Not Your Average Financial Podcast™

Episode 469: The G in TGIF – Guarantees – The Ironclad Foundation Bank On Yourself® Delivers When Everything Else Wobbles

August 28, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you noticed something?
Do you know what won’t disappear?
Will the rules quietly change mid-game?
What about the guarantees?
Where are the guarantees in the financial universe?
What about the stock market?
What about guaranteed fees?
Who gets the guarantee?
What about the government’s guaranteed cut?
What about conservative allocations?
What about property taxes and insurance costs?
Is real estate property guaranteed?
What about temporary or partial guarantees?
What happens with CDs?
What about maintaining real purchasing power?
Is hope a plan?
What about savings accounts?
What about money market funds?
How fast do interest rates change?
Did you factor in inflation and taxes?
What about bonds?
When do bond prices fall?
What happened in 2022?
Do I need to risk more?
What about individual stocks?
What about cryptocurrency?
What about regulatory trouble?
What about spectacular runs?
What about spectacular crashes?
Who gets the guarantees in these transactions?
What about insurance and annuity products?
What about indexed universal life policies?
What about caps and participation rates?
What happens later in your retirement years?
Is that data helpful?
What about the average return?
What is guaranteed to you?
What happens when needs arise?
Do you want to be forced to keep earning?
What happens to cash value?
Are dividends guaranteed?
Have you seen the rings on the tree?
How does guaranteed growth work in a Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy?
What about the guarantee that the premiums will never rise as you age?
How are these guarantees delivered?
How have these companies held up over 160 years of history?
Have you felt that quiet frustration while others rack up their own guarantees?
What is your posture?
What will the market do next?
What about the kids?
How long are you going to live?
What is theoretical?
What is the conventional playbook?
Where are the actual guarantees?
What is a contractual guarantee?
What are some tools and products that can structure guarantees for you?
What are the mechanics of how these guarantees work?
Do you have a contract?
What are the takeaways?
Who needs to hear this?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

Episode 468: The T in TGIF: Tax Advantages of Bank On Yourself® – Taking Control Back from the Tax Trap

August 21, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What about stability and sanity?
What about an insane question?
Is there someone at the I.R.S. that you’re particularly in love with?
Who is the largest beneficiary on your IRA upon death?
Are you going to leave your IRA this way, now that you know the truth?
How about an example?
How do you get tax free access?
What about a tax free legacy?
How does this directly solve the problems?
When will you pay taxes?
How about an example of two retired brothers?
What happens to a 401(k) upon death?
Why is deferring taxes a good idea?
Who benefits from this?
What did Ed Slott say?
What did Pamela Yellen say?
What are the takeaways?
What are the action items?
What will your beneficiaries actually receive?
Do you have the eyes of a Bank on Yourself® Professional?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

Episode 467: Real, Recession-Proof Freedom: Fusing Utilitarian Short-Term Rentals with Bank On Yourself®, with Kirby Atwell

August 14, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What is the 1% net rule?
Would you like to listen to Episode 316?
Why does layering on Bank on Yourself® strategies to real estate make a whole lot of sense?
What is Kirby’s story?
What is over looked in the short term rental space?
What is counterintuitive?
Where can one buy properties for a fraction of the cost of what you can buy in the city centers?
What can one charge for short-term rental income?
Why does Kirby help other investors?
What is the purpose of financial freedom?
Do you own your day?
What happened in 2021?
How does Kirby have a positive impact on others?
What systems are in place?
What has been the biggest challenge?
Do the higher end areas yield the best income?
What is the backup plan?
Is the property upside down?
Does the property cash flow?
Does it cash flow 1% net?
What about the banks?
What about private credit?
What about DSCR lenders? What ratio are they looking for?
What is the underlying asset that we are lending against?
Can banks change their mind at any given point?
Why does layering on the Bank on Yourself® strategy with a short term rental business work so well?
When is the best time to buy?
Is real estate going to crash?
Where do you put your money when everything is uncertain?
What about inflation?
What about the stock market?
Do we need shelter?
What has intrinsic value?
What about the underlying value of the property?
What about the cash flow?
What about buying solid assets?
If your current plan fails, what will you do then?
What about liquidity?
What is a dynamic duo?
What about recency bias?
When you stress test it, does it still work?
Are you standing on the X?
Is not making decision still making a decision?
What about catastrophe thinking?
What can I expect in terms of a good short term rental?
What strategies are outside of the box?
What is the rule of thumb?
What are the parameters?
What are the results so far?
What are they doing?
What is the safest thing you could do?
Would you like to reach out to Kirby at livingoffrentals.com/start?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

Kirby Atwell served six years as an officer in the U.S. Army, after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. During his service, he developed a strong interest in real estate and purchased his first rental property in 2006.In 2011, Kirby left the military to pursue real estate full time. He launched a Chicago‑based investment company and went on to flip roughly 70 properties over five years. Although the business generated significant revenue, the highly transactional model left him with no passive income and a growing treadmill of stress, overhead, and marketing costs. That realization pushed him to pivot toward building assets that produced reliable monthly cash flow.Kirby eventually discovered the power of utilitarian short‑term rentals—affordable, practical properties near major population centers that serve everyday travelers such as workers, families, and medical guests. This strategy transformed his financial life. By 2021, after acquiring eight units producing about $1,000 per unit in net monthly cash flow, he was able to leave his corporate job. Today, he owns and operates 39 short‑term rental listings, supported by systems that keep his time commitment low while delivering high, stable returns.In addition to running his portfolio, Kirby teaches other investors how to replicate this model. Through his coaching program, he has helped hundreds of people select the right markets, secure financing, set up their rentals, and manage them efficiently without expensive property managers. Kirby is the host of the Living Off Rentals podcast and YouTube channel, where he shares strategies, interviews, and insights for building recession‑resistant rental income and achieving true financial freedom. Set up a call with Kirby Atwell at livingoffrentals.com/call.

Episode 466: The Real Wins and Losses of Bank on Yourself® Over 13 Years with Phil Smith

August 7, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you heard Episode 462?
Who is Phil Smith?
What is a super awesome privilege?
Why was Mark cautious?
What helped Phil?
How did Phil find the right balance with his Bank On Yourself® type whole life insurance policies?
What is so cool about having friends as clients?
What were some of Phil’s early concerns about taking policy loans?
What about paying off debt?
What about real estate?
What about investments?
How did Phil pivot, as life happened?
What is the new financial normal?
How can I route some of my major life purchases through this policy?
How might I keep my money growing at the same time?
What did Nelson Nash say?
What about arrival syndrome?
What about the beginner’s mindset?
What did C.S. Lewis say?
Would you like to meet Phil?

Phil Smith is an Associate at Lake Growth Financial Services, bringing more than 17 years of banking and credit‑union experience to the firm. A Bank On Yourself® client since 2013, Phil has personally used the strategy to navigate major life transitions, eliminate debt, fund investments, and build long‑term financial resilience—giving him a rare dual perspective as both a seasoned practitioner and a long‑term policyholder.

Known for his disciplined, thoughtful approach, Phil draws inspiration from his journey in traditional kung fu, where he is a fourth‑degree black belt soon testing for master level. He applies the art’s core principle—time and effort—to helping clients build stable, flexible, and future‑focused financial strategies. Phil serves clients nationwide and can be reached at philsmith@lakegrowth.com.

Episode 465: Client Spotlight: Bank On Yourself® for Creatives: Building a Music Empire with Janet Kuester

July 31, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

How can you make your side hustle the main event, without money stress?
Who is Janet Kuester and how did she grow the Music Connection to hundreds of students?
What did Janet do with her Bank On Yourself® type whole life insurance policy?
What is a music activist?
What did Janet discover on her journey?
What did Janet learn in the Orchestra?
Who is looking for a tribe?
What about communicating without words?
What happened when Janet was 5 years old?
When did Janet start playing an instrument?
Could you believe the sound?
What was the journey like?
How did Janet found and build the Music Connection school in 2004?
What was Janet’s “entrepreneurial seizure”?
What happened when she was bursting at the seams at the Orland Park location?
What happened with the Suburban Youth Symphony?
What about kids getting access and opportunity?
What happened when Janet learned about Bank On Yourself®?
How did Janet sell her business?
What happens after work?
What did Janet do with her policy when she turned 70?
What about an amazing experience?
What about Janet’s children book, Try It and See?
What about Janet’s new book, More Than Music Lessons: Wisdom Beyond the Notes?
…and more!

Janet Kuester describes herself as a music activist.

As a young woman, she doubted her music ability, though she was filled with a love for classical music. After a 28-year detour into a nursing career, she felt called to start a music school and that started a 20-year journey into founding and running her own music school business, the Music Connection, which she sold in 2020. She is a firm believer in life’s chapters and is in the middle of the next one!

Episode 464: IUL Scams and Pitfalls Exposed – Backtested Illusions vs. Real Guaranteed Growth

July 24, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What has been marketed as a shiny solution?
Why is the agent pushing this hard?
What’s the rub?
What conclusion has Mark come to after seeing clients who have been burned by this?
What are the numbers?
Do you want efficiency?
Do you want control?
Do you want safety?
What is the last thing you need?
Why does indexed universal life insurance (IUL) get sold so aggressively?
Do the floors protect you against all losses?
Is there flexibility?
Can you participate in market gains without market risks?
What happens when markets “don’t cooperate”?
What about double digit returns?
What keeps rising fast?
What amplifies the very risk most people are trying to avoid?
What is a safe play?
What is unnecessarily risky?
Why are there so many IUL lawsuits?
What about Bank on Yourself® type dividend paying whole life insurance policies?
How is an indexed annuity different from an IUL?
What has zero insurance costs?
Do you like the idea of the index?
What is good for you?
How does the structure of indexed universal life work against you?
How about a story?
Is an IUL a better 401(k) alternative?
Are IULs liquid?
What about the Bank on Yourself® philosophy?
What happens as the paid-up additions rider accumulates?
Do you have to beg a bank for your money?
What about a stream of income?
What about liquidity and flexibility?
What about guaranteed income?
Where do I pull money, when I need it today?
How about a couple of examples?
What are the pillars of the Bank on Yourself® philosophy?
What stands up under real world pressure?
Does the properly structured dividend paying whole life insurance policy outperform IUL?
Why does the IUL work against you?
Do you need to talk through an existing IUL contract?
Are you failing forward?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?
Would you like to jump into the FREE Not Your Average Financial Community?

Episode 463: True Crime! Nascar Legend Kyle Busch’s IUL Lawsuit and Death Exposed

July 17, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Why do indexed universal life (IUL) policies so often fail?
How about a high profile example?
What about a straight-forward, guaranteed approach?
Why are IUL policies structured to shift massive risk onto you, the policy holder?
What is the real culprit here?
What gets more expensive as you age?
What are the caps and limits?
What are the rates?
What are the spreads?
What clips the upside on these IUL products?
Why are there optimistic assumptions?
What happens to the cash value of an IUL policy to keep it in force?
What did the Gottlieb study say?
What happens to 95% of IUL policies?
What will you have left?
Would you like to hear Episode 371?
Would you like to hear Episode 36?
Do you watch NASCAR?
Have you been pitched an IUL?
How much premium did the Busch family pour into 5 indexed universal life policies?
What happened?
Why do these policies eat themselves alive or ultimately collapse?
Why does this keep happening?
What is the problem with the structure?
Why are the costs so high inside of an IUL?
What is the index crediting trap?
What are caps?
What are spreads?
What about the upside?
What is the cost of insurance?
What is the myth of backtesting?
What about the lawsuits?
What happens when reality hits?
Are these policies designed to lapse?
Why do certain salesman push this sizzle (without the steak)?
What actually works?
How do Bank on Yourself® type dividend paying whole life insurance policies work?
Can you take non-direct recognition policy loans from an indexed universal life (IUL) policy?
Would you like to hear a story?
What’s actually true?
How does one build a fortress?
What is the whole point of insurance?
Does IUL transfer the risk?
Who can read an IUL illustration?
What’s wrong with the IUL contracts?
What is the prudent alternative?
Are there ever “zero years” in the Bank on Yourself® type dividend paying whole life insurance policies?
What happens to the cost of insurance?
What did Ed Slott say about IUL?
What did Warren Buffett say?
What are the big lessons?
What are the core takeaways?
Have you read Lapsed by Elan Moas?
Would you like to listen to Episode 381 and Episode 382 with Elan Moas?
What are the action items?
Do you or a loved one own one of these IUL policies? What are the options?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one Mark’s associates?

Episode 462: Ninja Belts Bonus! Kung Fu Mastery and Your Money with Phil Smith

July 10, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you met a Kung Fu Master?
Who is Phil Smith?
Who is the big bad banker?
What were some of the first lessons on the mat?
What are the building blocks?
What about the stances?
What about versatility?
What does it take to be “kung fu” at something?
What is the practice?
Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear?
What happens with 1% improvements?
What about compounding?
What happens with time and repeated effort?
Where does one start?
What about the mental and physical aspects?
What are some of the aspects of kung fu?
What about the infinite kung fu concept?
How does the yin yang symbol integrate into this?
Is a 401(k) all it’s cracked up to be?
What has been proven to work?
What looks like hard work, dressed up in overalls?
What’s next?
Would you like to meet Phil and/or Mark?

Episode 461: No. 9 The Black Belt Warning: The Real Dangers of Large Policy Loans and How to Avoid Lapse Tax

July 3, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have we gone mad here?
Should we save more?
Should we just hope the market cooperates?
What is the four step process for the black belt?
What discipline is required to handle large loan balances?
What is the most important business in the world?
Should premiums and income match?
What is the black belt strategy?
Is it a black belt for a reason?
Would you like to start with capturing your monthly cashflow with No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to work with the most important people in your life, No. 2 The Yellow Belt?
Would you like to climb up and out on eliminating debt with No. 3 The Orange Belt?
Would you like to strategize to protect your retirement and business with No. 4 the Red Belt?
Would you like to structure a cash flow system with No. 5 the Green Belt?
Would you like to tackle massive expenses with No. 6 the Purple Belt?
Would you like to bring the generations along and up with No. 7 the Brown Belt?
Would you like to rise to cash flow mastery with No. 8 the Black Belt?
How does this actually look in practice?
How about some case studies?
Is the black belt a set it and forget it strategy?
Can the policy loans get quite large?
What happens if the loans are not repaid?
Will the policy collapse?
What is taxable as ordinary income?
What is phantom income?
What happens to the death benefit?
How can you prevent your warehouse from being destroyed?
Who are you working with to protect your wealth?
What did Nelson Nash say in Becoming Your Own Banker?
Why do they use whole life insurance as tier one capital?
What are the key takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark Willis, CFP®?

Episode 460: No. 8 The Black Belt Strategy: Expand Your Banking System Until It Handles 100% of Your Income

June 26, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you tied on your belt?
What is happening with the CPI?
Where is worker confidence listed with ABRI?
What is the median savings for people in the U.S.?
What age bracket is buying whole life insurance in droves?
What is the black belt?
Are you leaking wealth?
Is your wealth working for you or someone else?
Would you like to start with capturing your monthly cashflow with No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to work with the most important people in your life, No. 2 The Yellow Belt?
Would you like to climb up and out on eliminating debt with No. 3 The Orange Belt?
Would you like to strategize to protect your retirement and business with No. 4 the Red Belt?
Would you like to structure a cash flow system with No. 5 the Green Belt?
Would you like to tackle massive expenses with No. 6 the Purple Belt?
Would you like to bring the generations along and up with No. 7 the Brown Belt?
What did Nelson Nash say?
What happens to ALL of your money?
What does the bank do with your money?
Can your system accommodate your income?
Have you read Becoming Your Banker by Nelson Nash?
What will wreck your margins?
What is theft from yourself?
What about opportunity cost?
Who pays retail?
Where does your money live?
What is bank-owned life insurance (BOLI)?
How much life insurance do banks purchase?
How much of that banking function do you want to control?
How do we turn our headwind into a tailwind?
How do you live on less than you make?
What is the aim?
Can you expand?
Should your premium match your income?
What did Jim Conrad say in his dollar diagram?
What would happen if…?
How does the black belt work at scale?
Can you finance every big transaction in your life?
How do you eliminate the dreaded wealth transfers?
Who has the discipline for this?
Is this a set it and forget it plan?
How about some examples?
Who is sleeping better?
Who treats his policies like a family office command center?
Do you have a repayment strategy?
Do you have windfalls?
Who has self-control?
Who has patience?
When does the power come?
What is the significant danger to this strategy?
Could the policy trigger a surrender or lapse?
What is phantom income?
Who is trained and able to engineer policies for you?
What about business growth?
What about legacy?
Would you like to meet with Mark?

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