The Ninja Belts of Bank On Yourself®

Episode 462: Ninja Belts Bonus! Kung Fu Mastery and Your Money with Phil Smith

July 10, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Have you met a Kung Fu Master?
Who is Phil Smith?
Who is the big bad banker?
What were some of the first lessons on the mat?
What are the building blocks?
What about the stances?
What about versatility?
What does it take to be “kung fu” at something?
What is the practice?
Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear?
What happens with 1% improvements?
What about compounding?
What happens with time and repeated effort?
Where does one start?
What about the mental and physical aspects?
What are some of the aspects of kung fu?
What about the infinite kung fu concept?
How does the yin yang symbol integrate into this?
Is a 401(k) all it’s cracked up to be?
What has been proven to work?
What looks like hard work, dressed up in overalls?
What’s next?
Would you like to meet Phil and/or Mark?

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 459: No. 7 The Brown Belt: Create a Family Banking System That Lasts Over 100 Years

June 19, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What can span three or more generations?
Have you considered the family office?
Would you like to get going with capturing your monthly cashflow with No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to advance to working 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 review strategies to protect your retirement and business with No. 4 the Red Belt?
Would you like to architect a cash flow system with No. 5 the Green Belt?
Would you like to tackle massive expenses with No. 6 the Purple Belt?
Have you heard the old proverb?
Do we prepare the people for the money?
Have you read Perpetual Wealth by Kim Butler?
What does this strategy involve?
What is tax free under current tax law?
What about the fund and the family council?
Would you like to plan and participate in an intentional family retreat?
What opportunities would strengthen everybody?
Have you crafted a family mission statement?
How does a family keep the fund distinct from a “family piggy bank”?
What will the next generation learn?
What about family loan requests and family fund underwriting?
What happens when the family approves a loan?
How many families don’t ever talk about money?
What is the reward?
Will your wealth be a blessing or a curse to the future generations?
What do Americans fear more than dying?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

Episode 458: No. 6 The Purple Belt: How to Finance Massive Annual Expenses

June 12, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Why is the consumer sentiment rating in the basement?
What is projected to run dry?
What are people voting with their wallet for?
Would you like to begin with capturing your monthly cashflow with No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to continue on 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 review strategies to protect your retirement and business with No. 4 the Red Belt?
Would you like to architect a cash flow system with No. 5 the Green Belt?
Is this for the faint of heart?
Are you at the intermediate or advanced level?
What about uninterrupted compounding?
Are you a business owner?
How about an example?
How big are your checks to the I.R.S. every year?
What is growing year after year?
How about private school tuition?
What about Amazon sellers?
Does a policy loan have to be repaid?
What about property taxes?
What about property and casualty insurance premiums?
What about charitable pledges?
What about major annual business operating expenses?
How does one pay off a giant loan?
Should everyone listening to this do a purple belt strategy?
What happens when a loan meets or exceeds cash value?
What about the sale or 1031 exchange of real estate?
What about receiving a substantial inheritance?
What about large bonuses or commissions?
What about the sale of intellectual property?
What about receiving a lump sum?
What about extra income?
What carries real risk?
What is the Plan B?
What are the serious consequences?
How do we work to make sure the loan never threatens the contract?
Is your money working full throttle?
What about steady, predictable growth that you can control?
Is that big expense dead weight?
How might you benefit from the cash flowing through your life?
What did Nelson Nash say?
Do you control the financing function of your life?
What did Pamela Yellen say?
Can you weather the storms that are coming?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark?
Would you like to join our FREE! Not Your Average Financial Community?

Episode 457: No. 5 The Green Belt: Not Just a Policy, A Cash Flow System

June 5, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Are you crossing your fingers and hoping Wall Street delivers?
Would you like to start with capturing your monthly cashflow with No. 1 The White Belt?
Would you like to follow up with the most important people in your life, No. 2 The Yellow Belt?
Would you like to catch up on eliminating debt with No. 3 The Orange Belt?
Would you like to review strategies to protect your retirement and business with No. 4 the Red Belt?
Does financial mastery unfold in a straight line?
How about a cash-flow management system?
How does the green belt obliterate the main-stream 0h-so-average financial advice?
How many policies can you get?
What is the key mindset shift?
How does one build a portfolio of policies?
What are the lifetime wealth leaks?
What happens to the 529 plan?
How are you buying cars?
What compounds into serious money?
What about family vacations?
What about investments? What about entrepreneurial pursuits?
What are 15 creative green belt solutions?
What about tuition?
What about vehicle and major purchases?
What about real estate (without a credit check)?
What about business expansion?
What about a family vacation or memory?
What about home renovations and repairs?
What about medical and health costs?
What about milestone events?
What about tax bill buffers?
What about opportunities?
What about emergency funds?
What about charity and legacy?
What about down payments?
What about self-insurance?
What about retirement and fun money?
What is the biggest expense staring at you right now?
How are you managing the cash value?
Does every dollar in your policy have a job to do?
Is the cash value untouchable?
Is the cash value perfectly liquid?
Who borrows without a real plan?
What about a proper buffer?
How does the green belt balance this out?
What are the buckets?
How can you gain total confidence?
How might one command their money with purpose and clarity?
How does the disciplined approach change the game?
What are the takeaways?
What are the action items?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?

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 455: No. 3 The Orange Belt: the Debt SnowBank Method™

May 22, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

What if it is possible to be BETTER than debt free?
Would you like to hear the No. 1 The White Belt and No 2. The Yellow Belt?
Are you debt free?
Is paying cash the answer?
What did a recent federal reserve study conclude?
What is the Debt SnowBank Method™?
What are the 5 steps?
How about two example cases?
Is your thinking short term or long range?
Which matters more?
What’s the bottom line difference?
Do we have to work harder?
Do your emergencies care if you’re in debt or not?
How about a case study?
How does one instantly create a legacy?
What is a trap?
How many months of expenses do you have ready to go?
So what happened to the two example cases at age 70?
Do you have to choose between getting out of debt and creating wealth?
What are some success stories?
Who will redirect the force?
What are the principles?
What about financial flexibility?
What about taxable events?
What is your ideal outcome?
What are the takeaways?
Would you like to meet with Mark or one of Mark’s associates?
Would you like to join our FREE Not Your Average Financial Community?

Episode 454: No. 2 The Yellow Belt: The People Who Matter Most – Kids, Parents and Business Partners

May 15, 2026 by Not Your Average Financial Podcast

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In this episode, we ask:

Will anything else in your financial life work?
Did you listen and learn about the White Belt in Episode 453?
What is the Yellow Belt?
Where is real wealth built?
What intentional steps are you taking?
What about legacy level power?
How much does it cost to raise one child from birth to age 18 in the U.S.A.?
What are the problems with 529 plans?
What are the advantages of life insurance on children?
When is the best time for children to start leveraging uninterrupted compound interest?
How do the grandparent’s assets affect the grandchildren’s assets?
Where do many families tie up their wealth?
Who can own policies on kids and grandchildren?
What about the sandwich generation?
Who is a caregiver?
What happened to home care and assisted living costs?
Does Medicare cover long term care costs?
What about Medicaid?
How does the Yellow Belt change the game?
Where does the burden land?
What is an accelerated death benefit rider?
Can you get access to your death benefit while you’re still alive?
Who will cover the gap Medicare ignored?
What if the parents are uninsurable?
What about the liquidity?
Will the markets cooperate?
Who is prepared for the money?
Are you a business owner?
What happens when someone leaves?
What happens when a business partner dies?
Have you seen a poorly designed business transition play out?
What could you do instead?
What about cross purchase and entity purchase agreement?
How about liquidity and security?
Would you like to read The Business Fortress?
What are some design ideas?
What about 162A bonus plans?
How will you protect and reward the people who drive your revenue?
What comes with heavy regulations?
What will happen when the unexpected hits?
What beats term insurance or a sinking fund?
What are the key takeaways?
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?