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Farming Without the Bank Podcast

Farming Without the Bank Podcast

By: Mary Jo Irmen
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Welcome to the Farming Without the Bank podcast, the show with a no-B.S. approach to money, hosted by a farm strategy expert and authorized IBC practitioner. Join us as we get real and expose the flaws of traditional financial institutions in order to help farmers take control of their finances, create peace of mind, grow their wealth, and leave a legacy. https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/ Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Universal Life Policies Are Collapsing | Here's Why (Ep. 341)
    Feb 13 2026

    🚨 Universal Life Insurance EXPOSED 🚨

    Is Universal Life, Indexed Universal Life, or Variable Universal Life really the powerful wealth tool it's marketed to be? In this episode of the Farming Without the Bank podcast, Mary Jo dives deep into why universal life policies often fail, drawing directly from Nelson Nash's Warehouse of Wealth and decades of real-world experience.

    👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: / @maryjoirmen

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

    If you've ever been pitched an IUL with "great returns" and "no downside," this episode is a must-watch before you sign anything.

    Universal Life was designed as a "better mousetrap," but history shows a very different outcome. From rising costs of insurance to disappearing guarantees, Mary Jo breaks down why most UL, VUL, and IUL policies eventually collapse—often right when people need them most.

    Using Nelson Nash's insights and Todd Langford's Truth Concepts analysis, this episode explains how risk is shifted from the insurance company to you, the policyholder.

    🔑 Key Takeaways

    Why Universal Life policies often lapse between ages 60–80
    How non-guaranteed costs and mortality charges destroy cash value
    The "double pain" effect during market downturns
    Why caps, participation rates, and missing dividends matter
    How UL shifts risk from the insurer to the insured
    Why Whole Life offers liquidity, control, and guarantees

    ⏱️ Chapters

    00:00 – Why Universal Life Looks Good (At First)
    02:12 – The History of Universal Life Insurance
    05:35 – The Side Fund & Why It Falls Apart
    08:20 – Double Pain: Market Losses Explained
    11:11 – Caps, Participation Rates & Missing Dividends
    14:29 – Guarantees Can Change (And Disappear)
    18:36 – Why Whole Life Wins Long-Term

    📚 Resources Mentioned

    Warehouse of Wealth – Nelson Nash

    Truth Concepts Calculators – https://truthconcepts.com

    The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism – John Bogle

    Pirates of Manhattan I & II – Barry James Dyke

    Farming Without the Bank: https://farmingwithoutthebank.com

    📩 Ready to Learn More?

    📧 Email questions to: maryjo@withoutthebank.com

    📖 Read the book before scheduling an appointment
    📅 Let's see if Infinite Banking is right for you

    👉 Subscribe and share this episode with anyone considering an IUL or Universal Life policy.

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    23 mins
  • Insurance Premiums Are Destroying Farms—Here's What Actually Works (Ep. 340 )
    Feb 6 2026

    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

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    16 mins
  • Nobody's Coming to Save You Financially (Ep. 339)
    Jan 30 2026

    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

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    27 mins
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