Insurance premiums doubling… tripling… and companies still denying claims. Should you just self-insure and be done with it—or will that decision wreck your finances when disaster hits?

In this episode of Farming Without the Bank, we dig into Chapter 8: Building Your Warehouse of Wealth and talk about what self-insuring really looks like using cash value life insurance, and where it absolutely does not make sense to go it alone.

🔍 What You'll Learn

When it actually makes sense to self-insure vs. when you're just gambling

How Nelson Nash used dividend-paying whole life to self-insure comp & collision

Why auto and homeowners insurance costs are exploding (it's not just "greedy companies")

The ugly side of health insurance: denials, subsidies, and better options people are using

Why crop insurance is subsidized and what that means for your farm risk

How to start building your own "warehouse of wealth" so you're less dependent on traditional insurance

🧾 Key Takeaways

Self-insuring is not "going naked." It means building a pool of capital (like cash value in whole life) large enough to handle losses without destroying your lifestyle.

If you drop comp & collision but spend the premium, you're not self-insuring—you're just hoping nothing happens. That premium needs to be redirected into an asset (like whole life).

Auto and home claims are more frequent and more expensive—sensors, cameras, tech, and repair costs all push premiums up.

Some people can self-insure their home or health because they are debt-free, frugal, and have a plan for where they'd live or how they'd get care. Most people don't.

Health insurance has become a racket for many: denials, crazy premiums, and poor care. That's why some are choosing health sharing or direct primary care subscription models.

Crop insurance is subsidized because actuaries can't collect enough premiums to cover catastrophic events without help. And like it or not, everyone is getting some kind of subsidy (child tax credits, mortgage interest, etc.).

You can choose to self-insure some things, but you must run the numbers and understand the risk, not just react to high premiums.

⏱️ Chapters

(00:00) – Can You Really Self-Insure? (story + crop example)

(00:46) – Nelson Nash on Self-Insuring Comp & Collision

(02:54)– Why Auto Insurance Is So Expensive Now

(06:01) – Self-Insuring Home & Health: Who Can Really Do It?

(10:56) – Crop Insurance, Actuaries & Government Subsidies

(16:23) – Final Thoughts & How to Run Your Numbers

If you're tired of feeling trapped by rising insurance premiums and guessing about self-insuring:

👉 Subscribe for more episodes of Farming Without the Bank
📆 Read the book and book a call, and let's see what self-insuring could look like mathematically for your farm or ranch.

💻 Work with Mary Jo:
Get your copy of Farming Without The Bank, read it, and then schedule your appointment so we can look at what this strategy could mean for your operation and your numbers. No pressure, just a real conversation.

📩 Have questions? Email Mary Jo: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

What happens when everyone expects someone else to pick up the bill?

From a nightmare condo sale to health insurance chaos, this episode is a raw, unfiltered wake-up call on personal responsibility, money, and self-reliance.

In this episode, Mary Jo shares a months-long real estate saga that exposed a deeper issue she's seeing everywhere—from first-time homebuyers and realtors, to health insurance, escrow accounts, and even parenting adult children.

The common theme? Too many people are handing off responsibility—and expecting others to pay the price.

This episode isn't about being harsh. It's about understanding how money actually works, why Infinite Banking is rooted in self-responsibility, and why depending on systems, banks, or government programs can leave you vulnerable.

Key Takeaways:
Why buyers asking for everything is a dangerous financial mindset
How escrow accounts and employer benefits disconnect you from reality
The real cost of "someone else will handle it"
Why self-insurance and Infinite Banking go hand in hand
What parents should (and shouldn't) subsidize for adult kids

Chapters:
(00:00) – A 20-Year-Old, Sourdough Bread, and Rent Reality
(01:25) – The Condo Sale From Hell
(04:10) – Buyers, Realtors, and Zero Accountability
(09:20) – When You Can't Afford Repairs, You Can't Afford the House
(16:45) – Health Insurance, Escrow, and Giving Up Control
(21:45) – Generational Expectations & Entitlement
(27:50) – Infinite Banking = Self-Responsibility

If this episode made you uncomfortable, you probably needed it.

Subscribe for more real conversations about money.
Share this with someone who needs a reality check.
Leave a comment (respectful ones get read).

Links & Resources Mentioned:

Get the book: https://farmingwithoutthebank.com...

Email Mary Jo: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

Is life insurance a luxury—or a necessity?

In this episode of Farming Without The Bank (FWTB Ep. 338), Mary Jo breaks down Chapter 7 of Nelson Nash's Warehouse of Wealth and explains how Parkinson's Law silently destroys financial progress, especially when people experience windfalls of money.

From selling land, paying off equipment, kids leaving the house, or daycare expenses disappearing—windfalls happen whether you notice them or not. The real question is: Where does that money go?

Nelson Nash's real-life example shows how paying off a policy loan after a windfall can feel like backdating life insurance by 13 years at a better health rating—an advantage you can never recreate later. This episode challenges the belief that life insurance is optional and explains why end-of-life benefits and banking should be treated like fuel in a vehicle—non-negotiable.

Key Takeaways:

Why Parkinson's Law eats every "extra dollar" if you don't give it a job

How windfalls (kids moving out, loans paid off, daycare ending) should be redirected

Why delaying a policy creates massive inefficiencies later in life

Why the end of life benefit for children is about time to mourn, not profit

How farmers and ranchers must be in the business of banking, not just production

Chapters:

(00:00) – Life Insurance: Luxury or Necessity?

(01:07) – Nelson Nash's Windfall & Backdated Advantage

(03:10) – Kids Leaving Home = Hidden Windfall

(04:42) – Parkinson's Law Explained

(08:04) – Daycare, Sports & Missed Opportunities

(09:43) – Death Benefit Is Non-Negotiable

(12:29) – Building Banking Into Your Commodity Price

📘 Grab your books
📅 Schedule your appointment
📊 Have all your numbers ready — personal, business, and farm

👉 Website: https://farmingwithoutthebank.com?utm...

If your information isn't ready, the meeting will be canceled—because clarity requires numbers.

You've been told corporations pay taxes, but what if that's the biggest lie in the system? In this episode, Mary Jo breaks down who really pays for taxes, benefits, tariffs, and government programs—and why the consumer always ends up holding the bag.

In Episode 337 of Farming Without the Bank, Mary Jo dives into Chapter 6 of Nelson Nash's Warehouse of Wealth: "Lies, Lies, and Lies."

This episode exposes how taxes, Social Security, employee benefits, tariffs, credit card fees, and corporate expenses are never absorbed by businesses—they are passed directly to you, the consumer.

From Social Security myths to corporate "tax hikes," from government spending to free coffee at the sale barn, this episode reframes how money actually flows through the economy and why financial literacy is so rare—and so dangerous to ignore.

Key Takeaways:

• Corporations do not pay taxes; they collect them from consumers
• Employees pay 100% of Social Security, not "half."
• All benefits, perks, and expenses are built into prices or wages
• Government redistribution still starts with taxing the public
• Business owners have tax flexibility, but consumers do not
• Financial illiteracy keeps people trapped, believing money myths

Chapters:
(00:00) – The danger of financial lies
(02:00) – Who really pays taxes?
(05:00) – Social Security & employee benefit myths
(08:30) – Why everything gets passed to the consumer
(12:45) – Customer service, payroll, and business reality
(17:45) – Government spending & redistribution myths

👉 Want to truly understand money, taxes, and wealth?

Email questions: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

Get the books: https://farmingwithoutthebank.com/sho...

Read Warehouse of Wealth by Nelson Nash.

Share this episode with someone who still thinks corporations pay taxes!

Link Mentioned:
Farming Without the Bank:
https://farmingwithoutthebank.com/boo...

Everyone says farming and ranching are hard—but what if the real problem isn't expenses… it's how money is being used?

In this episode, Mary Jo tackles the backlash around "excess money," breaks down why being debt-free isn't the same as being financially secure, and explains why cash flow—not comfort—is the real solution.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryJoIrmen?sub_confirmation=1

👉 Get the book: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

In this candid rant-meets-masterclass, Mary Jo responds to critics who claim there's no such thing as excess money in agriculture. She explains why higher cattle prices create opportunities, and how most producers miss them by paying everything off instead of building systems that generate cash flow.

Using real conversations with farm and ranch families, she walks through:

Why paying off low-interest debt can actually hurt you

How cash flow determines freedom, not net worth

Why "passive income" is mostly a myth

How money should move through your system differently

This episode is a mindset shift for anyone stuck in the cycle of "it's hard" and ready to start asking better questions.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• Cash flow is more important than being debt-free
• Two people with the same income can have vastly different outcomes
• Excess money isn't the problem—misuse of it is
• Paying off everything can kill future opportunity
• Money must keep moving to create income

⏱ Chapters:

(00:00) – The "It's Hard" Victim Mentality

(01:13) – What "Excess Money" Really Means

(03:03) – Why Money Utilization Matters More Than Income

(04:30) – Paying Off Debt vs Creating Cash Flow

(07:57) – Why Being Debt-Free Isn't the Answer

(09:15) – How Money Should Move Through Your System

(13:00) – Opportunity Thinking vs Staying Stuck

If this episode challenged your thinking:

🔔 Subscribe for more farm and ranch financial strategy

Need help thinking through your own cash flow strategy?

📧 Email: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

🔗 Link Mentioned:

Becoming Your Own Banker by Nelson Nash (book referenced)

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

Most farmers still buy equipment the old way—cash or bank loans—losing years of compound growth. What if the problem isn't your policy… It's when the money runs through it?

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryJoIrmen?sub_confirmation=1

👉 Get the book: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

In this episode, Mary Jo breaks down the "before asset" idea: running money through your whole life policy before you buy equipment, cattle, or cover operating expenses. She explains why premium is what makes you money, why loans themselves don't, and how to think differently about "I can't make the payment this year" when you are the banker.

Whether commodity prices are down or cattle checks are big, this mindset shift can change how you finance your entire operation.

What you'll learn:

Why paying a premium creates wealth, not just taking policy loans

How to run purchases through your policy first without losing tax write-offs

What to do in bad years when you can't make a full loan repayment

Why life insurance is not an investment—and why that matters

How negative thinking and "keyboard warriors" keep people broke

A simple way to create your operating line inside the policy

Chapters

(00:00) – Policy loans vs bank loans: what really changes

(00:46) – Premium as a "before asset," not an afterthought

(02:31) – Why money should run through the policy before you buy

(04:58) – Cash vs policy example: financing equipment the smart way

(08:18) – "I can't make the payment!" and how flexibility really works

(12:53) – Life insurance isn't an investment (and why that's good)

(16:04) – Mindset, inflation, and the negative "keyboard warrior" trap

👍 If this helped you think differently about your money, hit Like and subscribe for more real-world Infinite Banking conversations for farmers and ranchers.

💬 Got questions about premiums, policy loans, or timing money through your policy?

Drop a comment below or send Mary Jo an email—your question may end up in a future episode.

🎧 Want more? Check out the Without the Bank podcast, where Mary Jo and Tarisa walk through Nelson Nash's books and real client scenarios in detail.

Links Mentioned:

Becoming Your Own Banker by R. Nelson Nash

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

Building Your Warehouse of Wealth by R. Nelson Nash

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

Mary Jo's book on Infinite Banking for farmers/ranchers

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com...

"Without the Bank" podcast

https://www.withoutthebank.com/podcas...

Most people believe they're doing the right thing by maxing out their 401(k) or IRA.

But what if the entire system is designed to trap you later with higher taxes, forced withdrawals, and lost control?

Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryJoIrmen?sub_confirmation=1

Get the book: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/book/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=fwtb-ep334&utm_term=desc-top

In this episode of Farming Without the Bank, we break down The Market Scam from Nelson Nash's Building Your Warehouse of Wealth** and expose what most financial advisors never explain.

Mary Jo dives into Chapter 5 of Building Your Warehouse of Wealth, unpacking why tax-qualified retirement plans may be one of the biggest financial misconceptions of our time. From Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) to government-controlled retirement rules, this episode challenges conventional wisdom and asks a powerful question:

Would you rather be taxed on the seed… or the harvest?

This conversation explores why whole life insurance contracts between individuals may offer more control, certainty, and long-term stability than Wall Street or government promises.

Key Takeaways:

- Why "tax-deferred" doesn't mean "tax-free"

- The hidden danger of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

- How words like "security" can be misleading

- Why future tax rates are likely higher—not lower

- The difference between government plans and private contracts

- How Infinite Banking restores control over your money

Chapters:

(00:00) – Why Most People Don't Want to Think About Money

(02:00) – The "Market Scam" & Misleading Financial Language

(04:20) – RMDs: The Rule Nobody Talks About

(08:38) – Baby Boomers, Forced Selling & Market Risk

(09:01) – Seed vs Harvest: A Powerful Tax Analogy

(12:50) – Government Plans & Financial Insanity

(19:38) – Why Whole Life Insurance Has Worked for 200 Years

Resources Mentioned:

Building Your Warehouse of Wealth – Nelson Nash

Becoming Your Own Banker – Nelson Nash

Order here:

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/shop/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=fwtb-ep334&utm_term=desc-bot

Work With Us:

Ready to rethink your financial strategy?

Schedule a consultation and see how Infinite Banking may fit into your life.

maryjo@withoutthebank.com

https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=fwtb-ep334&utm_term=desc-bot

Be open-minded, ditch the negativity, and yes, you can buy that small-town business and make it work. In this episode, Mary Jo sits down with client and Iowa rancher/feed-store owner Erica Lantz, who walked away from a 14-year corporate food job to buy a 60-year-old feed store in a town of 1,000 people… during COVID.

👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ

👉 Get the book: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/book

Erica shares how she runs a 5th-generation farm with Dexter cattle, heritage hogs, hair sheep, hypoallergenic curly horses, and silky chickens while modernizing a tiny farm store, creating custom feed mixes, shipping nationwide, and using infinite banking (and her old 401(k)) to fund the dream—without letting the bank control everything.

If you've ever wondered how to buy an existing small business, fix its mess of inventory and accounts receivable, negotiate with suppliers, or use life insurance as your own line of credit for your farm or business, this conversation gets very real.

What You'll Learn:

◦ How Erica went from corporate food manufacturing to owning a rural feed store

◦ Why she chose Dexter cattle, heritage hogs, hair sheep, and curly horses as niche income streams

◦ The truth about GMO vs non-GMO feed, sprays, and residues from someone who did lab testing

◦ How she mills fresh, locally sourced custom feed and ships it outside Iowa

◦ What no one tells you about buying a 60-year-old small-town business (inventory, expired product, A/R)

◦ Using Amazon and an online store to move poor inventory and reach beyond a town of 1,000

◦ How her kids learn business by bartering silky chickens and kittens instead of just taking cash

◦ Why did she pull money from her 401(k) to start infinite banking policies for the farm

◦ How separate policies, term coverage, and key-person insurance protect partners and banks

◦ The power of "How can I?" and "Who Not How" for growing when cash and time feel tight

Chapters:

0:00 – Negativity, mindset & intro to Erica

3:14 – Inside the ranch: Dexters, heritage hogs, curly horses & silky chickens

14:50 – Building a better feed store: sourcing, custom milling & GMO vs non-GMO

39:47 – Buying a 60-year-old small-town business: inventory, receivables & reality

55:35 – Employees, customer service, Amazon, and FedEx as a growth tool

1:07:55 – Using 401(k)s & life insurance to fund the farm and feed store

1:19:24 – "How can I?", Who Not How & closing thoughts on mindset

📘 Ready to learn Infinite Banking for yourself?

Grab Mary Jo's book and Nelson Nash's book, then schedule a time to talk:

🌐 Website: https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com

📧 Questions: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

🐄 Need custom feed or farm supplies from Erica?

🌐 Feed store & custom mixes: https://feedersgrain.com?utm_source=y...