Not Your Average Financial Podcast™

Episode 452: Why China and India Just Bought Gold and Silver Like Crazy… and What It Means for Your Money with Dana Samuelson

May 1, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

In this episode, we ask:

What is happening with precious metals?
Where do we stand?
Who is Dana Samuelson?
Where is gold, silver and platinum going?
What is the state of the union on precious metals?
What happened in 2025?
What happened in the late 70s and COVID?
What about tariffs?
What about uncertainty?
What are the good alternatives?
Why do other countries have a precious metals culture?
What insulates us from shocks, economically?
What happened in April 2025?
What happened to the bond market?
What is the biggest credit market in the world?
What did China say?
What happened in August?
What did India say?
What broke the London over the counter silver market in 2025?
What happened on January 30th, 2026?
Why have gold and silver coins been currency for so long?
What happened after World War II?
Why are people passionate about precious metals?
What happened to Bitcoin?
Can markets go both ways?
Who has a big gold culture?
What about supply and demand?
What has performed better recently, Bitcoin or gold?
What might cause gold and silver to ease in value?
What benefits from higher interest rates?
What is foundational beyond fiat money?
What’s the safest place to store gold?
What’s the problem with storing silver?
What about storage facilities?
Do you have access?
Can you transact in gold, like we transact in dollars?
Does gold have counter party risk?
What about precious metals bartering?
How do you know if gold is reputable?
What about Dana’s company, American Gold Exchange?
What about trust?
Where are precious metals headed in 2026?
Is the dollar weakening?
What about Central Bank buying?
What about volatility?
What is the difference between investments and savings?
Would you like to visit amergold.com?
What are the takeaways?
What are the action items?

The topics presented in this podcast are general information only and not for the purposes of providing legal, accounting or investment advice. On such matters, please consult a professional who knows your specific situation.

Dana Samuelson is the Founder and President of American Gold Exchange (AGE), a leading national precious metals and rare coin company specializing in dealer-to-dealer trading and direct-to-consumer sales.

He has been active in the physical gold and silver markets for 43 years and is a nationally recognized expert on vintage, pre-1933 US gold and silver coins. Email American Gold Exchange at info@amergold.com.

Episode 451: Refinance Your Retirement – An Important Update on Annuities

April 24, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Do you need the latest and greatest?
Are you rocking a flip phone?
How have interest rates affected crediting rates, caps and guaranteed lifetime income streams?
Did you buy a contract in the low rate years?
What are the new contracts offering with higher interest rates?
Is it smart to run the numbers?
What other everyday financial products need review?
What is the insurance industry’s answer to a CD?
What about income annuities?
Is it time for an annuity refresh?
Is it costly to shop around?
What about fixed index annuities from 2005-2020 or so?
What is the upside potential?
Are interest rates the whole story for annuity products?
What are the better caps and spreads?
What never runs out?
What is the bottom line?
How about an example?
What happened with inflation?
Should all annuities be replaced?
What is a surrender charge?
Is the surrender charge worth it?
Does the contract’s new features benefit you?
Is the old one better?
Has the interest rate environment changed in your favor?
Is this worth a fresh look?
What are the key takeaways?

Episode 450: The Tardus Income Snowball and Bank On Yourself® – Are They Your Financial Game Genie? with Ben Berry

April 17, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Who is Ben Berry?
Would you like to check out Episode 397?
What is Tardus Wealth Strategies?
Would you like to hear Episode 376?
How does the Bank on Yourself tool integrate with the Income Snowball?
Do you remember Nintendo, back in the day?
Do you remember the Game Genie?
Why is control so important in wealth creation?
What are the headwinds working against your money?
Would you like to view video and/or Subscribe on the YouTube page?
How might we think and learn about money differently?
What is a myth?
What can Wall Street legally claim?
What does it mean to change the environment where your money lives?
Who wants the wind at your back?
Is this going to take me all the way to the end?
Will I make more than that in my stocks?
What about the payout or withdrawal rate?
When will passive income exceed your living expenses?
What are the options?
What is a “MELOC,” and how does it differ from a HELOC?
What did Mark Twain say?
How many questions are involved in a whole life insurance loan?
How do you take a HELOC?
What kind of impact would non-direct recognition loans have?
Are you constantly breaking the compounding of your growth?
What is the “eighth wonder of the world”?
What breaks compound growth?
What one little glitch could be the difference between success and failure?
What are the wrong tools?
Is it a cheap knock off?
Are you taking on unnecessary risk?
What becomes more expensive as you get older?
What won’t work with the income snowball?
What about building capital?
How about moving to stable, long-term assets?
What are the paths to getting started?
When is the liquidity ready to deploy?
What about building with monthly cash flow?
Do you need to lock money away for forty years?
What asset can you build right away?
What instantly multiplies your family’s legacy?
What will improve?
What will happen to your lifestyle?
What will happen to your demeanor?
What are the risks of the income snowball?
Who is doing the due diligence?
What is Plan A? Plan B? Plan C?
What do you need to pay attention to?
Who is on your team?
Would you like to reach out to Ben at bencberry@gmail.com?

Ben Berry is the owner of Berry Financial Services, LLC, where he helps individuals, families, and business owners take back control of their financial lives. As a Bank On Yourself® Professional and Safe Money Specialist, Ben focuses on building predictable, tax-advantaged wealth strategies designed to support long-term security and generational impact. His approach integrates advanced business planning, life insurance solutions, contingency capital, and asset-mapping to create clear, customized financial pathways. Known for translating complex concepts into practical guidance, Ben equips clients to make confident decisions in an uncertain world. He is passionate about education, relationships, and helping people build wealth they can depend on.

Episode 449: The Hidden Power of Trump Accounts — What Nobody is Telling You

April 10, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

How has the I.R.S. clarified things with a recent notice on the Trump account?
What changed Mark’s mind about the Trump accounts?
Can you convert a Trump account into a Roth IRA when the kid turns 18?
Why not put money into a 529 plan instead?
What about layering this in with other strategies?
What is a Trump account?
What is huge?
Who can fund this?
Who needs earned income?
What happens for kids who were born between 2025 and 2028?
What happens in July 2026?
How can you set one up?
When are contribution due?
What about ETFs?
What happens automatically at age 18?
What are the limits?
What happens with the taxes on these accounts?
Why does timing matter?
What if the government changes the rules?
What about a case study?
How do taxes work with a Roth?
Should you convert it all at once?
What is the basis in the Trump account?
What is the standard deduction in the year your kid turns 18?
How many taxes will the kid pay?
What is return of basis?
What happens in year 2?
What can you do once the money is rolled into a Roth IRA?
What would the total income become?
How can you make a plan to protect the principal?
Why is starting early the key?
What is like planting an oak tree?
What about required minimum distributions?
What does Ed Slott say in the Retirement Savings Time Bomb?
… and more!

Episode 448: Why the Bank on Yourself Combo Rider is Your Lethal Weapon — If You Use It!

April 3, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What is the combo rider?
What’s the worst thing you could do?
What is the power of uninterrupted compounding growth?
How about an example?
What about utilizing the paid up additions rider?
What’s the deal with the one-year term cost?
What can be a game changer?
What about parking money a low-yield savings account?
What are mutually owned life insurance companies?
Where does the magic happen?
What is the base policy premium?
What is the paid up additions rider?
How can you fund the paid up additions rider?
What is a combo rider?
What lets you pour in extra dollars?
What boosts your cash value and your death benefit?
What are your numbers?
Why is a custom design important?
Why do term insurance costs go up each year?
How is buying a policy like buying a house?
What makes a life insurance policy bigger and more valuable?
What happens when you fund the combo rider?
What adds to the permanent wealth accumulation?
Why does term insurance reprice each year?
What lifts the death benefit up?
How do you get more head room?
How do you convert term piece after piece over time, to make sure the overall cost doesn’t go up?
What about fully funding the policy?
What about converting the term into permanent paid up additions (PUA) coverage?
What is flexible?
Can you eliminate PUAs entirely?
Can you eliminate the term?
What can you do after the seventh year?
What is temporary?
How is this different from indexed universal life insurance (IULs)?
Why can’t you get out of IUL contracts?
What is the fine print in the IUL contract?
How do you control the conversion and cost in a combo-rider whole life insurance policy?
Should you maximize your paid-up additions rider?
Should you fully fund the paid-up additions rider?
What is the limit you can pack into your PUAs?
What are the policy’s and the government’s guidelines?
What about the time value of money?
What will start compounding for you right away?
How do I grow my dividends?
How do I get liquidity?
Why are savings accounts convenient and safe?
How does inflation affect your savings account?
How does inflation affect your policy’s cash value?
Do you need to make a big purchase without interrupting the compound growth?
Who is burning up opportunity cost?
Did you spend it? Is it gone forever?
What is the magic of a fully funded paid-up additions rider?
How about a case study?
Are you eyeing a property?
What about loan interest payments?
Did you earn more than you spent?
What about arbitrage?
Would that be a good deal for you?
Do you have to choose between access and growth?
What else is there to unpack?
Would you like a freebie at the FREE! Not Your Average Financial Community?
What about rising costs?
What happens with age?
What happens when the term cost drops?
Can you eliminate the term entirely?
Who is in the driver’s seat?
Is this a bold opinion?
What about IUL vs. whole life insurance?
Who wins?
Why is compounding capacity the key?
Can you retroactively stuff more in?
What are the key takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?
Who needs to hear this?

Would you like to join us for a very special workshop at Hotel Baker in St. Charles, IL? We’re meeting on the afternoon of April 9, 2026.

…Are you a business owner? Are you focused on how to fund your business growth without banks, investors or draining your retirement?
Join us LIVE and in-person, April 9, 1PM-2PM CT | $79 | Register Here

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…Are you going to outlive your money? Would you like to join Mark Willis, CFP® to learn 3 strategies to protect your retirement from market crashes, rising taxes and inflation?
Join us LIVE and in-person, April 9, 2:30PM-3:30PM CT | $29 | Register Here

See you there!

Episode 447: Films That Change Lives and Hearts with Moneeka Sawyer

March 27, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Do you remember Moneeka Sawyer?
Would you like to listen way back to Episode 119?
What is the Christmas Rescue?
What did Moneeka notice as an executive coach?
What happens when people lose their joy?
Have you read Choose Bliss?
How can you be blissful when you’re broke?
What transformed Moneeka’s entire life?
How can we recreate joy?
What about hope and second chances and love?
How is choosing bliss a defiant act?
How do we know if people are watching the film?
How is money a certificate of good performance?
How is money an indicator?
What does Mark notice with high net worth clients?
Would you like to reach out to Moneeka at moneeka@coreblisslife.com or at christmasrescue.help?
What are the action steps?
What about journaling?
What one small daily habit will increase your bliss?

Moneeka Sawyer is a TEDx speaker, an international best- selling author of the award-winning book “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment, and hosts a top rated podcast and nationally syndicated radio show. She has interviewed prestigious guests such as Leeza Gibbons, Dr. Joe Vitale, Hal Elrod, and Mark Victor Hansen, and has been interviewed on podcasts like Entrepreneurs on Fire with John Lee Dumas, Hal Elrod’s Achieve Your Goals, and the Best Real Estate Advice Ever show with Joe Fairless. Most recently she was featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine and in America’s Who’s Who. Moneeka’s expertise, and bliss-filled laugh, have also been featured on stages with Suzanne Somers, Martha Stewart, and Ice T & Coco at places like the Nasdaq Marketplace, Harvard, and Carnegie Hall, and on TV on NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox impacting over 150 million people. Connect with Moneeka at Blissfulinvestor.com

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See you there!

Episode 446: Tax Efficient Ways to Buy Company Cars via Bank on Yourself®

March 20, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What do business owners ask Mark all of the time?
Is this legal?
Are there benefits to doing this?
Who is in a strong position?
What can add super-powerful leverage here?
What about layering in a shareholder loan from your policy?
What about accelerated depreciation on a heavy SUV or 6000+ lb. vehicle?
What about a tax-free policy loan?
What about deductible interest for the business?
What about a cash flow play?
What is the GVWR?
What does Section 179 of the tax code say?
What about layering on bonus depreciation?
What about the standard maker’s depreciation?
What can you deduct?
What’s your tax bracket?
What ideas can you bring to your accountant?
What are the tax advantages?
What about the banking portion?
How can you buy a car with a personally owned life insurance policy?
What are the steps?
What are the benefits from borrowing from your policy?
What’s not deductible?
What are the loan terms?
What about flexibility in loan terms?
Can you lend money to your business?
Do you have a formal promissory note?
What is the clear repayment schedule?
What about the interest?
Are you taxed out the wazoo?
What is especially powerful in an S-Corporation?
What about cash flow preservation?
How about contingency capital?
What about asset protection?
What is the arbitrage on policy loans?
What continues to grow?
What are the estate planning upsides?
What are the risks?
Did you properly keep required documentation?
Did you speak with your CPA?
Who is this for?
Are you paid a reasonable compensation?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?
Who agrees?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to join our FREE! Not Your Average Financial Community?

Episode 445: Markets Don’t Care About Your Timeline

March 13, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Do you remember the early 2000s?
Do markets care about your timeline?
What happens if the buffer is now gone?
How can you go 2 weeks or more without a paycheck?
What did the Federal Reserve’s retirement data say?
What about groceries?
What about one market dip?
Is history kind to us here?
How long did it take the market to recover?
When will the next recession be?
What did the CBO say will happen by 2029?
What if we built strategies to keep wealth?
What does traditional retirement planning focus on?
What about curveballs?
What about raising your own family and caring for aging parents?
How many adults are juggling work, kids and elder care?
Who cares for you, if your health fails?
Should you sell stocks when the market is crashing?
What is priceless?
How do demographics amplify the pressure?
How can you build resilience?
What did Warren Buffet say in his letters?
What did Jamie Dimon say in his forecast?
Why is the shift from pensions to 401(k)s a disaster?
What are the takeaways?
Who needs to hear this?
Would you like meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?
How do I join the FREE! Not Your Average Financial Community?

Save the date!
Are you a business owner?
Are you focused on how to fund your life without running out of money?
Would you like to join us in LIVE and in-person for a very special workshop at Hotel Baker in St. Charles, IL?
We’re meeting on the afternoon of April 9, 2026.
Stay tuned for more details and registration information.

Episode 444: Why Top Line Revenue Isn’t Real Success with Ciara Stockeland

March 6, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What if running your business was like solving one giant puzzle?
What is your vision of success?
Have you been building the wrong picture all along?
Who is Ciara Stockeland?
Would you like to listen the Inventory Genius podcast?
What happened?
What was the craziest part of Ciara’s ride up?
What does success look like?
What started to implode?
What advice would Ciara give her former self?
Could we do it?
Should we do it?
What about top line revenue?
What should you build your goals around?
Do you know your numbers?
How are your numbers like puzzle pieces?
What does margin look like?
What does profit look like?
What does cash flow look like?
What about learning?
What is the main focus?
What is gross margin?
How are we leaving money on the table?
How is a profit and loss like a rearview mirror?
What one number will you fall in number with?
What about achieving a goal?
How is business like an endurance event?
What about micro-adjustments?
How is every business problem solvable?
What is the bottom line?
What debt are you servicing?
What are your sales goals?
What is the cost of business?
Is the issue top down or bottom up?
What do many business owners look at first?
What happens when businesses fire their bankers?
What practices are there to build?
Does money solve the problem?
Who are you surrounded by in your business?
What does Ciara do?
Do you have a product based business?
How do you clear the overwhelm?
Would you like to reach out to Ciara at Your C-Suite?
Would you like to learn more about Ciara at ciarastockeland.com?
Would you like to listen to Inventory Genius?
What are the takeaways?

Ciara Stockeland is a speaker, author, 4x Ironman and Fractional CFO for inventory based businesses. Ciara has owned and operated a business since her early teens. As a serial entrepreneur, her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her first store in 2006 which she then franchised. Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique retailers, which she built and sold within 18 months. Most recently Ciara has launched the Inventory Genius, a consulting program for inventory-based business owners and has published the books Inventory Genius and Profit Genius, both of which give practical steps for creating more profitability in an inventory based business.