What's the Difference Between Guaranteed vs Non-Guaranteed Cash Values?

 

Guaranteed Vs. Non-Guaranteed:  Understanding Whole Life Values

I'm to going to discuss the difference between guaranteed vs non-guaranteed values within a Whole Life policy, why having a foundation of guarantees is arguably the most important detail in setting up a “family banking system”, and revisit what distinguishes a contract from an investment.

Guaranteed vs Non Guaranteed

Guaranteed Values:  this is the year by year performance guarantee in detail out to endowment (typically age 121).  It’s based on math and actuarial science.  Life insurance companies provide a blueprint based on worst case projections should a dividend never be paid during your lifetime.  Something to keep in mind:  All the life insurance companies we use for IBC have been around for at least 100 years, are A rated, and most importantly to me, they have never missed paying a dividend… ever!  So the guaranteed values reflect a scenario of no dividends for the life of the contract yet it’s a scenario that’s failed to material even for one year.  Let that sink in for a moment.

You essentially have a fool proof system that is guaranteed to increase in value without any luck, skill, or guesswork during your lifetime.  No other place for money exists with the same level of guarantees that what you want to have happen, will happen, even if you’re not around to see it.  The last part of course speaks to the tax-free death benefit bestowed on your beneficiaries when you graduate to the next level.

Non-guaranteed values:  Take the guaranteed values and now add non-guaranteed dividends from the surplus profit of a mutual based life insurance company.  That’s it.  Life insurance companies are highly profitable but legally they cannot guarantee the dividends they will pay out next year or, 5 years from now, or ever.  By law, they have to project future values based on the current dividend scale.  They can’t assume interest rates will increase in the future and project higher dividends.  So the non-guaranteed projections are IMO conservative estimates of future performance.

The most important detail in setting up a “family banking system”

For banking purposes, this is a one of a kind “turn-key”, ready made financial system that is created with the purchase of a Whole Life policy.  IBC practitioners who have been around will recall that Nelson Nash was fond of saying: “Every time a person buys a life insurance policy they are starting a business from scratch.”  That business of course is a private family banking business between you and the life insurance company at what Nelson would call the “you and me” level.  

Of course, you do have to read between the lines of the contract to fully grasp the idea of Infinite Banking.  This is where the majority of people who first stubble upon IBC get stuck in the weeds.  They see a life insurance policy and get stuck.

I once heard Nelson say that calling this financial system a Whole Life insurance policy is one of the worst things the life insurance industry has ever done.  Right from the start, the life insurance industry provided a label that continues to confuse the masses to this day.  The smallest minds see life insurance policy and that’s all it will ever will be.  

Those of you who take the time to read Nelson’s book “Becoming Your Own Banker”, listen to our 30+ episodes now all related to Infinite Banking, and speak to an Authorized IBC practitioner, will realize what Nelson said from the beginning.  The Infinite Banking Concept is an idea.  It is not about life insurance.  It’s about controlling the banking function at the you and me level to root out rent seeking traditional banking system that will have you believing their “lies, lies, lies”.  

And what is the biggest lie of all?

That you need Traditional banks to finance all the major capital expenditures in your lifetime.  Simply not true but this of course is not what we are taught.  12 years of government schooling, 100’s of higher education degrees, and none of it teaches you the history of money and the importance of banking?

Why?  It’s about control.  Control the flow of money, create debt, and traditional banks have a client for life.  It’s parasitic relationship that need not to exist.

To bring it back to Guaranteed Values, a whole life contract provides the legal framework for a financial entity that is guaranteed to increase in value every year of your life.  The contract also provides you with guaranteed access to the cash values.  You can never be turned away.  

Imagine the peace of mind knowing you have posited your labor into a system protected by contract law, is considered an asset available for your use with no questions asked, and it is only solely by you.  Nothing else in the financial world like it.  No 401k/IRA or asset class can replicate the guarantees of a Whole Life contract.

Contracts vs. Investments

We'll refer to this as "Contractual" Wealth vs “Statement” wealth.

Statement wealth is when a client gives their money to an institution or organization in the hopes that they can get their money to grow. In this arrangement, the giver of the money assumes all the risk for the growth of the money. The organization sends a statement 1-4 times per year, telling them how they are doing at that time. 

Contractual wealth is when a client gives money to someone else as part of a contract. The recipient of the money assumes the risk.

Reminders:

IBC working is NOT predicated on dividend performance and chasing rate of return like you would with an investment.  It is a financial system, period. 

In order for a financial system to work, there must be a framework for money to move through it.  That’s what we are establishing with IBC Whole Life policies.  These contracts provide a framework for a financial system that allows you to control the flow of your money back to you where it can grow uninterrupted and so that we may continue to use that money repeatedly in our lifetime to build generational wealth.  

Think of it this way:  Instead of building beautiful fountains for the traditional banks, we can build our own.

If you have questions and would like to schedule a consultation with an Authorized Infinite Banking Practitioner, please visit the calendar here: www.IBC.guru

Thank you,

John Montoya

5 Reasons Why Infinite Banking Makes More Sense Than You Realize

There's a reason our education system doesn't teach you about money.  There's a reason our education system doesn't teach how the banking system works.

Until you understand the reasons why, you are simply a pawn on the chessboard.  Limited in movement and the least important piece in the financial game we are living.

To help you grasp the bigger financial picture, you need to understand WHY Infinite Banking?

If you don't understand the reasons why, you're like a rudderless boat drifting whereever the current moves.  So here's 5 reasons to help you understand your financial WHY the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC) should be examined for your situation to determine how you can benefit:

1. IBC is a financial system that guarantees what you want to have happen, will happen, even if you're not around to see it happen.   An IBC Whole Life policy (designed with a Paid Up Addition's rider) comes with the strongest contractual guarantees that can be found anywhere.  Uncorrelated compounding asset growth materializes every year without any luck, skill, or guesswork (even when you leverage policy loans to buy more wealth producing assets!).   

Whole life policies are the only type of permanent cash value life insurance contracts that endows meaning the cash value will eventually equal the death benefit regardless of whether that happens next week or at age 121.  The financial success of a Whole Life plan is reverse-engineered to provide an annual blueprint of increasing value.  No other place for money does the same.   Think about it.

2. IBC is full reserve system.  Unlike a traditional banking fractional reserve system where your deposits are leveraged to make new money to lend at interest, the life insurance industry is afforded no such money printing luxury.  By law, all liabilities must be equaled by assets on the balance sheet of a life insurance company.  This is called solvency.  The life insurance industry has it and must maintain 100% solvency by law.  This means money held by a life insurance company is with the safest financial institution and industry in the world.  This alone is reason enough why banks place up to 25% of their reserves with life insurance companies in permanent cash value life insurance contracts called "Bank Owned Life Insurance."  No life insurance company would ever risk more than they possibly have to in a traditional bank account.  Think about it.

3.  You 100% control it.  A Whole Life policy is considered an asset because it appreciates in value every year and it is owned by the policyholder.  There is government or 3rd party custodian with overriding control of a Whole Life policy.  401k/IRA's are created by the government meaning you partner with an ever changing landscape of politicians in Congress who in most cases fail to represent your best financial interests.  A Whole Life policy in comparison is simple because it is a unilateral contract (grandfathered in place) between two like minded parties:  you the individual and a privately owned mutual-based life insurance company.  No rent seeking 3rd parties needed.  Think about it.

4.  It cannot be taken away from you.  Money in a banking system can be confiscated at any time.  While it is your money, you must follow the rules set by the banks.  Banks can censor any of your financial transactions and are required to report anything deemed suspicious no matter how inoccuous.  The IRS can put a lien on your bank accounts and restrict your access without warning.  

A properly designed and funded IBC Whole Life policy is a private contract existing outside the realm of bank and IRS reporting.  Considered private property, it cannot be seized from your grasp (unlike a house).  In short, you have to abide by bank rules and be on good terms with the IRS to have access to your own money.  Think about it.

5.  You can live life on your own terms.  Infinite Banking is a strategy that creates an alternative financial system that protects you, your family, and your labor (translated into money).  Whole Life policies have existed for nearly 200 years largely unchanged because the contract law that protects it as an asset along with the actuarial science that guarantees the financial performance have been proven to work since they were first created.  

Although Whole Life policies were not created to function as an alternative banking system, if one examines the banking function of a traditional bank (and the true reason why people bank... we all need access to large amounts of capital throughout our adult life) and compare it the banking function with a Whole Life policy, you will discover a far more robust system for money that not only puts individuals and families first, banking with Whole Life (the IBC strategy) also provides long-term benefits for the economy with less of government meddling or "aid" from your local and federal overseerers.  Ultimately, the Infinite Banking strategy is about regaining your freedom from a top down system that doesn't ever want to be fully in control of your own life.  Think about it.

Elevate your understanding of money and banking, you will elevate your financial status.  No need to be a financial pawn.

To learn more about Infinite Banking, schedule time in my calendar at www.IBC.guru.

Thank you,

John Montoya

Comparison: Whole Life Policies and Tenet

Whether you care or not for the movie Tenet directed Christopher Nolan, it is for certain a unique film.

(SPOILER ALERT)

If you’ve heard somewhere that the movie is about time travel, it’s not.  At least not in the sense of jumping to points in time in the future, past, or even sideways (thank you Lost).  

Nope, this story offers something different.  In a word: entropy.

Generations into the future a scientist has invented a machine capable of reversing the flow of time.  It’s this machine that the future of mankind and the world hangs in the balance and it’s up to the protagonist to stop a doomsday event from happening.

The strategy chosen to combat the antagonist is a called Temporal Pincer Movement.

Essentially, there is a (RED) team in the present moving forward and a (BLUE) team in the future working backward to and from, respectfully, the same point in time.  

This gives the distinct advantage of knowing what will happen and how to achieve the outcome desired.

What’s the popular saying?  

“Hindsight is 20-20”

A temporal pincer movement gives the advantage of hindsight which is what makes the strategy so compelling and a juggernaut to overcome.

If that sounds a bit confusing, watch the movie.  As a fan of Inception, another film by Christopher Nolan, Tenet ranks up there with movies that are meant to be enjoyed multiple times.  

Here’s where Tenet is similar to a Whole Life insurance policy.

A Whole Life insurance policy is the ONLY financial product that gives you the hindsight of 20-20.  It works moving forward and backward at the same time.

I call this a “Financial Temporal Pincer Movement”.

Quite literally, the cash value in a Whole Life policy is INCREASING every year at the same time that guaranteed death benefit has been solved for at age 121, the last official day of the policy contract.  Once the policy is issued, the death benefit at the future age of 121 starts to unwind, or work backwards (entropy) to the original face amount from the policy issue date, or day 1 of the policy.  

Each year in a Whole Life policy is a reference point when looking at your own illustration.  The cash value each year gives the present value of the future death death benefit.  

The unknown variable is the year of your eventual passing.  The end of your life is the point the cash value then blossoms in value to equal the death benefit.  If you live all the way to age 121, the cash value has now become equal to the death benefit on the final day of the contract.  We call this Endowment.  

Essentially, what you desire to happen financially is set in a blueprint (fate, if you will) and the outcome is certain.  No other financial vehicle offers this.

What advantages would you have if you knew your financial fate 10, 25, or even 50+ years into the future?

How much of peace of mind would you have knowing that everything you wanted to accomplish (nest egg for retirement, guaranteed income options, a proverbial tax-free mountain of cash to use for any purpose) will be available to you no matter how the stock or real estate markets perform?

Do you have questions about Whole Life policies and Infinite Banking? Schedule time here.

Cheers,

John Montoya

Note, you may want to put on captions because there were points in the movie where you will attempt to read lips and rather than guess at what’s said and ruin the flow of the movie, captions will eliminate the need to wonder what was mumbled.  

4 Places For Money and Their Tax Consequences

 

In general, there are 4 places where money (assets) can be kept.  I'm going to leave out precious metals and cryptocurrency since the majority of people don't hold these assets, or if they do, it's an extremely small part of their net worth.

The most popular places people build wealth are:

Banks, Wall Street, Government (401k, IRA's), Life Insurance companies, and Real Estate so let's stick with these for the purposes of this discussion.

The 401k is under Uncle Sam’s control even when rolled over into an IRA.  Both are considered Qualified Retirement Accounts (QRP) --- that is, qualified with the government.  Rollovers (401k to IRA or IRA to IRA) don’t create a taxable event but eventually the government forces liquidations of these accounts thru Required Minimum Distributions at age 72.   

At the time of death, beneficiaries of 401k/IRA must withdraw all assets from an inherited IRA within 10 years following the death of the account holder according to the SECURE Act in December 2019.

Note: I  recommend looking at solutions that will help transition the account balance in an IRA rollover account to life insurance policies on your kids – or perhaps yourself if you might still be insurable - in order lower their future tax bill and also to create a multigenerational transfer of wealth.

Here's something to considering if you plan on doing a rollover from a 401k to an IRA (or IRA to IRA) to purchase an annuity:

With an annuity, the account balance equals the death benefit.  I mention this because the term death benefit in an annuity sometimes creates confusion for the public. Since an annuity is a contract with a life insurance company, the account balance upon on death is technically called a death benefit but there is no increase in the account value upon on passing like with a life insurance policy where cash values mushrooms and instantly becomes a much larger death benefit at the time of passing. (For example, a Whole Life policy pays a death benefit substantially larger than the cash value.)  

 

The life insurance death benefit does get included in your overall estate unless it’s in an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) but the death benefit is income tax-free which makes it a superior distribution and transfer vehicle for beneficiaries.  A discussion on ILIT's will be important if your overall estate will in time exceed estate tax exemption.  In 2020, the estate tax exemption is $11.58 million for a single person.  Multiple this exemption by 2 for married couples.

 

Note:  If you've had a spouse that has passed, it's important for your advisor to know if you file IRS Form 706 at the time of his death to make an election to add his unused estate tax exemption to yours.

 

Let me know if this helps or if you have questions about your situation.  Here's my calendar to request a consultation:  www.IBC.guru

 

Thank you,

 

John Montoya

IBC Q&A Mailbag: The Power of Zero (Review)

The following is an email exchange with an existing client:

Hi John,

I have read the Power of Zero book by Dave McKnight, along with listening to many of his podcasts. I seem to resonate with his approach to matters. Have you read, and are you a fan of his approach to things also?

 

Thanks. 

My reply:

I am familiar the book and movie.  The director, Doug Orchard, actually produced and directed two of the videos on my website.   

(The 2 videos are at top of the page here: https://jlmwealthstrategies.com/videos/)

 

I like the Power of Zero strategy with regards to how it applies to indexed annuities.  I do have a difference of opinion as it applies to IUL’s because of the increasing cost of insurance within those policies.  I don’t believe the industry does a very good job of disclosing the risks with IUL’s.  The only mention of risk to a prospective buyer seems to be that money can’t be lost if the market goes down.  This is a half-truth at best.

 

There are actual risk esposures IUL's have but they are usually never mentioned.  The cost of insurance in an IUL increases every year by a larger amount which poses a major problem during retirement years.  IUL are sold on the idea that the returns will be there, and while it is possible they could be, but it’s also possible they won’t. Then what?

 

For this reason, I would only recommend an IUL for two sets of people:

1) High net worth clients who can commit a minimum $20k a year while still maintaining diversified portfolio of other assets AND life insurance policies. 

2) Parents living with diabetes who cannot otherwise qualify for a permanent cash value policy.  There is an IUL only program specifically designed for those with diabetes, currently unavailable with Whole Life.

Outside of these two demographics of people, I wouldn't recommend an IUL because I see too many buyers of IUL putting the majority of resources into one IUL plan and little elsewhere.  It’s a recipe for disaster because here's what I know as an experienced advisor what go wrong with an IUL:

Here are 5 Perils of an IUL

 

1.  The IUL cost of insurance is based on annual increasing one year renewable term.  Cheap when young, cost prohibitive once a person hits retirement.

2.  Returns could be below illustrated.  The increasing cost of insurance will only erode returns further. 

3.  Planned premium funding falls off because life happens.  Examples include layoffs, an extra kid (or two!), unplanned college expenses, failing health, divorce, lack of financial discipline... even pandemics!  Life does happen and failing to maximize the policy contributions of an IUL has an adverse effect on the returns of the policy because less premium means less cash value potentially earning interest to offset internal increasing costs of the life insurance.  

4.  IUL’s never endow.  

Only Whole Life policies can endow---- this means the cash value is guaranteed to equal the death benefit by age 121.  The current cash value in a Whole Life policy is actually the present value of the future death benefit.  This is hard to grasp at first but it’s very powerful.  

Essentially, a Whole Life policy is reverse-engineered from age 121 with fixed premiums and a minimum guaranteed growth rate completely uncorrelated to the market or economy.  What this means is that what you want to happen, will happen. A Whole Life policy provides a blueprint guaranteeing policy owners that their policies will eventually grow to equal the death benefit—even if their not around to see it.  

Furthermore, the PUA rider in an Infinite Banking designed Whole Life policies speed up the process by turbo-charging the cash values AND death benefit at no future cost.   In comparison, IUL is a side savings account based on positive market returns combined with the rising cost of a one year term policy.  While it’s nice IUL’s have the potential for 1-2% higher average returns than Whole Life, returns are dragged down by the rising cost of insurance over time, the unpredictability nature of market returns, and lack of discipline to stick to the planned premium when life events invariably happen.)

Underfunded and/or poor performing IUL policies should not be the foundational basis of a financial plan because IUL's have no guarantee of performance.  Just a guarantee of zero AND a guarantee of increasing life insurance costs.  As you can guess, I like building a financial plan with growth guaranteed each year and guaranteed fixed premiums that combined create financial certainties... hence Infinite Banking designed Whole Life.

5.  Taking income from an IUL during years of low and no return makes the cash value disappear even faster, especially so when the cost of insurance is rising exponentially after age 65.  It's the triple whammy that can't be avoided: no return, loans coming out, exponentially rising cost of insurance.  (This perfect storm of risk is even more pronounced in Variable Universal Life (VUL) policies).  

For this reason, I mention an IUL is not suituable for middle class income earners because they won't have a fallback plan if the majority of their eggs are in this one basket.  There’s just too many perils for middle class clientele to navigate to make it their main strategy.   

Unfortunately, there is an army of inexperienced life agents and advisors touting an IUL as the best thing since slice bread, and worse yet, people show me their IUL plans that have been designed the wrong way because there is too much death benefit (which means higher commissions for the advisor and an increased likelihood of that IUL to fall short of expectations).

 

All this said, The Power of Zero with Indexed Annuities is an excellent way to go because there is no life insurance mortality costs to eat away at the returns and many indexed annuities can be purchased with no annual fees or if choosing an indexed annuity for income purposes, a guaranteed lifetime income rider that averages 1% per year which is an extremely low cost for the peace of mind knowing you'll always have an income.

 

My thoughts are if people really want "The Power of Zero" without any true downside risk (no market risk AND no rising mortality costs), then combine IBC designed Whole Life policies with uncapped Indexed Annuities.  You get the best of both worlds (upside growth and the IBC banking strategy) without taking any unnecessary risk.

And one more thing, remember that if you're doing Infinite Banking right, you will have more than one IBC designed Whole Life policy. 

We can discuss further if you like by scheduling time on my calendar here:

www.IBC.guru

 

Thank you,

 

John Montoya

3 Things To Consider When You Delay Getting Started With IBC

 

It's possible you’ve been looking into Infinite Banking for a few months or even a few years now and perhaps you've yet to get started.  Sometimes the hardest thing is taking a leap of faith when doing something for the first time.  A few things to go consider:

 

1. We don’t get any younger and our current health is never guaranteed.
2. This is a guaranteed contract.  It’ll grow every year without any luck, skill, or guess work… and it gives you tax-free access to cash values via policy loans for any reason without interrupting the growth.
3. If you have a family to protect, there is no better option for your “safe money”.

 

Check out my podcast if you’d like to continue to learn at your pace:  www.TheFifthEdition.com

 

Calendar:  I’ll be here when you are ready.  

Just keep in mind point #1 above and remember this:  

Time is the one thing we don't get back.  

Until this is taken care of, there are no guarantees except, of course, death and taxes. 

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

Five Reasons To Borrow From a Whole Life Policy instead of a Bank

Here are 5 of the best reasons to borrow from the insurance company against your Whole Life policy versus borrowing from a bank: 

* No application process. I ask for the money and I get it. I don't have to qualify...ever! 

* Instant liquidity of repayments. Every dollar I repay on my policy loan is instantly available to be borrowed again without application or qualification, as opposed to a bank loan where payments simply reduce the unpaid principal balance. 

*  Another huge reason for borrowing against your life insurance policy is the flexibility of the repayment plan.   This is especially important if you are business owner with cash flows that fluctuate monthly.  Re-pay policy loans based on your schedule, not the banks.  

* Privacy.  If you have kids to put through college, consider that your bank assets, and even your kid's 529 account, will account against them when qualifying for finanical aid.  You can pay the retail cost of college but wouldn't you rather get a discount?  Strategically placing money in life insurance contracts shields this money from prying eyes.  It also helps you in retirement because policy loans used for income are tax-free and won't bump you into a higher tax bracket.  Retirees with 401k distributions have to report taxable income that potentially reduces Social Security benefits.  Ouch!

* Uninterrupted compounding growth of your cash values.  Simply put, you continue to grow your wealth even when you take a policy loan to use somewhere else.  I call this "Dual Compounding".

Albert Einstein is noted for saying:

"Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn't, pays it."

In summary, total control is in the hands of the policy owner.  You decide how much and when you pay back the loan.  For best results, don't "steal" (borrow without setting up a payment schedule) from yourself.  Maintain discipline.  Paying back your loan re-capitalizes the policy for future use.  

Let me know what questions you have about Infinite Banking.  You can find me here:  www.IBC.guru

You can also hear me talk about Infinite Banking on my podcast here:  www.TheFifthEdition.com

Thank you,

John Montoya

IBC: Planning For Your First (or Next) IBC Policy AKA "The Future Planning Strategy"

Sometimes it's not possible to get started with an Infinite Banking designed Whole Life policy right away.

One of the primary reasons is due to cash flow restraints. In this scenario, the best alternative is securing a convertible term policy.

If you can budget $20-50 a month, you could lock in a 10 year term policy now that can be used to convert to an IBC designed Whole Life within the next 10 years.  

(Your age, health rating, and amount of death benefit will ultimately determine your monthly premium)

From experience, including my own term policies, I can share the majority of my clients convert their term policies within 5 years to an IBC Whole Life policy.

Life insurance companies will often also provide a credit for the previous 12 months of premium when the term policy is converted. 

Plus, if you are married and/or have kids, the death benefit from the term policy gives your family added protection. 

If you are single, then the convertible term policy is merely to guarantee your health so that you qualify for the IBC Whole Life policy when ready. It's like buying a stock option in that regard where the stock option gives the person the right to buy shares of a company within a specified timeframe. In this case, the convertible term is the " Whole Life option".

I'm a lifer to the insurance business. My first official job after college was with John Hancock Financial. Since that time  I’ve seen a number of people wait to get a policy for various reasons only to lose their health (prostate cancer, stroke, diabetes, complications from a car accident, etc.). I’ve seen a lot of bad luck happen to good people. 

For that reason, I try my best to get people, at a minimum, considering a convertible 10 year term policy.

This type of pre-IBC planning is what I refer to as "Future Planning".  It also works great if you already have one or more IBC Whole Life policies.

I keep a 10 year term policy despite owning multiple IBC designed Whole Life policies.  I keep it available so I know with 100% certainty I can open my next IBC policy even if my health changes for the worse.

Let's face it. This pandemic has proven once again that anything that can happen, will happen!

Back to my own term policy... when I eventually convert my existing term policy to my next Whole Life policy, I'll also look to obtain another 10 year term policy so I can repeat the same process for the next 10 year window of my life.  

If you would like to learn more about getting yourself set up for your first or next IBC plan AKA doing some "Future Planning", let me know.  You can find me here:  www.IBC.com

Thank you,

John Montoya

How Accountable To Your Wealth Are You?

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked."  - Warren Buffet

There has never been a better time to look at your finances then the present pandemic.

We've seen the market drop precipitously only to experience the best 50 day run in history.  Meanwhile, new unemployment numbers are in the millions and increasing each week.  The dichotomy of between what's happening on Wall Street and Main Street has arguably never been as stark as it is now. 

If you've been exposed in 2020 by a lack of liquidity (access to cash) and seen your overall net worth drop by greater than 15% in 30 day time frame, then now is the perfect time to rethink and reshape the foundation to your financial plan.  

There are critical elements this pandemic has exposed in the traditional financial model.  For the purpose of this article I'm going to focus on one area you probably give little thought to:

Your Savings Strategy

First...

What does your savings strategy look like?  

Do you save in a traditional bank?  Is your savings really an investment plan like a 401k?

These are important questions because whether you save your money in a bank or a government qualified retirement account, you've exposed your money to at least of 1 of the 3 main Wealth Destroyers that are eating away at your net worth.  

3 Wealth Destroyers

1. Risk:  Can you lose money?
2. Taxes:  How much of the growth do you keep?
3. Inflation:  Are you staying ahead of the invisible tax that reduces your purchasing power?

(There's also a 4th Wealth Destroyer which I'll get to in a moment)

Second...

Does your savings strategy make you more accountable, more efficient, and more profitable?

Let me ask you in a different way so you can better understanding of what I mean.  

How much value do you place on cash? 


For most people, the value is very low.  

If you pay cash for large items, you likely don't save money on a planned schedule.  You simply save what's necessary for your next big purchase or emergency.  This is important because not having a systemized plan means you place very little value on your saved dollars.

Think of it this way, when you borrow money from a traditional bank, you pay interest.  If you save money, you expect to earn interest.  Yet, when you use your saved dollars, you don't put any value on that money but this is a HUGE MISTAKE because of the opportunity cost of paying with cash from your traditional accounts.


Remember, you either pay or earn interest.  Paying with cash means you give up the ability to earn interest on that cash forever, and this is true even if you are great at replenishing your savings account!

You save up, spend, and start all over.  Rinse, Repeat.  It looks like this:

Let's now plug a high early cash value (Infinite Banking) Whole Life policy into the equation and see how it holds up to the 3 previously mentioned Wealth Destroyers.  

1. IBC Whole Life policies eliminate market risk,
2. IBC Whole Life policies remove the taxes on the growth, use, and transfer of those dollars,
3. Cash Values (and the future death benefit) are increasing at a pace that stays ahead of inflation,

and you have a Savings Strategy that incorporates an asset class that overcomes the 4th Wealth Destroyer:

The Constant Interruption of Growth

If you don't think this is important, ask yourself this:


How much money will pass through your checking/savings account in your lifetime never to be seen again? It's a large amount of money, am I right?!?  Wouldn't it make sense to allow that money to work for you all of your life rather than disappear forever?


When you use cash value to fund your lifestyle, pay for your kid's education, start or grow a business, or even prepare for retirement, you own an asset that you can use and re-use without interrupting the compounding curve of your saved dollars.

This is because cash values continue to grow on the full value even when there are loans taken.  You can't get uninterrupted growth with a traditonal bank account or 401k/IRA.

But to really make IBC work, you need to be accountable to your wealth!


A little discussed benefit to having an Infinite Banking Whole Life policy is how the use of this type of Savings Strategy makes you more accountable, efficient, and even more profitable than the traditional savings plan you currently use.  

People who don't understand how cash value life insurance works scoff at the notion of taking policy loans because they place little to no value on their saved dollars.  They don't know what they don't know...

Utilizing policy loans are critical to building your net worth because taking and repaying policy loans forces you to be accountable to your money, including when you use the cash values for investing.


On the point of using IBC for investing, my IBC Whole Life policies don't restrict me from making investments.  On the contrary, accessing the cash value via policy loans have made my investments more profitable by using leverage available in Whole Life policies to create two assets from the same dollar.


Here's the main point:

IBC forces you to replenish your wealth so that you never liquidate your savings without any intention of keeping it growing. 

If you are serious about accumulating wealth that can overcome all 4 Wealth Destroyers, it's imperative you evaluate your current savings strategy to be sure you setting the proper foundation for building wealth that can endure any financial storm.


And don't forget, just because a Whole Life policy is an unmanaged asset (it has guarantees and it can't lose money based on market whims), "practicing IBC" means you need to practice being accountable to the dollars you save!


Chances are you are already a good Saver.  You're just not saving in the best spot!

If you have questions about your current IBC plan or are looking to get started with IBC, you can connect with me here:  www.IBC.guru. 

Thank you,


John A. Montoya

401k Employer Match - Food for Thought

"Any necessary change in your life will involve the way you think and your willingness to change the way you go about it." - Nelson Nash


I'm thinking about 401k's and the match some people receive from their employers and I wanted to share this thought with you.

If you stop to really think about it, the employer match to a 401k isn't "free".  It's certainly nice to think of it that way.

However, if you're thinking like a business owner, the truth is that is that match in a 401k plan is really part of the employee overall financial package.  It is part of your overall gross pay.

Some employers provide really great benefits and the trade-off is a lower salary.  It's no different with a 401k match.  The match is a benefit but ultimately it is part of your compensation package.

There is no free lunch.  Period.

Whether you choose to accept it is entirely up to you.

Think of it like a gift card.

Businesses love gift cards because many gift cards are never used.  Some get tossed without ever using the entire balance.  This is especially true with gift cards that may have an expiration date.  That's money the business can eventually re-purpose elsewhere.

When you don't opt to take advantage of the 401k match, that's part of your compensation package you're leaving on the table.

Just don't consider it free.  It's yours... if you want it.

The big question: is the match worth it?

Instinctively, yes....right?

If you understand and practice Infinite Banking, there's definitely more debate about the merit of the 401k match however.

After all, accepting the match means locking up your contributions until age 59.5.  That's money no longer in your control, prone to losses, 2-3% in 401k and mutual funds fees per year (smaller companies have the most excessive fees due to economies of scale), and ultimately a permanent tax lien upon withdrawal.

Also, that employer match potentially means you'll have more in your 401k account.

Great, you say but you will also have a higher probability of paying a larger % of taxes upon your withdrawal.  That match is essentially extra revenue for the IRS. 

(This is simply human nature to pursue self-interest, not conspiracy-- when Wall Street earns a guaranteed fee on every dollar you contribute for the life of the plan and the government is waiting to collect their portion, too, do you ever stop question their motive in recommending you be all-in on maxing out your 401k?)

Suddenly you begin to realize the match isn't really a 100% no brainer like conventional wisdom would want you to believe.

It's my experience that the prevailing convertional financial wisdom has a way of leading people into financial bondage instead.  This is what happens when society turns to government solutions instead of figuring things out on our own.

Government, banks, and Wall Street absolutely all have something to gain by your continued participation.  The wise consumer will look to protect their money from prying hands (fees and taxes) by looking at every dollar they save as their own personal property.

A 401k/IRA is bit of lobster trap if you ask me.  (Understatement of the year.)

If you decide there's no other choice than a 401k or IRA, it will be the best you can do.

But is it the only option?

Of course not.

IBC proves this because it is a private contract between two private entities, you and a mutual-based life insurance company (owned by you-the policyowner!).  When you capitalize your own pool of money within a dividend-paying Whole Life policy, you're actually choosing a tax-favored property that when used properly can help minimize taxation and grow wealth uninterrupted, even while you use the money elsewhere!

The more you learn about IBC the more you will actually be forced to think like a business owner.  Whether you run your own business or not, you must realize there are 2 businesses you should participate in.

The first business is currently what you do for income.  The other business should be the eternal business of banking.   You are already a bank consumer.  The difference is you shop at a bank you don't own or control.  Might as well understand how banking works so you can benefit from acquiring your own pool of money to build your wealth.

It's a pretty simple solution to life's biggest financial problem (the ability to save more than you spend) once you realize there is another option than a 401k.

Pop Quiz

1. How much money do you save each year?
2. How much do you spend on fixed expenses (car loans, rent/mortgages, taxes, vacations, tuition, etc) each year?

Are you saving more or spending more?

The average person spends 3.5x more than they save but they have been conditioned to focus on the smaller amount never realizing they have the ability to take control of the larger amount to create wealth.

Pick up a copy of Becoming Your Own Banker by Nelson Nash if you haven't already.  It is an essential starting point to guide you on a path of your own making, towards a financial lifestyle that you ultimately can control by eliminating the IRS, banks, and Wall Street from your life.


"Action is preceded by thinking.  Thinking is to deliberate beforehand over the future action and to reflect afterwards upon the past action.  Thinking and action are inseparable.  - Ludwig von Mises


Thank you,

John Montoya