Income

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?

Episode 456: No. 4 The Red Belt: The Ultimate Retirement and Business Protection Strategy Most Advisors Ignore

May 29, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Are you ready to advance to a pivot point in the financial dojo?
Would you like to review No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to listen to No. 2 The Yellow Belt?
Would you like to catch up on No. 3 The Orange Belt?
What are we moving beyond with the Red Belt?
Are you approaching or in retirement?
Are you running your own business?
What are the headwinds?
Are you protecting a nest egg?
What is the retirement repositioning strategy?
Should you stuff every last dollar into tax deferred vehicles?
What is the median retirement account balance for Americans age 55-64?
Who is exposed?
Who owns your retirement account?
What is the forced retirement distribution?
What age are you forced to take these RMDs?
What climbs when in retirement?
What about 401(k)s and IRAs?
What about the built up tax-deferred time bomb?
Do you know how much you owe in tax now?
When should you pay the tax?
What if you have a shorter timeline?
When do you need the money the most?
How about a case study?
What is a qualified plan?
What does the red belt deliver?
Is peace of mind underrated?
Do you own a business?
What is your single biggest asset?
Have you heard the joke?
What about lines of credit?
Where should you route your profits?
How many times have you kissed the ring of a banker?
What does all of this actually mean?
Will you move into a position of total control?
What is the mathematical reality?
Who controls the financing function in your life?
Who sleeps better?
What does Wade Pfau say?
What is a massive I.O.U. to the I.R.S?
How about another case study?
Who wants guaranteed lifetime income?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

Episode 453: The Ninja Belts of Bank On Yourself®: No. 1 The White Belt: Cash Flow Mastery

May 8, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Where is the true sanity?
What about the martial arts belts?
How can we build real wealth?
How many money moves are you making in your cash flow?
How about renegotiating the auto insurance?
What about cutting out subscriptions no longer in use?
Do you need to adjust your tax withholdings?
What about changing how you pay down your debts?
How about consolidating high-interest credit cards?
Who wants to retain more of the hard-earned income each month?
Where you are currently parking your savings?
Is the money in accounts that serve your long-term need for liquid, accessible, and guaranteed growth?
What are your dollars doing?
What did Nelson Nash say on page 52 of Becoming Your Own Banker?
What is the median retirement account balance?
What will happen with a 1% fee?
Would you like to hear two case studies?
How does one build an asset?
Where does the real power of the white belt strategy begin?
What are the takeaways?
What are the action items?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

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

December 26, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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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

November 14, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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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)

October 31, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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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

September 5, 2025 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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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

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.

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