Episode 131: Stomp Out Wall Street, with Ken Greene

Ken Greene thought he knew so much, but boy was he acting stupid being so frugal all his life. He wanted to retire by 30 and move into a lavish waterfront home on Lake Tahoe. To try and get there, he became that idiot who risked all his money chasing after outrageous returns via aggressive joint ventures, real estate and the stock market.

33 became his new 30, because it was then he became financially independent; he could retire…so I thought (remember, I was an idiot). But, he was an idiot with a house and 40 acres he owned outright. He had all kinds of investments and kept his money working, not sitting in a bank getting less than 1% in interest. He also had a great job working as a professional engineer (P.E.).

Then 2008 kicked him in the stomach, and in the head, and a few times in the kidneys, and once in the head again. His investments vanished and the land he owned might as well have. Good thing he didn’t save a dime. To be kind to my younger, know-it-all self, it all came down to understanding liquidity and cash flow (and that stubborn guy knew zip). There he was with nothing. He lost his house, sold his land for pennies, and became a punching bag for creditors. With no engineering work to be found, he took a sharp turn and jumped into the insurance and financial industry.

At first, he really struggled. he was surrounded by an industry filled with people who only cared about closing the sale, dismissing any effort to educate their clients. Luckily, he did find a few mentors who valued educating their clients. They opened his eyes to outrageously effective ways to save and invest while maintaining cash flow and liquidity while sidestepping volatility. He went on to manically study and apply these methods to quickly rebuild and create a life for his family. Since losing everything, He’s helped hundreds of clients reduce or eliminate debt, create a Bankosaurus™ and earn better yields with less risk by investing OFF Wall Street.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How Ken initially got started in real estate
• Why Ken chose to transition from engineering to finance
• How Ken learned the value of liquidity the hard way
• Why it is beneficial to use a protective strategy when investing in real estate
• The fundamental difference between savings and investments
• How Ken helps his clients generate cash flow and build long term wealth with an emphasis on liquidity
• The “Bankosauraus” methodology for leveraging whole-life insurance policies

Additional resources:

• Website: https://www.greenefi.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-greene/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreeneFinance/
• Twitter: @engineerfinance
• Podcast: The Engineer of Finance
• Book Recommendation: Live Your Life Insurance by: Kim Butler