You're financing everything you buy… even when you pay cash. 🤯 In this episode, we break down how to create your own banking system using dividend-paying whole life insurance, and why ignoring this might be costing you a fortune in lost interest.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

MJ and Tarisa walk through a key chapter from Nelson Nash's Becoming Your Own Banker and unpack what it really means to "finance everything you buy."

They explain how paying cash still has a cost, why EVA (Economic Value Added) changed how businesses think about capital, and how the same thinking applies to families using dividend-paying whole life.

You'll hear the crucial differences between whole life and UL/IUL, how life insurance companies actually work behind the scenes, and why guarantees and control matter more than chasing returns.

Key Takeaways
◦ You either pay interest to others or give up interest you could have earned—there is no third option.
◦ Paying cash stops the future earning potential of that dollar unless you first put it into a system that compounds (like a properly structured whole life).
◦ EVA (Economic Value Added) shows that your own cash has a cost, and successful businesses account for it—so should you.
◦ Whole life vs UL/IUL: whole life offers guarantees and immediate access to cash value; most UL/IUL policies have surrender periods and moving parts.
◦ Dividends in mutual whole life companies are essentially a return of overcharged premium—and when used to buy paid-up additions, they supercharge long-term compounding.
◦ Life insurance companies are conservative by design: actuaries, rate makers, and contingency funds help them survive crises while still paying claims.
◦ Infinite banking is a system of policies over 20–25 years, not a one-policy, one-year tactic.

Chapters
00:00 – Why you finance everything you buy (even with cash)
02:09 – The unseen cost of cash and lost compound interest
04:25 – EVA: Why your own capital has a real cost
09:40 – Due diligence, "scam" labels, and thinking for yourself
16:03 – Owning the contract & being first in line for your money
23:08 – Actuaries, dividends, and the "fudge factor."
31:14 – Whole Life vs UL/IUL & building your own banking system

✅ Enjoyed this breakdown of Infinite Banking?
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◦ COMMENT with your questions about whole life, policy loans, or getting started—we may answer them in a future episode.

👉 Want help setting up your own banking system?
Work with our team to review your current policies or design a new Infinite Banking plan.

📘 Book mentioned:
Becoming Your Own Banker by R. Nelson Nash – highly recommended foundational reading for Infinite Banking.
👉 https://www.withoutthebank.com/produc...

Get BYOB and my book, Life Without The Bank:
👉 https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/?...

Most people assume you need $20 million, a bank charter, a building, employees, and 10 years before a bank ever makes a profit. But Nelson Nash reveals a far simpler way to create your own banking system, one that's been quietly working for over 200 years.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

In this episode, we break down how traditional banking REALLY works, why starting a bank is nearly impossible today, and why participating whole life insurance already has all the infrastructure you need to start your own personal banking system.

If you've ever wondered "How does Infinite Banking actually work?" this chapter explains everything.

🔑 Key Takeaways
◦ Why real banks require $20M+, a charter, and years before profitability
◦ How whole life insurance mirrors the structure of a bank
◦ Why capitalizing a policy is like capitalizing a business
◦ The BIG misconception about borrowing against end of life benefit
◦ How improper loan repayment can destroy your banking system
◦ Why new or startup life insurance companies are risky
◦ How dividends represent "excess energy" inside a mature insurance system

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Why Starting a Bank Takes 10+ Years
01:25 – Bank Charters, Capital & Liquidity Requirements
03:36 – How Life Insurance Companies Already Did the Hard Work
04:49 – Deposits, Loans & How Banks Really Operate
06:32 – The Midland, Texas Bank Failure (and the Lesson)
08:25 – Why Whole Life Is the Easier Banking System
10:21 – The Hidden Costs of Starting an Insurance Company
11:52 – Dividends Explained Through the "Energy" Analogy
12:41 – Is Infinite Banking Right for You?

📘 Want to Learn Infinite Banking?
Grab Become Your Own Banker and follow along chapter by chapter.
🔗 https://www.withoutthebank.com/produc...

Have questions? Drop them in the comments — we answer every one.

🔗 Links Mentioned
📘 Become Your Own Banker — Nelson Nash
👉 https://www.withoutthebank.com/produc...

Think you control your money because you have a 401(k), IRA, or a checking account?
In this episode, we unpack the real problem in Becoming Your Own Banker: chasing rates on tiny savings while 34.5% of every disposable dollar quietly goes to interest.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

We break down Nelson Nash's "Problem" chapter: why focusing on the rate of return on a small savings slice misses the bigger issue, volume of interest flowing out through housing, autos, and living costs.

You'll see how policy loans, mutual life insurance ownership (yes, you can vote), and building capital first create a perpetual tailwind (uninterrupted compounding) instead of fighting a constant headwind (fees, taxes, rules, market risk).

Plus: the mineral-rights story that flips conventional wisdom on its head.

Key Takeaways:
◦ Volume versus Rate: The big leak is interest volume, not APR.
◦ 34.5% drain: Roughly a third of every dollar goes to interest—cash buyers still lose to opportunity cost.
◦ Control the environment: You can't control markets, but you can control the banking equation for your household.
◦ Tailwind effect: Policies compound while you borrow against cash value.
◦ Mutual company edge: Owner rights (incl. voting) and conservative investing support guarantees and liquidity.
◦ Stop the race for ROI: Re-route cash flows first; the "rate" talk matters after you fix the flow.

Chapters:
00:00 The Illusion of Control (401(k), IRA, bank accounts)
01:30 The "Problem" in BYOB: All-American Family Setup
03:35 Volume of Interest vs. Rate of Return
08:16 34.5¢ of Every Dollar: The Real Drain
10:38 Headwinds vs. Tailwinds: Create Your Own Financial Weather
14:29 Control the Banking Equation (Mutual Companies & Voting)
18:12 Rethink Your Thinking + Mineral Rights Case Study

Ready to build a perpetual tailwind for your money?
👉 Grab the book/bundle and follow the chapter study.
https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/?...
👉 Schedule a consult: https://www.withoutthebank.com/?utm_s...

Links Mentioned:
📘 Becoming Your Own Banker (Nelson Nash) – discussed chapter: "The Problem"
https://www.withoutthebank.com/produc...

Most infinite banking policies don't fail because of the insurance company… they fail because of human behavior. Are you quietly stealing the peas from your own grocery store?

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

In this episode, we continue through Nelson Nash's Becoming Your Own Banker and dive into the Imagination chapter and the famous grocery store analogy.

We break down why imagination matters more than information, how to treat your policy like a real business, and why charging your own kids interest can actually build more wealth for them.

If you've ever wondered:
"What can I really use my policy for?"
"How much should I put in before I start using it?"
"Is it wrong to charge family interest?"
…this conversation will clear up a lot of mental roadblocks.

💡 Key Takeaways
◦ Imagination over information: Infinite banking is an exercise in imagination, reason, logic, and prophecy. If you can't imagine new uses for your capital, you'll never unlock its full potential.

◦ Your policy is a business: The grocery store analogy shows why you must capitalize, stock the shelves, and keep restocking (paying back loans) if you want long-term success.

◦ Stealing the peas kills policies: Not repaying policy loans (or interest) is the fastest way to destroy your system, not the insurance company going under.

◦ Use your policy or it's underfunded: If you're still using your bank account for major purchases, you're probably not putting enough premium into your policy.

◦ Charging family interest is not "mean": When structured correctly, charging your kids interest can grow your system and ultimately send more wealth back to them via the death benefit.

◦ Terminology trips people up: "Loan repayment" inside a policy is functionally similar to a deposit, but the language makes people fear the process.

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – How "stealing the peas" destroys policies faster than insurers
01:27 – Imagination vs knowledge: why people ask for permission to use their policy
07:58 – Nelson's grocery store analogy and what it really means
11:50 – Stocking the shelves: funding, using, and refilling your policy
17:05 – Human nature, discipline, and the danger of the "back door"
19:38 – Charging your kids 9% interest & why family discounts can hurt wealth
22:41 – Wrap-up, next chapter preview, and what to do next

(Timestamps are from the video version. Audio-only edits are always shorter since they have had more fluff removed, so the timestamps are not accurate to this version.)

If this episode helped you see your policy differently:
👍 Like this video
💬 Comment: Let us know how you have been "Stealing The Peas" in your system.
🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into infinite banking and Nelson's book
📖 Grab the book and follow along with us chapter by chapter

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned
📘 Becoming Your Own Banker by R. Nelson Nash (paperback & Audible)
https://www.withoutthebank.com/produc...
📗 Mary Jo's book, Life Without The Bank
https://www.withoutthebank.com
🎧 Audiobook option – great for listening while you study the concept

Are you still paying cash for big expenses like college tuition, remodels, or vehicles? You might be losing hundreds of thousands — even millions — without realizing it. Learn how to use the Infinite Banking Concept to make your money work for you every time you spend it.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

In this episode, Mary Jo shares a real-life client story that reveals how even high-income earners, employees, not just business owners, can benefit from Infinite Banking.

You'll learn how to recycle the same $30,000 for college costs, turn expenses like remodels and pools into wealth-building opportunities, and why paying cash may be destroying your retirement without you noticing.

🔑 Key Takeaways:
◦ You don't need a business or a farm to use Infinite Banking.
◦ Paying cash for college can secretly cost you millions in lost opportunity.
◦ How to recycle cash value for recurring expenses.
◦ Why borrowing from your policy beats using bank loans or savings.
◦ How to set up policies tied to each child's education for accountability.

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Why Infinite Banking isn't just for business owners
02:30 – The client's story: paying cash for everything
04:45 – The college tuition trap explained
07:00 – Recycling money through policy loans
09:30 – The $1.2M lesson: lost opportunity cost
12:00 – Setting up policies for your kids
14:30 – Why your advisor's approach might be wrong
17:00 – Which book is right for you: Life Without the Bank vs. Farming Without the Bank

Grab your copy of "Life Without the Bank"
👉 https://www.withoutthebank.com/book

⭐ Read The Book?
Book your 1-on-1 strategy session: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

Start building a system that pays you back every time you spend.

Links Mentioned
📗 Life Without the Bank: https://www.withoutthebank.com
📘 Farming Without the Bank: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com

Kyle Busch just sued Pacific Life Insurance for $8.58 million, claiming he was misled by an Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policy. But what if this high-profile case proves everything Infinite Banking practitioners have warned about for years?

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

In this episode of Without the Bank, Mary Jo breaks down the Kyle Busch life insurance lawsuit, exposing how IULs are often mis-sold and why dividend-paying whole life insurance is still the gold standard for Infinite Banking.

She dives into:
◦ Why IULs, VULs, and ULs collapse faster than you think
◦ The truth behind "guaranteed" returns and hidden policy fees
◦ What Nelson Nash really meant by "dividend-paying whole life"
◦ How to read your own in-force illustration and spot red flags

If you own an Indexed Universal Life policy, or are thinking of buying one, this episode could save you thousands.

Key Takeaways
◦ Kyle Busch's lawsuit highlights systemic problems in how IULs are sold.
◦ Whole life and IUL are not the same thing.
◦ Infinite Banking only works with dividend-paying whole life, not market-tied policies.
◦ Always request an in-force illustration at 4% to test your policy's strength.
◦ Education beats marketing. Understand what you're buying before you sign.

Chapters:
00:00 – The Problem with Bad Insurance Sales
01:21 – Kyle Busch's $8.5M IUL Lawsuit Explained
03:34 – IUL vs Whole Life: What Agents Don't Tell You
06:03 – Hidden Fees, Failing Policies, and False Promises
08:26 – Why This Case Proves Infinite Banking Works
12:19 – The Real Lesson from Becoming Your Own Banker
17:16 – How to Check (and Fix) Your Own Life Insurance

👉 Have an IUL or UL policy? Send your in-force illustration to Mary Jo for a review.
Email: maryjo@withoutthebank.com
👉 Subscribe for more episodes breaking down Infinite Banking truths and exposing insurance myths.
👍 Like, comment, and share this video if you believe in consumer protection and financial education!

🔗 Links Mentioned
📘 Books:
https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/
📅 Schedule an appointment:
https://www.withoutthebank.com/contact/

Starting an IBC policy when everything feels worst? That's exactly how Nelson Nash discovered Infinite Banking, when bank rates hit 23% and leverage turned on him. Here's what he did, why it worked, and how to avoid the same traps.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

We continue our study of Becoming Your Own Banker and unpack how the Infinite Banking Concept started.

Using Nelson's forestry analogy, we break down uninterrupted compounding, the dangers of overleveraging, why policy design matters (don't chase fast cash value if it weakens the system), and the flexibility of policy loans, especially in bad times.

We also address the costly mistake of canceling in Year 5, when policies typically begin to truly cash flow.

Key Takeaways:
◦ Plant the tree early: Compounding takes time; interrupting it sets you back years.
◦ Uninterrupted over interrupted compounding: Stop resetting the curve.
◦ Leverage cuts both ways: Gurus rarely explain when the lever flips.
◦ Policy loans = control: Flexible amortization; you set the payback schedule.
◦ Rates context: Banks at ~23% (early '80s) vs policy loans at ~5–8% in Nelson's story.
◦ Design matters: Don't chase extreme 10/90 if it risks MEC and weakens the base.
◦ Discipline wins: You're the banker—operate your system soundly.
◦ Don't quit in Year 5: Many cancel right before policies begin to outperform.

Chapters
00:00 Start when times aren't perfect (cold open)
00:50 Intro & setup—studying "How IBC Got Started"
01:11 Forestry analogy & (un)interrupted compounding
03:33 What interruption really costs you
04:28 Policy design tradeoffs (10/90, MEC risk, strong base)
05:07 The compounding curve: the most efficient year is the last
06:01 "Leverage your way to wealth"? What gurus don't say
06:57 Nelson's story: 8–9.5% to 23% prime shock ('81–'82)
08:46 Low-rate era behavior: overbuying & false confidence
10:19 Overpaying for homes/vehicles and today's price hangover
12:10 Leverage risk, HELOC callable, and bad timing
12:57 Risk mitigation vs assuming good times continue
13:25 "Find a fool?" Why selling in bad times fails
14:45 4 a.m. prayer & the realization: the money is in your policies
15:10 Policy loans at ~5–8% vs banks at 23%: why control matters
16:57 You set the amortization—flexibility in downturns
18:03 "How big a check?" = How much have you put in (premiums)
18:51 Revising spending: fund policies first, then attack debt
19:54 Start IBC in bad times, so you're skilled in good times
20:53 The Year 5 mistake: canceling right before cash flow
22:09 End of Life benefit = family protection while you bank
22:28 Discipline: be the banker or break your own bank
23:18 Wrap-up & next chapter invite

👍 Like this if you want more real-talk on IBC beyond the hype.
🔔 Subscribe & hit the bell to follow our chapter-by-chapter study.
💬 Questions about policy design, MEC, or using loans? Drop them in the comments.
📚 Studying along? Bring your copy of Becoming Your Own Banker to the next episode.

Link Mentioned:
Becoming Your Own Banker — R. Nelson Nash
https://www.withoutthebank.com/product/becoming-your-own-banker

Feel "broke" even though you've got money in savings and retirement? You might be trapped by compartmentalized thinking, paying 25–30% on credit cards while your "retirement money" sits idle.

In this episode, we show you how to see your finances as one pool of money, become your own banker, and pay yourself back, without making money more complicated.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/

We break down Nelson Nash's Becoming Your Own Banker and the "97/3" insight: wealth is a skill, not a windfall. You'll see how banking is a process you already participate in, and how to start controlling more of it. From braces and car payments to IRAs and credit cards, we show how small shifts (and an honest repayment plan to yourself) can transform cash flow.

Key Takeaways:
◦ Money is one pool, no matter how many accounts you split it into.
◦ Don't earn 5% in an IRA while paying 25–30% on credit cards—that math loses.
◦ Becoming your own banker = borrow from your pool and pay yourself back (with interest).
◦ Wealth is a skill: discipline, tracking, and continuous learning beat lucky breaks.
◦ Control cash flow first; assets and compound growth follow.

Chapters
00:00 Why you feel "broke": the compartmentalization trap
01:27 Becoming Your Own Banker (Intro to the first chapter)
01:58 The 97/3 rule: wealth as a skill, not a windfall
03:18 Can't manage $1? You can't manage $1M (cash flow vs income)
04:13 Spending leaks: Starbucks, dining out, and "must be nice"
06:16 Lottery winners & why sudden money rarely lasts
08:14 "You don't have to change anything"… actually, you do (habits)
09:36 Continuous learning vs arrival syndrome
11:11 Banking is the most important business; money must flow
12:31 There's only one pool of money
14:09 Using IRAs vs bank loans: the real cost of capital
15:45 We've been trained to think money is "complicated"
16:06 Retirement balances vs 30% cards: pay yourself back instead
18:27 Braces example: cash discount, banker hat, repayment plan
19:12 It's not complicated—use an amortization schedule
20:23 Control the banking function in your life
21:12 Overwhelm? Start with baby steps + an advisor
22:29 Choose your hard: money stress vs money discipline
23:35 Why money problems strain everything (even marriages)
24:28 Keep learning the language of money
25:14 What's next & how to get the books

👉 If this helped, like & subscribe for more real-talk money strategy.
💬 Drop a comment: What's one bill you could start "paying back to yourself" this month?

📩 Questions? Email us.
Mary Jo: maryjo@withoutthebank.com
Tarisa: tarisa@withoutthebank.com

🧮 Need a plan? Use the amortization calculator mentioned to set your personal "pay-yourself-back" schedule.
📚 Get the books: Life Without the Bank and Nelson Nash's Becoming Your Own Banker.

Links Mentioned:
Life Without The Bank and Becoming Your Own Banker
🔗 https://www.withoutthebank.com/book/
Amortization Schedule
🔗 https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/amortization-calculator/