Not Your Average Financial Podcast

Episode 416: Buried in Work? Here’s How to Transform Your Estate Plan with Adam Zuckerman

August 22, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

In this episode, we ask:

Are you a small to mid-size business owner?
Would you like to read Mark’s new book, co-authored with David Barnett, The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect and Exit Your Business with Confidence?
Who is Adam Zuckerman?
Do you have a will?
Do you have a trust?
Do you have an attorney?
Do you have a financial planner?
Do you have a CPA?
What is the story behind the words Buried in Work?
What is the reality when someone passes away?
Does everyone already have an estate plan?
Who is in control of that plan?
Do you have funeral plans in place?
What are the frameworks found on Buried in Work?
What is the estate planning pyramid?
What’s Adam’s story with life insurance?
What is the CLEAR kit?
What should your family do?
Is there a checklist?
What or who needs to be paid?
What are your succession plans for the business?
What happens next?
What are the information hubs?
How might I find the words to have this challenging conversation?
Do you have advanced directives in place?
What happened in the hospital?
What about the card deck?
Do you need an attorney?
What situations don’t require an attorney?
Do you have a trust?
Is the trust funded?
Where does one start?
Would you like to visit buriedinwork.com?
What are the takeaways?

Adam Zuckerman (JD/MBA) is the founder of Buried in Work, a leading resource that helps individuals, families, and businesses simplify estate planning and end-of-life tasks.

Buried in Work’s resources include more than 150+ information hubs, 2,000+ articles, 100+ checklists and guides, service provider directories, a podcast, and innovative tools like the Executor’s Summary Report, CLEAR Kits, and card games that facilitate meaningful conversations about legacy and preparation.

Adam’s mission is simple yet powerful: to make life’s hardest moments a little easier by helping families get organized, communicate openly, and prepare comprehensively for the unexpected.

Learn more at www.BuriedInWork.com.

Episode 415: What’s Next for Annuities? New Solutions for Savvy Savers

August 15, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Would you like to read Mark’s new book, co-authored with David Barnett, The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect and Exit Your Business with Confidence?
What are the three musicians?
How are annuities like Weird Al Yankovic?
What are annuities, anyways?
How much income do you want a year?
What are fixed indexed annuities?
What’s the catch?
What’s the upside?
What’s enhanced flexibility with withdrawals?
What’s a great feature for dealing with unexpected expenses?
How about an example?
What about new calculation methods?
What about the highest daily value method?
What about the performance trigger method?
What if you can have your cake and eat it too?
What about the income flexibility benefit?
Why are these features coming online now?
Who is not the right fit for an annuity?
What are the takeaways?

Episode 414: The 10-Year Retirement Danger Window with Grant Thompson

August 8, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Would you like to read Mark’s new book, co-authored with David Barnett, The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect and Exit Your Business with Confidence?
What is this 10-year window?
Who is Grant Thompson?
Would you like to hear Episode 357?
How does the Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy actually work in retirement?
What are the passive income years?
What about the one trick ponies?
What about social security?
What could cause that to reduce in the future?
Where should one draw money from for income and/or a buffer?
What do you need to have in retirement?
What about multiple streams?
What is the foundation of the house?
What is the Swiss army knife?
What about peace?
What does it take to have a true plan?
What are some examples of how clients use the policies?
What about taking money with tax efficiency?
What about the five years before retirement?
What about the five years after retirement?
Am I going to run out of my income?
What about leaving a legacy for the family?
What about inflation?
What needs to be on the guaranteed level?
What happens for those who have everything in the market?
How can one reduce pressure in retirement?
What about purpose?
What is a buffer asset?
Would you like to hear Episode 194?
What about borrowing against the policy?
What about long term care?
Do you have to die to win?
What about the 1035 exchange?
What about moving money from a life insurance policy to an annuity?
What about costs increasing?
What do you want your money to do for you?
What if you don’t need more income?
What about setting up something for the kids?
What about pensions?
Can you give yourself social security benefits?
What about your estate?
Is there someone you love so much at the IRS that you want to send them a bunch of money?
Is there someone you love so much at the assisted living facility that you want to send them all of your money?
What will check off many of the boxes?
What assets will you have left upon death?
What are the takeaways and action items?

Grant Thompson works with families and their businesses nationwide. The Thompson & Thurman Agency works with families who share in their vision and want to become financially set for life without taking unnecessary risks. With so much misinformation in our financial world today, families really need guidance and direction to find the true path to financial freedom. Grant, Chris and their team of trusted advisers nationwide have are leading the way to meet that challenge. Grant is married to his wife Kathy and they have 2 sons Blair and Blane along with his wife Brittany. Grant enjoys spending his spare time with his family at reining and cow horse competitions plus trying to squeeze in a shooting competition every now and then with his sons. Reach out to Grant at grant@thompsonthurman.com or call Grant at (806) 352-3480.

Episode 413: The Closed-End Second Mortgage Consideration for High Interest Debt

August 1, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Do you have a mortgage?
What about the hidden potential within the walls of your home?
Would you like to hear Episode 157?
What’s been going on with the mortgage industry recently?
What are the hidden costs of home ownership?
What is a home equity line of credit (HELOC)?
What is a closed-end second mortgage?
What are the disadvantages and risks of a HELOC?
What about a cash out refinance?
What are the options?
How about some examples?
What are the risks?
What are the takeaways?

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.

Matthew Shanlian is the Vice President of Lending for Crosscountry Mortgage, LLC. the Largest independent mortgage bank in the United States. For the past 15 years, he has focused on educating and supporting the financial services industry and their clients. Matthew travels the country to train financial professionals on Strategic Equity Planning for their clients. He believes that the having a plan for your home is paramount to a building wealth.
Reach out to Matt Shanlian | Call Matt at (330) 414-8856

Episode 412: Syndication Funds and Deferred Sales Trust Insights with Brett Swarts

July 25, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Is a deferred sales trust (a DST) a magical tool?
What about deferring capital gains tax?
Who is Brett Swarts?
Would you like to listen to Episode 181?
What about Taxifornia?
How does a 1031 exchange trap you into selling high and buying higher?
How is the 1031 exchange like a 401(k) tax deferral?
What is the account for?
How about a case study?
What about hitting a home run?
What about getting time back?
What about cash flow increase?
What about clearing time, energy and brain space?
What about diversifying out of highly concentrated assets?
How is truly passive income linked to your freedom?
How is compound interest linked to your money?
What about the wealth of relationships?
What about the wealth of the spiritual?
What about peace of mind?
What is an R.O.E. calculation?
How much will the government take out?
What is my truly passive income number?
What about lending?
Who wants to guess about their income or retirement income numbers?
What about the contract as the basis for wealth creation?
What are the risks?
What are the takeaways?
What about a return on equity or R.O.E. calculation?

Brett Swarts is a best-selling author of “Building a Capital Gains Tax Exit Plan”. He is host of the Build it to Billions & Capital Gains Tax Solutions Podcasts. His insights have been featured at the Best Ever Real Estate Conference, DLP Capital Conference, American Entrepreneur with Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank, and also seen on Fox Business Network. As a real estate broker, his expertise is one of the few in the world who has closed Deferred Sales Trust, Delaware Statutory Trust, and 1031 Exchanges. He is the Founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions where he teaches purpose-driven entrepreneurs and investors to build their capital gains tax exit plan to multiply their freedom, wealth, and impact. He has closed over ½ Billion in DST and Real Estate Transactions and he was the first to help Bitcoin owners exit millions of gains and defer their capital gains tax using a DST. brettswarts.com

Episode 411: Be Aware! Navigating Fraud, Scams and Elder Financial Protection with Terri Lea Gardner

July 18, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you come out unscathed?
Is it real?
Is it a scam?
Who is Terri Lea Gardner?
What has Terri learned?
What are the top frauds and scams today?
What do the scammers target?
How much is lost on phone calls, social media and email scams?
What about the toll road scam?
What about the warrant scam?
What about the posts on social media?
What about the email PayPal scam?
What about malware or viruses?
What about the QR codes?
How many fall victim to the scams?
What generations are more likely to get caught in these scams?
What is the issue?
What is on the other end of the link?
What should you do with a suspicious email or text?
When should you change your passwords?
What about password managers?
What about staying educated?
What about AI fake video technology?
What about talking with elder parents?
What was Terri’s first fraud case?
What about the fake “family member in jail” call?
What about retaliation?
What are the tips and tricks to lock down one’s identifying information?
What about reporting it to the police and the IRS?
What are the action items?

Terri Lea Gardner is a seasoned law enforcement professional with 35 years of experience in investigative work, specializing in waste, fraud, and abuse investigations. She holds a Master Peace Officer License and has dedicated 17 years to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), focusing on high-stakes fraud detection and prevention.
Terri earned both her Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership (2019) and Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice & Forensic Science (2016) from Sam Houston State University. As a Certified Fraud Examiner for over 12 years, she has been at the forefront of fraud investigations, uncovering complex financial crimes and helping organizations mitigate risks.

Her passion lies in educating others on fraud prevention, equipping individuals and businesses with the knowledge to protect themselves from financial deception. Through her expertise, Terri empowers others to recognize, report, and prevent fraudulent activity, ensuring a more secure and ethical financial landscape.

Episode 410: The Devastating Thrift Savings Plan Pitfall with Amanda Neely

July 11, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Who will you become?
Do you or your loved ones have a TSP or Thrift Savings Plan?
Who is Amanda Neely?
Would you like to hear Episode 113 or Episode 362?
What has Amanda learned as an author?
What about joy and peace?
What did Amanda discover?
Do I need to do something different than what my parents did?
What is a TSP, and how is it different than a 401(k)?
Is a TSP essentially a government employee’s 401(k)?
What about the match?
What is the difference between a traditional and a Roth?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
What are the different funds?
What about the fees?
What are you actually invested in?
What happens with a loan in a 401(k)?
What happens with a loan in a TSP?
Who wants to be double taxed on the same dollar?
What are your choices?
How about an example?
What are the restrictions?
What happens with a surviving spouse?
What can be quickly locked down?
What about taxable withdrawals?
What about non-spousal beneficiaries?
What are the tax implications?
What about a delayed death certificate?
How savvy are adult children?
What if you’re under age 59 1/2?
What if you’re older than age 59 1/2?
When is your TSP free?
What happens to federal employee group life insurance?
What happens if you don’t have a plan for your assets?
What’s the government’s plan for your assets?
What happens when you have a will?
What about probate?
What happens when you have a trust set up?
How can you reduce the drama for your family members?
What about financial wellness?
Would you like to join our FREE Not Your Average Financial Community and private message Amanda Neely?
What are the takeaways?

Amanda Neely is a CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®) professional and CEO of Wealth Wisdom Financial. She makes financial planning more accessible through podcasting and through developing personalized financial strategies for individuals and couples, as well as profitability strategies for small businesses. She works virtually to help everyday Americans all over the United States to create smart, stable financial futures.

Wealth Wisdom Financial
Book a Call with Amanda Neely

Episode 409: Choosing Bank on Yourself® is a Declaration of Financial Independence

July 4, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What made America special?
Who was Arnold J. Toynbee, and what did he study and conclude?
What were the British facing in the mid-18th century?
What really bugged the Americans?
What about adaptation and innovation?
What about responding in creative ways?
What about reimagining?
What about self-governance?
What about agency?
What are some of the challenges we face today?
What about responding with rigidity and control?
What about responding with creativity, adaptability and innovation?
What are the major risks?
What about the class systems?
What is the American experiment?
What about the top 1%?
What about collective responses to challenges?
What about the national debt?
What about clinging to outdated systems?
What about technological disruption?
What about rags to riches?
What about the ability to move between economic classes in the U.S.?
What could derail years of careful planning?
What did Toynbee say about failing to respond to challenges?
What are the chances to innovate?
What about personal resilience and agency?
How might one forge ahead and create real wealth?
What is the resilient mindset?
What are the tools?
How is the Bank on Yourself® strategy and mindset a Declaration of Financial Independence?
How does owning your own Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy free you from financial traps?
How might you break free?
What about Walt Disney and J.C. Penny?
What about John D. Rockefeller? Did he own whole life insurance?
Would you like to listen to Episode 66?
What about IRS section 7702?
Is Bank on Yourself® as American as fireworks, fried chicken and apple pie?
What are the takeaways?

Episode 408: Is Gold Just Nature’s Bitcoin? with Dana Samuelson

June 27, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Do you remember the neon-colored push pop?
What executive order did FDR sign regarding gold?
Why did he prohibit gold?
What were the consequences for noncompliance with the order?
What happened in the early 1970s?
What’s happening with Bitcoin today?
What is gold’s status this year?
What are the risks?
Who is Dana Samuelson?
What’s Dana’s story?
When did Dana get a lucky break?
What happened in the early 1980s, and what was found in the vaults?
Why have the precious metals stood the test of times?
What about King Tut’s burial mask?
What are the properties of gold?
What about the characteristics of silver?
What happened when the U.S. Mint was established?
What happened during the gold ban in the U.S. from the 1930s to 1970s?
What happened after World War II?
What is FIAT currency?
Is gold considered money?
What is the definition of money?
What about copper-nickel?
What changed from 1964 to 1965?
Does gold hold its purchasing power over time?
What has happened with gold and metals in recent history?
What about the central bankers?
Who fundamentally drives the gold market?
What did the WSJ say about gold as “Nature’s Bitcoin”?
When was the last time we had a federally balanced budget?
Does gold climb the wall of worry?
What is counter-party risk?
How many oz of gold would it take to buy the Dow?
What about buying houses?
What are some tools and tips for physical metals?
Are you buying legitimate gold?
What about sovereign minted coins?
What are the risks of buying online?
Who can you trust?
Where can you find legitimate dealers?
What about private storage facilities?
What about a treasure map for the heirs?
What about a decoy safe?
How do dealers make a profit?
Why is Bitcoin so much more volatile than gold?
How much has gold averaged over the past few years?
What about the Lindy Effect?
What is Bitcoin’s edge?
To what is Bitcoin correlated?
What are the problems?
What is the advantage of silver?
What stands the test of time and what falls to volatility?
Would you like to reach out to Dana Samuelson at American Gold Exchange?
What are the takeaways?

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 407: Dependable Dividends

June 20, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What can be intimidating?
What about big, life-long decisions?
How do dividends work?
How can you regain certainty, control and safety in the midst of a very uncertain world?
What did Mark learn in school from his math teacher?
Who does Mark have great respect for?
What takes courage?
How have the stock markets done this year?
What is a dividend?
Are dividends on stocks guaranteed?
Who is showing a dividend cut?
What is the problem with dividend cuts in retirement?
What about dividends paid out from life insurance companies?
What are the factors involved in dividend calculations?
Are you an owner?
What is a return of premium?
Are dividends taxable?
What’s the difference between the dividends and the non-forfeiture guarantee interest rate?
What is the most important thing about dividends?
Are dividends a marketing ploy?
Are dividends a sign of a company’s health?
Are dividends guaranteed?
What are the guarantees in the contract?
Can life insurance suffer from shrink-flation?
What is the most frustrating thing about dividends?
Is there a uniform industry standard for calculating the dividend rate?
What is the real test of real financial strength?
What should you look at when evaluating insurance companies?
Can the company maintain its profit margins?
Would you like to see the chart on YouTube or schedule a time to talk with Mark about the chart?
What can be very misleading?
Will that dividend repeat itself every year for the rest of your life?
What about steady performance over time?
What can I do with my dividends?
What about using the dividend to purchases paid-up additional insurance (PUAs)?
What about using the dividend to pay part or all of your annual premium?
What about using the dividend to pay down a policy loan?
What about letting the dividends earn interest with the insurance company?
What about taking the dividends as a check in the mail?
Does the cash value continue to grow?
Where else could you access your dividends and still have continuous, uninterrupted compound growth?
What are the takeaways?
What is the history of dividends?
What are the guarantees?
What are the dividend options?
Would you like to read the article, 7 Reasons Why Banking on Yourself Makes Sense?
Would you like to meet with Mark?

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