market. While we at Paragon Financial Advisors do not presume to be economists, there are some numbers which definitely warrant following. Some of the major ones follow:Gross Domestic Product (GDP)The […]

There is much discussion in Washington these days about “entitlement reform.” An obvious example includes the Social Security system. A question that often arises in this area is “When should I begin to draw my benefits?” That question is critical since the benefits one receives is reduced if taken before “full retirement age” (which is […]

Clients frequently ask about “non-traditional” investments in their IRA-especially in this investment climate.  Let me quickly say that some of these investments are possible; however do not make any investments without consulting your tax advisors.  Improper investments can result in disqualifying your IRA and subjecting yourself to IRS penalties and interest.  Here we are briefly […]

The word “bubble” is surfacing around the stock market as it marches to all time highs.  But is there rationale for that movement-or is quantitative easing (QEI, QE2, Operation Twist, QE Infinity) and a zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) drawing investors to riskier assets (stocks) since bond yields are so low?  The Federal Reserve personnel […]

It’s Friday November 8, 2013 as I write this and the stock market is basking in all-time highs-which were driven by based on an employment report of 204,000 jobs added vs. the 120,000 median forecast of 91 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.  In addition, the third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate […]

As more baby boomers near retirement the topic of Social Security planning is becoming more prevalent in financial publications like the Wall Street Journal and magazines.  Simply put, Social Security planning is evaluating your specific situation to determine the best course of action to take with benefits to meet your goals during retirement.  If your […]

In this quarter’s newsletter I will be discussing Estate Planning, Exchange Traded Funds (EFTs), and Retirement.  Although each of the following articles cover a different topic, they are all components of the financial planning process.   Although estate planning is a subject that some people would prefer not to discuss, it is a vital part of […]

A recent TV commercial featured ads asking individuals the question above. The number referred to the amount of money the individual would need to fund their retirement. While that number was hypothetical, numbers can have significance. Witness the “talking heads” on the financial news channels as they await and report the periodic economic data news […]

Americans have invested approximately $661 billion in an estimated 6 million variable annuity contracts with benefit guarantees (according to insurance industry researcher Limra in the April 20-21, 2013 Weekend Investor section of the Wall Street Journal). Such products were sold with the promise of a guaranteed retirement benefit that could be “reset” higher if the […]