The Money Advantage Podcast

Want your charitable giving to make the greatest difference in the world? Today, we’re talking with Kris Putnam-Walkerly, author of Delusional Altruism, who advises philanthropists who want to achieve greater clarity, impact, and joy with their giving.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWVQF5___XQ&t=11s We’ll discuss why how you give matters, the 7 delusions of altruism, and how to create lasting change. If you’re a philanthropist, donor, or an everyday person who donates time, money, and experience to help create a better world… tune in now! Table of contentsDelusional Altruism: What Makes Philanthropy Effective or Not?Invest Like It’s Your BusinessHow Do Philanthropists Get in Their Own Way?How to Ask the Right QuestionsHow Can You Be Transformational in Your Giving?Links Mentioned: About Kris Putnam-WalkerlyBook A Strategy Call Philanthropy Coaching [7:08] “I also provide a lot of coaching and advising. So most of my clients now retain me as a private coach to help them navigate their philanthropic journey and help them get clarity on what they’re trying to accomplish. And help hold them accountable to accomplishing it. And really being a sounding board to them, because it can be a very lonely place to be. Either you’re the executive director, perhaps, of a foundation...but also for, perhaps, an ultra-high-net-worth donor...it can feel lonely because you can feel a lot of guilt with having all that wealth.” The reason it’s lonely, as Kris mentions, is that there aren’t many people you can have a conversation with about your finances. Either people are asking for that money, or they don’t validate your struggles because you have money.  Delusional Altruism: What Makes Philanthropy Effective or Not? [9:35] “Delusional Altruism is really about how donors of all sizes and types are generally genuine in their altruism. They really want to make a difference, change the world, want to help others; but are getting in their own way and are preventing themselves from having the impact that they seek….So part of the challenge with effectiveness is, it’s hard to be effective when you’re getting in your own way.” [10:05] “One of the challenges is a scarcity mindset, and this is when donors believe that maintaining a spartan operation for themselves or their grantees...somehow equates to delivering greater value in the community.” [11:00] “If you want a non-profit to be successful, just like a business, it requires investment in your growth and in your success.” [11:55] “I think a lot of people of wealth feel guilty. They feel guilty because maybe they inherited the wealth and didn’t earn it, and therefore don’t deserve it. Or maybe they made more money than they ever thought they’d make in their lifetime, sold a business, and suddenly have wealth... But the problem with that is it really holds funders back, from a mindset perspective. It often causes people to shrink, to kind of mask their talent and mask their ability to make a difference in the lives of others.” [13:04] Rachel: “The business in the first place is service to mankind and to the world. And you are not taking money from society; you are giving something that’s more valuable, and the exchange of that is that you are profitable.”  Invest Like It’s Your Business [18:50] Kris: “Is that how you invest in your business? Do you only allow one cent of every dollar to go to pay your staff salaries? [Or] to go to pay for your own business development? So why are we asking a non-profit, who’s trying to save people’s lives, why are you asking them to do [that]?” How Do Philanthropists Get in Their Own Way? [20:20] “I think fear really is the primary cause of the scarcity mindset. And there are lots of different ways funders feel fearful; which might surprise you because you assume that the donor is wealthy, and with wealth should come confidence.” [25:30] “Sometimes we...sort of stumble through our giving based on what...

If you're shaking your head at the state of the world right now, you're not alone. There are food shortages, supply chain disruption, medical mandates, unemployment, price inflation, and more of our freedoms at stake. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaew0MenJhU Yet, people are thriving, there's more opportunity than ever, and you will succeed if you live by this one truth.  To join the conversation… tune in now! Table of contentsThe Domino Effect of Supply ChainsIt’s Easy to Be Discouraged…Walking in AbundanceAn Abundance Mindset Causes SuccessEntrepreneurs Are the Real Movers and ShakersBook A Strategy Call The Domino Effect of Supply Chains Are the shelves at your local stores looking a bit empty? If so, you’re not alone. And while there may technically be food “shortages,” we’re not lacking food. What we’re actually experiencing is shortages along the supply chain. Lack of workers, for example, means that there are gaps in how food and other goods get distributed to stores. This is the same reason it’s taking longer to receive packages.  There’s no huge headlining problem, rather there are small structural pieces missing that are affecting the economy on a global scale. And these small pieces can have a massive domino effect. Because if a single piece of this supply chain is broken, everything that comes after that “break” is delayed or impacted.  If you’re looking for a great read for all ages—The Miraculous Pencil, a children’s book by Connor Boyack about free markets, really breaks down the global economic infrastructure.  It’s Easy to Be Discouraged… When you look at the state of the world and know that our freedoms hang in the balance, it can be devastating. It’s easy to feel discouraged by the news and media. However, it’s important not to let this mindset make you feel hopeless, or like you no longer have control.  I think we can walk in a state of abundance because here’s what I know: people are still finding tremendous opportunity in the midst of the state of the world. Walking in Abundance The big question is, are we going to walk in scarcity, or are we going to walk in abundance? And the choice may seem obvious, but it’s important to actively choose abundance. You have to live abundance to walk in abundance.  In a world like what we’re experiencing now, that means not walking in fear. It can also look like not hoarding supplies and food, and being confident that you will be provided for, as well as your fellow man.  Walking in abundance may also mean looking at your income, and determining how to maximize your income and your cash flow. How can you manage your resources so that you have increased access to and control of those resources? An Abundance Mindset Causes Success Actively cultivating an abundant mindset doesn’t just increase your odds of success. This mindset actively causes success. When you think abundantly—free of fear, free of limitation—you can see and seize opportunities that someone living in scarcity mode is simply unequipped to do.  If thinking this way doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry just yet. Fortunately, you can train yourself to think this way. It takes work, consistency, and time—but it is possible.  The whole spectrum of scarcity to abundance can all be boiled down to this idea of being in fear or being in faith. If you are in fear, it’s very easy to be controlled by other things, and not be in control. And scarcity always causes you to give up control. In today’s world, there are a lot of fears: fear of the virus, fear of the vaccine, fear of shortages, and job loss and mandates. We could continue the list for quite some time. The point is, when you act solely upon these fears, you allow the fear to control you. Choosing abundance means asking how you can act in faith, even when the world around you feels uncontrollable.  Entrepreneurs Are the Real Movers and Shakers Entrepreneurs,

How does the quality of your life relate to the health of your business? How do you free yourself from the constant demands of your business? If you have a cash-sucking business, there’s hope. It doesn’t have to be this hard. Joining us today for this conversation is Dr. Sabrina Starling, the Business Psychologist. with Tap the Potential. She’s an author, speaker, and coach who believes that work should support your life, not the other way around. And she's introducing her new book, The 4 Week Vacation.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e84ovViK6yo If you’re not taking time off, on the edge of burnout, exhausted, struggling with team performance, stressed or cash-strapped… tune in now, and find out how making a 4-week vacation pledge might be your answer! Table of contentsFinding A-Players for Your BusinessBurnout, and the Need for The 4 Week VacationThe 4 Week VacationWhat’s in The 4 Week VacationContact Dr. Sabrina StarlingAbout Dr. Sabrina StarlingBook A Strategy Call Creating Freedom in Your Business [4:00] “When we have success, we struggle. When our businesses grow and they take off, they demand more and more of us. Being an entrepreneur is our greatest opportunity for personal development. Because we have to grow ahead of that business in order for that business to be where we need it to go. So what I take from that experience is that hiring and being in business has always been challenging. This is nothing new.” [7:50] “The book that I always wanted to write is The Four Week Vacation…. But before I could write this book, I realized I had to help them [entrepreneurs] with their hiring challenges. So I dug in and wrote How to Hire the Best, and I developed the How to Hire the Best system so that business owners could take their lives back….And that’s really what it takes to have a thriving business, and a business that’s going to continue to grow, that’s going to not rely on you, the owner, for the day-to-day operations of the business.”  [9:00] “When we design our businesses to give us freedom and generate profit and ongoing owner’s pay, then we have that opportunity to make strategic decisions with the wealth that’s being created; not just for ourselves, but for team members, and impacting the communities that our businesses are located in. So it’s really much bigger than just creating a business that gives you freedom. It’s really about creating a business that’s going to have an impact for all involved—and what I like to call life-giving businesses.” Hiring Top Talent [12:30] “I really think it is getting clear on the ‘why’ that we are in business. If we are in business to be perfectionists, then we can work 70 plus hours a week and we can be great perfectionists and really be good at it. If we are in the business to create freedom and opportunity for others, then we need to align our choices and actions with that.” [13:13] “When we’re in survival mode, psychologically, it’s very hard to access that creative part of our brain; it’s just not there. So creating a vision and a compelling why is really the most important thing. And the irony is that we tell ourselves we don’t have time to step back and get into that creative zone... Well, all the research shows that the less we work, the more effective we become.” Dr. Starling shares a few things you can do to step back and rest: take a lunch break, stop working at 5 PM, and don’t check emails and texts until the next day. Otherwise, you get burnout and overwhelm, and somewhere along the line your life stops being the one you’re trying to create.  Thoughts on Retirement [18:10] “When I titled my book The Four Week Vacation, I almost changed the title. Because as I’ve been talking about this book for years with people and entrepreneurs, I get pushback. Because I hear, ‘I don’t know what to do with myself if I take four weeks off.’ What is that about? And I think so much of it is that we’re so used to working hard that we’ve...

We all have money questions.  If you don’t, you just haven’t asked them yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrsQ4Tzo7ao Today, we continue to answer questions from you—our audience, tribe, fans, those in a quest to control their money and financial future! You can view part one of this conversation here. There are some great ones here that might be on your mind too. So maybe you’ll get the answer you’ve been needing, so you can clear the hurdle and get one step closer to your goals… OR maybe it will prompt you to ask a question of your own… tune in now! Table of contentsWhat Should You Do With Extra Cash?How Can Debt Be Advantageous?Compounding InterestIBC Isn’t About Paying Off DebtCan You Withdraw Your Cash Value?Available Cash ValueLow Cash ValueWhat Happens if You Withdraw All Your Cash Value?What Happens if You Collateralize All Your Cash Value?Policy CollapseIs There a Difference in Dividends on Base Premium vs. PUA?Do You Get Your Cash Value When You Die?What Endowment MeansCan You Pay Premiums on a Monthly Basis?Book A Strategy Call What Should You Do With Extra Cash? In this instance, a listener named Matthew says he recently did a cash-out refinance. Now, he’s wondering what to do with the cash he has leftover.  Really, the answer depends: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question (or in fact, many questions). The follow-up question that we would like to pose in return, is what is the purpose of your money? What do you want to accomplish with your money? You can approach this from the big picture as well as on a smaller scale, like what you want your money to do at this stage of your life.  If you’re unsure of what to do with extra cash and want to hone in on your money’s purpose, here are some clarifying questions: Does your money need to be accessible to you? Or is this money you are comfortable locking into an investment or other illiquid arrangement?Are you looking to create a cash-flowing asset that will create passive income?Do you wish to use this money for long-term growth? Or do you have a short-term opportunity?Is your emergency fund sufficient? Are you looking to take on some risk, or protect what you have? It’s also okay to wait and be patient until you know what you want to do—or an opportunity presents itself. A privatized banking system may be a good way to store cash long term while you wait. Or you may want to park your cash short-term. You may want to do a combination of many things. How Can Debt Be Advantageous? Another listener mentions their interest in IBC, yet is unsure what the advantage is of funding a whole life insurance policy just to take a policy loan? They offer an example of funding a policy with $40,000 of cash value and accessing $36,000 to make a purchase, such as a car. By their calculation, they’ve funneled $76,000 into a $36,000 car.  This is an extremely important question and one that “makes or breaks” people’s understanding of IBC. Because this can be hard to wrap your head around, and it may take some “unlearning” of what you’ve been told about life insurance. First and foremost, you can’t think of your life insurance premium as a “cost” to you. Instead, consider it savings that you can automate. Because the premium payments you make directly fund your cash value, which grows over time. It’s no different from paying money to the bank; or more directly, paying into your home and taking a home equity line of credit.  If you contribute $40,000 to your savings account, and then spend the savings, you’re not paying twice. You’re storing your money and then using it. A life insurance policy is another means of storing money, and a policy loan is another means of using that money.  The advantage of taking a policy loan, rather than a withdrawal from a savings account, is twofold. First, you have control. You can determine how fast, or slow, you pay the loan back. If you run into a lean year,

What if your thoughts about the Bible and what it has to say about money were crippling you instead of helping you to flourish the way you’re meant to? Today’s guest is Rabbi Daniel Lapin, returning for another deep and powerful conversation about business, money, and the Bible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytZD5GkFlp4 He’s a rabbi, speaker, TV host, and author of seven books, including America’s Real War, Business Secrets from the Bible, and Thou Shall Prosper-The Ten Commandments for Making Money. In this episode, we explore and discuss some of the foundational principles behind his book Business Secrets from the bible and the timeless wisdom that connects faith, prosperity, and ethical business practices. Instead of avoiding the seeming conflict in our culture between God and money, Rabbi Lapin is known for uncovering and unpacking Biblical wisdom to guide today’s business leaders. Prepare to be challenged, changed, and grow… tune in now! Table of contentsBusiness Secrets from the Bible that Rabbi Lapin Shares:Welcoming Back Rabbi LapinWhy Business MattersRabbi Lapin's Retirement ParadoxThe Impact of InflationInvesting vs. Making Money in the First PlaceFaith and FinancesA Godly EconomyDoes God Want You to be Wealthy?Learn to Be of ServiceFrequently Asked QuestionsIs there a difference between biblical business principles across different faith traditions?What should I do if my current job conflicts with biblical business principles?Should I tithe or give to charity from business profits before paying myself?What are the main books Rabbi Lapin recommends for understanding biblical wealth principles?Previous Discussions with Rabbi LapinAbout Rabbi Daniel LapinBook A Strategy Call Business Secrets from the Bible that Rabbi Lapin Shares: Why wealth creation is actually a spiritual discipline - Discover how Rabbi Lapin connects biblical principles to modern entrepreneurship without compromising your faith. How to make money by giving, not taking - Learn the counterintuitive biblical approach that creates sustainable wealth through service. Why your synagogue or church beats networking events - See how authentic community and shared values create more business opportunities than traditional networking. The certificate of appreciation economy model - Grasp Rabbi Lapin's vision for how a godly economy actually functions in practice. How to answer "Does God want me to be wealthy?" - Get Rabbi Lapin's nuanced response that reframes the entire question around service and stewardship. Welcoming Back Rabbi Lapin [2:23] Rachel: “We believe alike when it comes to money. And it’s amazing to me, to be able to understand the roots of what everything means, financially, and how that connects to our Christian faith, how it connects to biblical principles.”  And a common journey is reconciling faith with finances—how can you be a good Christian and a good entrepreneur without those things being in conflict? Fortunately, as Rabbi Lapin shows us, there’s more overlap than you think. We’ve enjoyed having him as a guest several times before because he has a deep understanding of the bible and the financial wisdom within its pages.  [4:54] Rabbi Daniel Lapin: “We are not using our time today to try and surreptitiously convert people to faith. What we are trying to do, very forthrightly, is impact their bank accounts.” Why Business Matters We’ve talked about many of the Rabbi’s books on The Money Advantage, and today we’re discussing one of his older books, Business Secrets from the Bible. What’s great about this book is that it provides a strategic, spiritual approach to business. And the foundation of this approach is within the pages of the Bible. Understanding the business secrets from the Bible starts with recognizing that entrepreneurship and wealth creation aren't separate from spiritual life - they're expressions of it when done with the right heart and principles.

We all have money questions. If you don’t, you just haven’t asked them yet.  Today, we’re answering questions from you—our audience, tribe, fans, those in a quest to control their money and financial future! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiW3MeJiL7c There are some great ones here that might be on your mind too. So maybe you’ll get the answer you’ve been needing. Then you can clear that hurdle and get one step closer to your goals. OR maybe it will prompt you to ask a question of your own. Find out and tune in now! Table of contentsDoes it Make Sense to Fund a Policy with a Loan?Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage ASAP?Can You Borrow Against Your Death Benefit?Why Can’t You Simply Increase the Face Value of an Existing Policy?Is it Complicated to Prove Disability?What Insurance Companies Do You Suggest?What are the Interest Rates on a Policy Loan?Can I Do a 1035 Exchange Between Companies?What Are the Best Companies to Work with for Policy Loans?How Do Premiums Contribute to Cash Value?Isn’t a Dividend Just a Refund of Premium? Book A Strategy Call Does it Make Sense to Fund a Policy with a Loan? A YouTube viewer of our show asked us the question, “Does it make sense to take out equity from an investment rental to start a policy and then borrow from that policy to reinvest in other investments?” We believe that it makes sense to have a life insurance policy as a foundation for your finances. This is because it protects your income, provides liquidity, and shields your money from creditors. On the other hand, properly funding a whole life insurance policy requires consistent payments. Depending on your funding source, it may not be wise to fund a policy with a loan if you don’t have a strategy for paying premiums after that. This depends on your personal economy and your investing goals.  The other reason for caution is that it can take a few years for your cash value to “break even.” While you are able to take a life insurance loan right away, your cash value will not immediately equal your premiums paid. It will take time to build your policy to a point where you can make larger investments. However, when you do reach that point, it’s an excellent strategy to leverage policy loans for cash-flowing investments. Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage ASAP? This question comes from Lon, another viewer on YouTube. He shared with us a HELOC strategy, and ended with this hypothetical: “The other question that you really need to ask is: Is it really better to pay off my mortgage ASAP vs. using my available income for investing?” We agree that this is a great question to ask. The answer, again, is not black and white. There are two answers to this question: a mathematical answer, and an emotional one. Mathematically, it often doesn’t make sense to accelerate payments because you lose control. Contrary to popular belief, the less you owe on your home, the more control the banks have. This is true because, in the event that you cannot pay your mortgage, the bank is less likely to foreclose when you have a large loan balance. This is because there’s a chance the banks will be unable to make up the difference. On the other hand, if you’re only a few years away from owning your house, it’s easier for banks to foreclose. They can sell your property and have a much greater chance of making up the difference on the house.  This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t pay down your mortgage. However, it does illustrate the benefits of saving or investing your additional income, rather than putting it into the house. You can build equity in a life insurance policy, then use that to pay down your home. This is one way to maintain control of your home and your money. Then, there’s the emotional component. Sometimes, you just sleep better at night knowing that you're reducing your loan balance.  To learn more: 15 vs. 30 Year Mortgage: Myths About Paying Off Your Mortgage

Want the most effective and radically simple marketing system in existence? Today, we’re talking with Mike Michalowicz, perennial best-selling author of Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan, FixThis Next, and his newest release Get Different. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LENRtB7xGY If you want to scale your business and reach more people, here’s the answer you’ve been waiting for. Tune in now! Table of contentsWhy Marketing Blends Into the BackgroundThe Problem with Email MarketingHow to Break Through the HabituationUsing the DAD MethodHow to "Get Different"Overcoming the Fear of Being DifferentSuccessfully "Get Different"Get Different with Mike MichalowiczAbout Mike Michalowicz Book A Strategy Call We love having Mike Michalowicz as a guest because he knows and understands entrepreneurs like you! Mike has joined us before to discuss his books Profit First as well as The Pumpkin Plan, and now we’re excited to talk with him about his latest book, Get Different! This book is all about how to stand out and be different so that you can not only attract clients and customers, but attract the right ones for you. Marketing is like the lifeblood of any business, but it can be all too easy to lose your “edge.” Mike Michalowicz is here to share his ideas so that you can continue to innovate your marketing strategies. Why Marketing Blends Into the Background [2:50] “I discovered this concept called habituation, and how it works biologically is we have a thing called the reticular formation. It’s a neural network, both figuratively and literally; it's a net that sits at the brain stem, and as stimuli come in...its primary job is actually to disregard or ignore most things. It’s the way we maintain focus.” Without this reticular formation, anything and everything can distract us. Our brain uses this function to manage productivity and focus. Because the daily stimulation from things we experience with our senses is constant. Just imagine all the things you filter out as “normal” in your daily life.  [3:25] “So the job of the reticular formation is to ignore everything unless it meets one of three qualifiers. Threats get prioritized—our safety depends on it, so that’s the number one feature. The second...is opportunity. If there’s a known opportunity, we will pursue it. And there’s a third way through, and it’s the unknown or the unexpected because our mind then needs to open up and say is this something I need to consider as a threat or opportunity? Everything else is ignorable. And this happens on a subconscious level.” A great example Mike shares is how we filter through junk mail. It’s amazing how quickly people can rifle through their mail and pick out the garbage from the important pieces, with very little information. The only things that make us stop in our tracks are the things that stand out from what we’re used to.  The Problem with Email Marketing Now, more modern forms of marketing, like email, are facing the same problems. People have become so accustomed to certain practices that they can filter out “junk” in milliseconds. Mike reminisces about the first time he got an email with the subject line, “Hey Friend.” It was novel and created a sense of kinship. Then he opened it and realized it was a marketing message. As this continued to happen, it got easier to filter out emails that started with this as being “junk.” This is an experience that most people with an email address can relate to. And it’s therefore no longer a very effective way to market through email. The same goes for dozens of email strategies. Yet they’re still commonplace, and marketers still teach these methods to entrepreneurs.  As consumers, we all become habituated to certain marketing messages that our reticular formation has learned to filter out. It’s not a threat or opportunity, so it's unnecessary knowledge for our brain to spend time on.  [4:43] “Our job when we market our business,

Want to get an insider’s look at an IBC policy? When it comes to how the Infinite Banking Concept works, the magic is (mostly) in the paid-up additions or PUAs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_tJHiD61FU Let’s go to the IBC lab and talk about PUAs today. What are they, and how do they impact your whole life insurance policy? So if you want to understand just how valuable these three letters are, how they add access, growth, and flexibility to your policy… tune in now! Table of contentsWhat are PUAs?How Do Paid-Up Additions Enhance Your Life Insurance?The Difference Between Base Premium and Paid-Up AdditionWhat Are premium splits?Book A Strategy Call What are PUAs? The acronym itself stands for Paid-Up Additions; and they can add a lot of growth, access, and flexibility to your life insurance policy. If you’re interested in setting up a policy for the purpose of creating an infinite banking system, it is essential to understand the importance of PUAs.  As you may be able to guess, PUAs are additional coverage on your life insurance policy that you can buy. In other words, you’re adding additional life insurance coverage that is completely paid up and requires no further premiums. As you add PUAs to your policy, you’re thus incrementally increasing the impact of both your cash value and death benefit.  Nearly any contract has the ability for PUAs, however, the mechanics can vary from policy to policy. The company, for example, also establishes how much additional coverage you can purchase within your contract--as well as when and how you purchase it.  How Do Paid-Up Additions Enhance Your Life Insurance? Let’s think about this from a real estate perspective for a moment. If you bought a residential property, you’ve bought an asset. Whole life insurance is also an asset—as you pay premiums, you’re building up equity like you would in a home.  Then, let’s say you want to build an addition to this residential property, in order to add value. In this instance, let’s say you add a $10,000 sunroom, and have an appraiser check it out. If the sunroom is well done, your appraiser might tell you that your value went up by $40,000. The same happens when you purchase a paid-up addition. That $10,000 PUA could add around $40,000 to your death benefit, or the total coverage of your insurance policy. Not to mention that an increase in death benefit also positively impacts the efficiency of your cash value build-up.  Here’s where things get really interesting. Upon the appraisal of your residential property, you could then go to the bank and say, “Look, the value of my property has increased. I’ve paid for the addition out of pocket, could you lend me money based on what I spent on the addition?” The bank could then lend you a portion, or the full value, of that $10,000 to create more value. Life insurance works the same way. The $10,000 is your premium for the PUA, and a portion of that is available to you as a loan against your cash value.  In both scenarios, the $10,000 you pay increases the value of your asset by $40,000. This makes it easier for a bank or insurance company to lend to you because they know that even if you default on the loan, there’s additional value there as collateral.  The Difference Between Base Premium and Paid-Up Addition Base premium is the money you pay to obtain your life insurance coverage to begin with. The base premium that you pay is what largely contributes to your long-term growth, dividends, and death benefit. PUAs, on the other hand, will contribute more heavily to your early cash value accumulation and less to the death benefit. This is because your base premium is designed to cover the cost of your insurance first, with anything leftover contributing to your cash value. This is because the risk to the life insurance company is greater in the early years. In other words, if you were to die in the first few years of the policy,

Would you like to make better investment decisions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sML_fmFh2s Today, we’re talking with Kent Ritter, full-time real estate investor and operator of Hudson Investing about scaling and diversifying your real estate portfolio. So if you want to expand your investing perspective… tune in now! Table of contentsHow Kent Ritter Got StartedMoving From Passive to Active InvestingTaxes in Active and Passive InvestmentsThe Pros of Multifamily Real EstateWhy it’s a Good Environment for Multifamily Real EstateHow Long Should You Hold Your Properties?Where to Invest in Multifamily Real EstateConnect with Kent RitterAbout Kent RitterBook A Strategy Call How Kent Ritter Got Started In 2010, Kent started as a partner in a boutique management consulting firm, before exiting in 2015. In that timeframe, he helped build the business to over $30 million in annual revenue, with 95 employees.  After the successful sale of the business, Kent was left with a decision. He had capital, now he had to decide what to do with that capital. He didn’t want to put all his eggs in one basket and certainly didn’t want to ride the stock market roller coaster. In his journey to diversify, he started looking at alternative investments before finally landing on real estate.  As he developed his real estate knowledge, he quickly gravitated toward multifamily properties. This love of multifamily properties helped him to move from passive investing through syndications to a more active role in his investments, and sponsoring his own syndications.  Moving From Passive to Active Investing Passive investing, in this context, is where you’re investing your own dollars into an existing deal—through a deal sponsor or syndicator. This person is finding and putting the deal together, and you’re joining by adding your dollars to the pool. The syndicator is responsible for the active elements, including finding the property, securing the debt, and determining any renovations.  Even as a passive investor, you’re part owner of that property, so you receive distributions from the profits. You also share in the appreciation at the time of sale. So passive investing in syndications like this really allows you to learn more about the experience, without the responsibility of putting the deal together.  As Kent built up his own base of knowledge, he was able to move into a more active role. In other words, finding the properties, creating a plan for value-add, and securing investors to help make it happen.  Taxes in Active and Passive Investments As someone who has invested passively and actively, Kent touches on the tax implications of multifamily real estate.  [7:59] “When you think about taxable income, you think about three buckets. There’s your...ordinary income, which is typically your active income, right? Your W-2 job...or from the property standpoint, the profits that the property is throwing off...Then you have your passive bucket, which would be your investments in things like rental properties...Then you have your portfolio income, which is like your stocks and your mutual funds...When you think about it from a tax standpoint, one of the biggest advantages of real estate is the ability to...pass through the depreciation.” In other words, being able to offset your gains by getting the depreciation helps you save money in taxes. And many times, you have carry-over losses. Those carry-over losses are different depending on whether you’re investing actively or passively. This is based on your investor status.  The IRS defines Kent as a real estate professional because all of his investments are in real estate, and that’s his income. So all three of those “income buckets” he mentioned can be offset by depreciation. Passive investors will partake in those deductions differently based on how their income is structured and where it comes from.  The Pros of Multifamily Real Estate

Are you planning to have multiple IBC policies, and don't know where to start? If you’re already a few years into using the Infinite Banking Concept, you’ve seen and experienced the power of storing cash in a whole life policy. You’re earning interest and dividends, have exceptional compounding power, and guaranteed access to use your money. You’re also watching the death benefit increase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugZZ1HcrY8 Now you want to store more cash. It’s time to think about how to use all your policies well and maximize their capacity. Today, we’re continuing the conversation in our series about how to take your Infinite Banking to the next level. In the last episodes, we dug into how to maximize your current Infinite Banking Policy. Then, we talked about insuring other family members, like children and grandkids. Now, we’ll talk about managing multiple policies. So if you want to hear about what to do after your whole life insurance policy is already working… tune in now! The Problem of Information “The internet has allowed us to be drowning in information while starving for wisdom.”  That’s the unfortunate truth of the internet—everything seems like it is generated for clicks. That's why we are striving to help impart wisdom so that you can make the best decisions for your family today. The purpose of today's content is to help you take ACTION. Because too much information can cause inaction.  Storing Capital Everybody has a need to store capital. And there are many financial institutions that allow you to store capital: banks, insurance companies, Wall Street, pension plans, and your own home. The real work is in evaluating where your capital should go, in order to do what you want it to do. Remember: what is the purpose of your money?  Once you’ve identified what your money should do—evaluating the WHERE becomes simpler. And while there’s no perfect solution, there are products with flexibility and control. Primarily, cash value insurance offers you liquidity, safety, growth, and certainty. More importantly, it can offer you flexibility and control. It’s important that when your future is uncertain, you have something that IS certain. You may not know how much money you’ll have in the future, or what your job will be, or how your family will grow. But by having cash value life insurance policies, you WILL know that you have money you can use strategically. You won’t lose it if the stock market crashes, it will continue to grow, and you don’t need permission to access it.  How do you have the best-case scenario no matter what happens?  The Purpose of Your Policy If you do not believe in the death benefit, and you’re only worried about the cash value, then you should just keep your money in the bank. Rodney Mogen, who has joined us on The Money Advantage before, has expressed this sentiment. And we fully agree. While it’s easy to talk about the benefits of the cash value in terms of infinite banking, it’s harder to talk about the death benefit.  You can likely imagine why, as talking about death is often uncomfortable. We don’t like to think about our own deaths, let alone the deaths of our loved ones. But it’s an essential component of life insurance that helps protect the people you love from loss of income.  So if you’re only interested in life insurance because of the cash value, and you’re not invested in the protection component, how likely are you to maintain your policy? It becomes easier to manage a system of policies when you are also thinking of the generational impact. In other words, the income protection from loss of life, and the transfer of wealth that occurs therein. Why Take a Policy Loan? It’s simple: control. It’s popular now to use your cash value as collateral, in order to take a lower interest rate. Why pay the life insurance company 5% when you can pay the bank 3.5%? The answer is, it depends!