Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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

July 11, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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?

Episode 406: Avoid the Pitfalls of Infinite Banking Knockoffs with Brandon Neely

June 13, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Is it a knockoff?
Can you imagine this?
Does it provide security or chaos?
Who is Brandon Neely?
What did Brandon learn at the I.B.C. Think Tank?
What changes have happened in the last few years?
What impact does Nelson Nash’s work, Becoming Your Own Banker still have?
What are the challenges of maintaining Nelson Nash’s original vision in today’s financial landscape?
What about Pamela Yellen’s effort to preserve Nelson Nash’s ideas through the Bank on Yourself® Professional program?
What is the biggest risk with a whole life products?
Do you have an advisor who is giving you bad advice?
Would you like to hear Episode 253?
What makes Brandon unique?
What changed Brandon’s life?
What’s the history?
What were Nelson’s strengths?
What should every business owner read?
What did Pamela Yellen notice?
What’s the risk of listening to a social media infotainer on Infinite Banking?
What has Brandon seen with clients who have fallen for IULs from an advisor claiming Infinite Banking expertise?
What about the IP and trademark of Bank on Yourself®?
What do red flags sound like?
What are some examples?
What’s important to know?
Why is working with a Bank on Yourself Profressional® crucial?
Would you like to hear Episode 95 and Episode 96?
What are the takeaways?

Brandon Neely is an entrepreneur, Profit First and Bank On Yourself® Professional, and the co-host of Wealth Wisdom Financial Podcast with his wife Amanda Neely.

They founded and managed Overflow Coffee Bar, L3C from 2008 through 2018. Now, they share their experiential knowledge through podcasting and through developing personalized financial strategies for individuals and couples and profitability strategies for businesses.

Wealth Wisdom Financial
Book a Call with Brandon Neely

Episode 405: [Mailbag] Your Questions, Our Answers

June 6, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What questions do you have?
Would you like to join our FREE! Not Your Financial Community?
Can someone use an annuity to roll money out of a qualified plan like a 401(k) or an IRA? Is this for people over 59.5 or younger than age 59.5? Can you get money out of a 401(k) and into a life insurance policy?
What about the tax bill?
What about the early 10% withdrawal penalty?
What about paying off a debt?
What about rolling over into a fixed indexed annuity inside of the IRA?
Would you like to hear Episode 172?
Can I get accumulation and guarantees on an annuity without taking income on it?
What about MYGAs (multi-year guaranteed annuities)?
Would you like to listen to Episode 280?
Would you like to meet with Mark?
What is an enhanced index option?
What is a SPIA (single premium indexed annuity)?
What call has Mark never had to make?
What about an annual income?
How is this better than CDs or bonds?
What is the refund option on a SPIA?
What is the best way to take income on the cash value of a policy?
What happens with withdrawals?
What is the cost basis?
What are the tax implications?
What happens if you take the gains out?
What about taking a loan from the policy?
What happens to the death benefit when you take a loan?
What does your beneficiary receive upon death?
Our adult child lives on his own, and since we are uninsurable, can we get a policy on him?
What are the limits?
What is the insurable interest?
What about gifting premium?
What about a joint trust?
Do you offer comprehensive planning beyond setting up Bank on Yourself® type life insurance policies correctly?
Would you like to join our FREE! Not Your Financial Community?
Do you like mailbag episodes?
What questions do you have?

Episode 404: Escape the Grind! Jason Duncan’s Exiter Club

May 30, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Are you in the daily grind?
Do you need a better strategy?
Who is Jason Duncan?
Would you like to listen to Episode 289?
Who needs their time back?
Who needs their business on track for maximum valuation?
What’s Jason’s story?
What about focus: following one course until successful?
What epiphany did Jason have in July of 2024?
What are the four main currencies (team): time energy attention money?
What’s the difference between a consumer and wealth creator?
Why did Jason decide to focus on the Exiter Club?
What about making a choice?
What are the three tiers of the entrepreneurial evolution?
What about tier 1, owner operators?
What about tier 2, owner managers?
What about tier 3, owner investors?
What about the business as an asset?
Is this business sellable?
What do your employees deserve?
What is the allure and risk to becoming an entrepreneur?
What are some transformation stories?
What is the hero syndrome?
Is there another way?
What is a privilege and responsibility?
What is a building that only has one opening?
What about the first stream of income?
Is diversification always a good idea?
How does Bank on Yourself® help me succeed in my business ventures?
What problems have you solved?
What do you want?
What are you trying to get?
Would you like to join the Exiter Club?
Would you like to connect on the FREE Not Your Average Financial Community™ membership site?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to visit therealjasonduncan.com?

Jason Duncan is the Founder & CEO of The Exiter Club, a mastermind helping high-level entrepreneurs break free from the grind and scale their businesses. Best-selling Author of Exit Without Exiting. Host of The Root of All Success podcast. America’s Exit Coach, known for helping entrepreneurs step away from daily operations without losing ownership or profits, Jason’s mission is to help entrepreneurs build businesses around their lives, not the other way around. Using his #ExitWithoutExiting strategy and XOS™ Method, he helps business owners create systems that allow their businesses to thrive independently, giving them more time for what matters most. Clients who follow Jason’s methods have reduced work hours by 30%, increased productivity by 80%, and boosted business value by 30%. Featured in Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines, Jason has become a recognized expert in helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses while achieving true autonomy and freedom. therealjasonduncan.com

Episode 403: Backtesting IULs and Stocks. When Past Performance Doesn’t Even Predict Past Performance!

May 23, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What was born 129 years ago today?
What has Mark learned?
Have you ever seen the phrase, past performance is no guarantee of future results?
What about marketing?
What about backtesting?
What is an index?
How is the Dow Jones constructed?
How are the stocks in the S&P weighted?
What is the supersized Dow?
What about target date funds (TDFs)?
Where do TDFs live?
What about options?
What about make-believe simulations?
Does past performance reflect past performance?
What about the real-time rapid change in the numbers?
What factors should we consider?
Why bet your retirement on backtesting?
What about historical averaging?
What about broader trends and contractual guarantees?
What about IULs?
What about charts looking at a dollar invested in 1929…?
Can you drive your car forward by looking in the rearview mirror?
What are the takeaways?

Episode 402: Fee Comparisons of Bank On Yourself® Whole Life vs. Investments with Evan Greathouse

May 16, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

How might you finance your future without the fees?
How might you grow and accumulate wealth?
How about the transformative reality of whole life insurance?
Who is Evan Greathouse?
How about comparing the costs?
How about a case study?
Would you like to hear Episode 143?
What about irregular or variable premium amounts?
What about flexibility?
What happens when premium payments stop?
What about whole life insurance commission?
What about investment advisor fees?
Who makes more?
What about the performance?
What about the outcomes?
What about the liquidity of the cash value life insurance?
What about the fees and taxes on the investment account?
What are the limits of a Roth IRA?
What about capital gains tax?
What about the cash value?
What you like to hear Episode 392?
What about long-term financial planning?
What are the takeaways?

Evan Greathouse, Bank On Yourself® Professional, brings over 12 years of expertise as a seasoned Real Estate Investor. Holding a Business Management degree from Abilene Christian University, Evan is deeply passionate about his work. His extensive skill set encompasses construction, renovation, sales, marketing, and team building. Evan’s philosophy embraces the mantra of doing things wholeheartedly, driven by a belief that a strong ‘why’ can conquer any ‘how.’ He advocates for embracing failure as a stepping stone to success and cherishes his role as a devoted husband and father to three wonderful children. Evan is located in Nashville, TN. Meet with Evan

Episode 401: More Proof Direct Recognition Loans are Terrible for Bank On Yourself®

May 9, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Is the policy correctly structured?
How about a case study?
Does the policy with the most cash value always win?
What is the difference between a direct recognition and a non-direct recognition whole life insurance policy loan?
What did the footnotes say?
What are some possible outcomes?
What happened to the dividends with an outstanding direct recognition loan balance?
What happens to the dividends with an outstanding non-direct recognition loan balance?
What’s the difference?
How much loan interest?
What’s the big takeaway here?
Why would this policy become a modified endowment contract (MEC)?
How about another example?
What happened with the dividends?
What about the policy loan interest?
What are the takeaways?
Why do Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy loans use non-direct recognition policy loans?

Would you like to avoid direct recognition loans and loss of dividends?

Is my policy a Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy?

Agent

Is my agent captive or independent? (Can he/she work with multiple companies or just show me one company’s product line?)
Is my agent trained to confidently and competently answer all of my questions? (Am I having to educate him/her?)
What is the agent’s training and stability? How long will the advisor be around to help me?
Is my agent among the ~200 Bank on Yourself® Professionals in good standing with the Bank on Yourself® organization?

Insurance Company

Does the company offer whole life insurance? (Do I have Whole Life or a Universal Life, Variable Life, Indexed Universal Life or Term policy?)
Is the insurance company mutually owned or stock owned?
Is the insurer’s customer service department educated enough to help me with policy loans?
Does this company have a high Comdex Rating and solid financial strength? Will they have the stability to be in business for the next 100 years at least?

Tax considerations

Will this policy become a modified endowment contract (MEC)?
Will both principal and gains be accessible tax-free under current law?

Riders

Are paid-up additions (PUAs) offered through premiums or just through dividends?
What is the Insurance Company’s PUA load cost? How does it compare to other whole life products?
What are the PUA limits (and any other gotchas)? When and why must we reduce our PUAs, even if we don’t want to?
Were any other riders available to help accelerate my cash value growth, like term riders?
If I miss a premium payment, are there protections? What will happen to the policy?
Is there a Chronic Illness Rider or similar available? What are the fees for this rider?
What are the limits on Chronic Illness, Long Term Care and Accelerated Death Benefit riders?

Dividends

Does the insurer who issued my whole life insurance policy pay dividends?
Does the whole life product I purchased receive dividends?
Is the dividend based on company performance, with me participating as an owner, or is it merely “interest sensitive” based on industry performance?
Has the insurance company paid dividends at least 100 years straight?
Was there significant dividend variability over the last 12 years, suggesting risk to future cash value growth?

Loans

If I take a loan, how will it affect the policy, short-term and long-term?
Do I have non-direct recognition loans or direct recognition loans?
When will I pay policy loan interest (at the end of year or immediately)?
What limits are at work for policy loans? Is there a maximum amount per loan
What will they allow me to borrow out at a time?
What is my loan interest rate on this policy? Is it above or below the industry average?
Is the loan simple interest or compound interest?
At what time interval is the loan interest being accrued (annually, daily, etc.)?

Would you like a second set of eyes to review an existing policy, or would you like to discuss your specific situation? Reach out to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates.

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