Not Your Average Financial Podcast™

Think different about your money, your economy and your future. Be curious. Be stable. Be sane.

Episode 434: NEW BOOK! Part 2 – Bank On Yourself®: Liquidity, Compounding and Lifetime Income

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Would you like to hear Part 1?
  • Why does uninterrupted compounding beat every mutual fund?
  • Would you like to go to bankonyourselfbook.com to get the new book?
  • What do Brian Kay, Tim Austin and Pamela Yellen know that other financial gurus have failed to tell us?
  • How far does the influence of Bank On Yourself® reach?
  • What is persistency?
  • What can (and will likely) change in a government sponsored program?
  • What is the power of uninterrupted compounding joined with liquidity?
  • What asset can you leverage to take advantage of an opportunity?
  • What about meeting life’s financial milestones without taking unnecessary risks?
  • What about taking advantage of unexpected opportunities?
  • What did Warren Buffet say?
  • How long will you live?
  • What is a fail-safe way to protect against running out of money?
  • How might you secure guaranteed income in retirement?
  • How is Bank On Yourself® a concept and philosophy that transcends product?
  • How are these insurers built differently?
  • Why does Warren Buffett love insurance companies as an asset?
  • What is built to last?
  • How do I replace my income?
  • How might I do it passively?
  • Would you like to go to bankonyourselfbook.com to get the new book?
  • What are the action items?

Episode 428: Choose Wisely! A Chance to Be Rich or the Guarantee You’ll Never Be Poor

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In this episode, we ask:

  • How does one grow, protect and exit a business with confidence?
  • Would you like to read and review our new book, The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect and Exit Your Business?
  • What about a higher rate of return?
  • Can you get a higher rate of return in the stock market?
  • Why doesn’t my whole life insurance cash value equal what I’ve put into the policy until year 7 or 10?
  • If your cash value life insurance made zero gains for 10–15 years, would it still be worth adding to your portfolio?
  • Are tools like whole life insurance and fixed index annuities just backups, or are they essential drivers of your financial plan?
  • What are the three pillars of financial and retirement success Americans need?
  • What about guaranteed lifetime income?
  • What about the magic of mortality credits?
  • What about smart leverage?
  • Are these get-rich-quick schemes?
  • Are these get-rich-for-sure strategies?
  • So what would you prefer?
  • What is a contract with your future?
  • Why do strategies, like Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policies, really shine?
  • Who has paid dividends for over a century, without fail?
  • What about pairing a Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy with fixed indexed annuities (FIAs)?
  • What can outperform bonds?
  • What about protection and yield?
  • How do fixed index annuities provide lifetime income?
  • Can annuities outperform bonds in retirement planning?
  • Why are retirees with guaranteed income happier and less anxious?
  • What does the 4% rule (or 3% rule) require?
  • What are mortality credits?
  • What amplifies growth, safely?
  • Why do these policies thrive, regardless of market conditions?
  • What about leverage?
  • How does cash value life insurance offer leverage?
  • Can you borrow against your policy and still earn uninterrupted growth?
  • What is a non-direct recognition loan?
  • How about an example?
  • Is there any other asset that can bundle all these benefits together?
  • What about privacy?
  • What about structured payouts?
  • Is there anything else that can do all of this?
  • How might you outpace most people with a Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policy and fixed indexed annuities?
  • What are the challenges of low rates?
  • What are the takeaways?
  • Who should you share this episode with?
  • Would you like to meet with Mark or an associate to discuss your specific situation?

Episode 426: The Monster of Variable Universal Life (VUL)

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Would you like a practical guide to building a resilient business?
  • Would you like to read and review our new book, The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect and Exit Your Business?
  • What was so scary about Frankenstein’s monster?
  • What is Variable Universal Life (VUL)?
  • What is the nightmare twist?
  • What are the risks of VUL policies?
  • Why did VUL policies decline in popularity after the 1990s?
  • How many VUL policies lapse each year?
  • What are the hidden costs inside a VUL policy?
  • What happens when a VUL policy lapses?
  • What is a sub-account in a VUL policy?
  • What is an expense ratio?
  • Why is 2-4% so bad?
  • Why are VUL sub-accounts more expensive than regular ETFs?
  • What about capital gains tax?
  • Why do advisors push VUL policies to high-income earners?
  • What about the 7702 section of the tax code?
  • Is VUL a good tax-advantaged investment?
  • What happened to the S&P in 2002?
  • What happens to VUL policies during a market downturn?
  • What is the net amount at risk?
  • What happens when the markets dip?
  • How does market volatility affect VUL insurance policies?
  • What is a death spiral in VUL insurance?
  • Can VUL costs increase during retirement?
  • What about the total annual fees in a VUL policy?
  • How do VUL fees compare to whole life insurance?
  • What is the total drag on a VUL policy?
  • What is a Bank On Yourself® whole life policy?
  • What are the benefits of whole life insurance vs. VUL?
  • What happened to VUL policies during the .com crash?
  • How did VUL policies perform during the 2008 financial crisis?
  • What about class action lawsuits?
  • What are the risks of borrowing from a VUL policy?
  • What is negative arbitrage?
  • Why do VUL loans often result in poor returns?
  • Why do insurance companies discourage fixed account use in VULs?
  • What are the downsides of VUL fixed accounts?
  • What does the SEC say alerts say about VUL illustrations?
  • Why is a Bank On Yourself® whole life policies far superior?
  • Have you seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
  • What is a fixed index annuity (FIA)?
  • What did the 2002 Morning Star report say?
  • Can fixed index annuities replace VUL for retirement planning?
  • Do you own a VUL? Would you like to know how to audit your VUL policy?
  • How about a case study?
  • What should you look for in a VUL in-force illustration?
  • What happens when VUL cash value drops significantly?
  • Can VUL policies collapse due to market losses?
  • Why are VUL loans problematic during market downturns?
  • What are the loan interest rates in VUL policies?
  • Why is VUL unsuitable for retirees?
  • What are the risks of managing a VUL policy with age?
  • What are the benefits of whole life policies for long-term care?
  • Can whole life insurance help with medical expenses?
  • How does a fixed index annuity provide retirement income?
  • What are the top alternatives to VUL policies?
  • Can you transfer a VUL policy to whole life insurance?
  • Why does the SEC say that VUL policies are unsuitable for nearly everyone?
  • What is SWAN money?
  • What are low-risk retirement strategies?
  • What are the takeaways?
  • Who needs to hear about this?

Episode 418: Why Bank On Yourself® is Essential at Every Age

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Are you a small or mid-sized business owner?
  • Would you like to read the Business Fortress book?
  • Is napping the unsung hero of the universe?
  • What about the seasons of life?
  • How do financial tools and strategies work over the seasons of life?
  • Is there a tool that meets every application with every stage of life?
  • Wouldn’t that change everything?
  • Is whole life insurance a one-size fits all tool?
  • What about children?
  • What about guaranteed insurability?
  • What about building cash value?
  • What about intergenerational wealth?
  • What about singles?
  • What about lower premiums (when you’re young and healthy)?
  • What about borrowing against cash value for life needs?
  • What about debt protection?
  • What about a small term policy?
  • What about newlyweds without kids?
  • What about building a life together?
  • What about the debt SnowBank™ method?
  • What about mortgage pay down acceleration?
  • What about paying off your entire house with your policy?
  • What about lifestyle preservation?
  • What will happen to the surviving spouse?
  • How about parents who are married with children?
  • What about income needs?
  • What about education funding and college costs?
  • What about lifestyle protection?
  • What about an emergency fund?
  • How about empty nesters?
  • Should I drop my life insurance?
  • What is a myth?
  • What about pension maximization?
  • What about a joint life pension?
  • What about single life pension?
  • How do we fix that problem?
  • What can be tax free?
  • Is it just about the kids?
  • What is a safety net and a wealth building tool?
  • What about legacy planning or equalizing an inheritance?
  • What about children in the family business?
  • What about leaving the estate to the children?
  • What about replacing your group insurance?
  • Does your life insurance go away when you leave your employer?
  • What about retirement income supplementation?
  • What about seniors?
  • What about final expenses?
  • What about social security replacement?
  • Will you leave gifts?
  • Will you leave a legacy?
  • What is the ADBR (accelerated death benefit rider)?
  • Can you age in your home?
  • What about federal and state taxes?
  • What about estate tax?
  • How fast will the estate tax be due?
  • What about business owners and life insurance?
  • What is the secret weapon?
  • What are the takeaways?
  • Would you like to see the chart PDF at our FREE Not Your Average Financial Community?

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

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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 400: How to Never Run Out of Money – Even if You Live to 120!

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Would you like to join us live for the Bank on Yourself® Rescue Your Retirement Bootcamp on May 6th, 2025, 1PM-5PM ET?
  • Will you run out of money if you live to 120?
  • What are we going to do make sure your money doesn’t run out before you do?
  • What about market volatility? Do you remember 2008?
  • What replaced the pension plans?
  • What about inflation risk?
  • Is the answer investing in the market?
  • What does the economist William Sharpe say?
  • What percentage can one take out of a 401(k) without running out of money?
  • What percentage of 65 year-olds will live beyond age 90?
  • Who is underspending?
  • What about annuities?
  • What about inflation-protected payouts?
  • What is the only true form of retirement security?
  • What are endowments?
  • What is the history of the annuity?
  • What happened to Babe Ruth?
  • What about Ben Bernanke?
  • What is a fixed indexed annuity?
  • What about immediate pay annuities?
  • What about letting your money grow before turning on income in an annuity?
  • Why do so many financial infotainers bash annuities?
  • Are there quality annuities?
  • What about special benefits?
  • What about increasing income?
  • How about some case studies?
  • What about guaranteed lifetime income?

JOIN US LIVE
for the Rescue Your Retirement Bootcamp
WHO: The Top Bank on Yourself® Professionals
WHAT: An afternoon-long bootcamp
– a deep dive into the workings of Bank on Yourself® –
(lifetime access to the recording available!)
WHEN: May 6th, 2025, 1PM-5PM ET
COST: $47
WHERE: ONLINE
REGISTER NOW

 

Episode 398: The Golden Parachute

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Are you interested in 3 ways to leverage cash value life insurance for a secure business exit?
  • Who has an exit plan?
  • What are the benefits of a golden parachute?
  • What happened in the ’80s?
  • What lowers the risks of takeovers?
  • What are some example scenarios?
  • Do you have a Bank on Yourself type whole life insurance policy in the business?
  • What about securing a legacy while also ensuring business continuity?
  • Would you like to join us at the FREE Not Your Average Financial Community at notyouraverage.mn.co?

Episode 396: Double Bonus Strategy: Enhancing Employee Benefits With 162(a) Plans

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Would you like to meet with Mark?
  • What are the challenges for small businesses?
  • What’s wrong with a small business’s 401(k) offering?
  • What is the problem with fees?
  • What is the problem with liquidity?
  • What are the penalties?
  • What about the severe loss of control?
  • What about forced participation?
  • Why, with all of these problems, does everyone set up 401(k)s?
  • What about a financial Frankenstein?
  • Is the proof in the pudding?
  • How are we fairing?
  • What is the average 401(k) balance for a 55 year-old?
  • How might a business owner attract the best talent and offer the best benefits?
  • Why are Bank on Yourself® type whole life insurance policies superior?
  • Would you like to hear Episode 36?
  • What about tax?
  • What about eliminating restrictive rules?
  • What about going from a 401(k) to a 162(a)?
  • What are executive bonus life insurance contracts?
  • What are the administrative costs?
  • What are the additional benefits?
  • What are the considerations?
  • What are the backup options?
  • How about an example?
  • What is a double bonus?
  • What about the tax?
  • Would you like to hear Episode 206?
  • What can the employees do?
  • What about the taxation of social security benefits?
  • What if tax rates double on you on income in required minimum distributions or other qualified distribution income?
  • What are additional benefits of the 162(a)?
  • Would you like to establish a better than a 401(k) alternative that benefits your employees profoundly?
  • Would you like to meet with Mark?

Episode 394: What Counts as Financially Successful Today?

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Would you like to unlock the magic and Request a Meeting?
  • Where did Mark travel as a kid?
  • Do we live in the future?
  • What about the stagecraft?
  • What does financial success look like for Americans?
  • Would you like to view the Houston Chronicle article?
  • How much would it take to feel financially successful?
  • What about Generation Z?
  • What does social media have to do with it?
  • What are the numbers?
  • What’s the viability of the numbers?
  • Who has seen Inventing Anna?
  • What about Leon Festinger’s social comparison theory?
  • What about F.O.M.O. and envy?
  • What’s the allure?
  • What does this do to the human soul and human psyche?
  • Has the American dream become an American fantasy?
  • What are the differences in the generation’s views?
  • What about overcoming the social media hype?
  • What about digital detox?
  • What about volunteering?
  • What about mindfulness and self-awareness?
  • Are you being manipulated?
  • Are you comparing yourself?
  • Who can help?
  • What about blocks?
  • What happens when people have lost it all?
  • Who doubles down on the risk?
  • What about figuring out a better way?
  • What are the ten secret places…?
  • What about creating a business?
  • What about hiring family?
  • What about real estate?
  • What did Reader’s Digest say about life insurance?
  • What does your financial success look like?
  • What is the reality?
  • Who gets to define your financial success?
  • Who taught you think this way?
  • Are you ready to lift off?

Episode 376: [Client Spotlight] Due Diligence and the Income Snowball with Tanisha Souza

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In this episode, we ask:

  • Did you have a Game Genie or similar childhood thrill?
  • Do you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books?
  • What is the income snowball?
  • How does one generate passive income?
  • Who is Tanisha Souza, J.D.?
  • What about due diligence?
  • How about a story?
  • What does Tardus Wealth Strategies do?
  • What is wealth coaching, and how is it different from financial advising?
  • What is the income snowball?
  • What is Tanisha’s background?
  • How does the income snowball work?
  • What are some examples of people on the income snowball?
  • What about a passive income strategy?
  • What’s the difference between an accumulation strategy and a passive income strategy?
  • What about replacing living expenses?
  • How about leverage?
  • Why leverage Bank on Yourself type whole life insurance policies with the income snowball?
  • Would you like to read Tanisha Souza’s book, Creating Your Income Snowball?
  • What are the benefits of shorter terms?
  • What are the risks?
  • What’s a slow burning fuel?
  • What’s a fast burning fuel?
  • What’s the risk tolerance?
  • Would you like to visit creatingyourincomesnowball.com?
  • What are the takeaways?

Tanisha Souza, J.D., is an author, patent-holder, professional speaker, wealth and passive income coach, and entrepreneur. She has a passion for teaching people how to live their dreams by quickly building passive income without risk. Tanisha quit the practice of law after replacing her income with passive income from real estate, and she launched Tardus Wealth Strategies, a full-service wealth and passive income coaching firm. Tanisha studied and obtained her bachelor’s degree at U.C. Berkeley and obtained her juris doctorate from the U.S.C. Law School.