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What is Andy Hagans known for?
Andy Hagans is known as an author and entrepreneur working across payments, real estate and finance. His payments background includes leadership at SoarPay and co-authoring High Risk Merchant Accounts 101. In real estate, he founded Mastiff Equity Partners, a private equity real estate firm in West Michigan. He is also a partner at OpportunityZones.com and editor of The Opportunity Zones Playbook by Jimmy Atkinson, which features a foreword by Senator Tim Scott.
If you want to follow his work, start with the payments writing if you are in fintech or merchant services, and the Opportunity Zones material if your interest is tax-advantaged real estate investment. For direct contact, his listed email is [email protected]. The broader site is Andy Hagans.
What is High Risk Merchant Accounts 101 about?
High Risk Merchant Accounts 101 is a book co-authored by Andy Hagans, described on his site as part of his work in the payments industry. It is aimed at business owners and operators who need to accept card payments but fall outside the comfort zone of mainstream processors — typically because of chargeback exposure, regulatory scrutiny or the nature of the goods and services sold.
What a book with this title usually covers
- Why some businesses are classed as "high risk" and how processors make that call
- The difference between a merchant account, a payment aggregator and a payment facilitator
- Application and underwriting: what documents and financials get requested, and why applications stall
- Pricing structures — discount rates, per-transaction fees, monthly minimums, gateway and statement fees
- Reserves, rolling reserves and chargeback thresholds, and how to negotiate them
- Practical risk reduction: billing descriptors, fraud screening, refund policy and dispute handling
- How to switch processors without a gap in service
Who gets the most out of it
If you run a subscription business, travel or ticketing operation, nutraceuticals, firearms-adjacent retail, adult content, gaming, or a high-ticket service with long delivery lead times, the underwriting questions in this material will look familiar. A first-time founder in one of those categories benefits most; an experienced payments manager may find the early chapters basic.
How to judge whether it fits your situation
Ask three questions before spending time on it: (1) Does your chargeback ratio sit near or above 1%? (2) Has a mainstream processor declined or terminated you? (3) Do you need to understand reserve terms well enough to argue about them? Two or more yes answers means the topic is directly relevant. If none apply, a general guide to payment processing is a better use of your time.
As a next step, list your last three months of chargebacks and refunds, then read the reserve and underwriting chapters with those numbers in hand — the material becomes far more useful when mapped to your own statements.
For a broader view of the author's payments and finance work, see Andy Hagans.
How can I contact Andy Hagans for business inquiries?
Contact Andy Hagans for business inquiries at [email protected], the email listed on his personal site Andy Hagans. His page presents him as an author and entrepreneur working across payments, real estate, and finance, so this is the direct channel for professional or business-related messages.
What to include in your message
- A one-line subject stating your topic (e.g., "Payments partnership inquiry" or "Real estate investment question").
- Who you are and the organization you represent.
- The specific reason for reaching out and what you're asking for.
- Any relevant context, such as a prior introduction or a shared project.
- A clear next step, like a short call or a reply with more details.
A practical next step
If your inquiry concerns real estate or private equity, note that his page identifies him as founder of Mastiff Equity Partners in West Michigan and a partner at OpportunityZones.com. Mentioning the relevant venture in your subject line can help route your message to the right context. Keep the first email brief; if you don't hear back, a single polite follow-up after one to two weeks is reasonable.
If your question is about a different area of his work, such as payments, say so explicitly, since his background spans several industries and a clear topic makes it easier to respond usefully.
What is Mastiff Equity Partners and what does it do?
Mastiff Equity Partners is described on Andy Hagans's site as his private equity real estate firm, based in West Michigan. In other words, it's an investment business that buys and holds real estate rather than a brokerage that lists homes for sale or a property-management company handling rentals for owners.
That distinction matters if you're trying to figure out whether the firm is relevant to you. A private equity real estate firm typically pools capital from investors—often high-net-worth individuals or institutions—to acquire properties, with the aim of earning returns through income, appreciation, or both. The trade-off for investors is less liquidity and longer holding periods than public real estate investments, in exchange for direct exposure to specific local properties. For a homeowner or buyer in West Michigan, the practical relevance is different: such a firm may compete with you for certain properties, but it isn't a service you'd hire.
If you want specifics—fund size, target property types, minimum investment, or current offerings—those details aren't on the page summarized here. Your next step is to contact the firm directly; the site lists [email protected] as the contact address. Before reaching out, decide which side of the table you're on: an investor asking about opportunities, or a local party (owner, broker, developer) asking about acquisitions. That will shape what you ask.
For broader context on the sectors Andy Hagans works in, you can also look at OpportunityZones.com, referenced as another of his ventures.
What is OpportunityZones.com and how is Andy Hagans involved?
OpportunityZones.com is a website focused on Opportunity Zones, the U.S. tax-incentive program that offers capital-gains tax benefits for investments in designated low-income communities. Andy Hagans is a partner at the site and is listed as editor of The Opportunity Zones Playbook by Jimmy Atkinson, which includes a foreword by Senator Tim Scott. His connection to OpportunityZones.com sits alongside his broader work in payments and real estate private equity.
For a reader trying to understand the site, the most useful distinction is between the general topic and Andy Hagans's specific role:
- The site's subject: Opportunity Zones as an investment and tax-planning topic.
- Andy Hagans's role: Partner at OpportunityZones.com and editor of The Opportunity Zones Playbook.
- His related background: Payments industry experience and founder of Mastiff Equity Partners, a private equity real estate firm in West Michigan.
If you are evaluating Opportunity Zones as an investment, treat the site as an educational resource rather than a substitute for tax or legal advice. Start with the Playbook if you want a structured overview, then confirm current rules and deadlines with a qualified professional, since Opportunity Zone rules have changed since the program began.
For a concrete example: an investor with realized capital gains might read the Playbook to understand deferral and exclusion mechanics, then speak with a tax advisor about whether a Qualified Opportunity Fund fits their situation. That is general advice, not a feature of this site or a recommendation from Andy Hagans.
Who wrote the foreword to The Opportunity Zones Playbook?
Senator Tim Scott wrote the foreword to The Opportunity Zones Playbook. The book is edited by Andy Hagans, who is also a partner at OpportunityZones.com.
If you want to confirm the attribution or see how the foreword is framed, check the book's official listing or a retailer preview that shows the front matter.
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