Wealth Formula by Buck Joffrey

This week’s podcast will feature a highly requested replay of the webinar hosted by Rod Zabriewski on a concept we call the Wealth Accelerator.

Now, you’ve probably heard Investment Advisors say there’s no value in permanent life insurance, often suggesting: “buy term and invest the difference.” But why do they say that? Is it really in your best interest?

Well, not necessarily. The money used for these types of policies typically comes out of investment portfolios—portfolios that pay advisors based on assets under management. So, there’s a built-in conflict of interest. It’s the same reason they often steer you away from alternative investments.

But here’s the truth: Permanent life insurance designed as Life Insurance Retirement Plans (LIRPs) can provide tax-free retirement income and estate planning strategies. These are tools the wealthy have used for years to engineer and grow their wealth.

Rod breaks down exactly how this works, and I think you’ll find it both insightful and empowering. If you’d rather watch the webinar or access the slides, head over to WealthFormulaBanking.com.

Now, one group that I believe can particularly benefit from the Wealth Accelerator are doctors—people who, during residency, watched their peers jump into the workforce while they were stuck, earning little or nothing.

I talk to these folks every day. They’re earning well now, but many feel like they’re behind because of those lost years. The Wealth Accelerator could be exactly what they need to level the playing field and regain a sense of financial security. Of course, this applies to anyone who got a later start financially.

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Drawing on personal experiences and psychological concepts, Buck encourages listeners to adopt a growth mindset and overcome mental and financial obstacles to achieve their aspirations. He emphasizes that age should not be a barrier to personal growth and transformation.

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Buck and Zulfe discuss the ongoing challenges in the housing market, the implications of recent labor market data, and the current state of financial markets. They explore the historical context of housing shortages, the impact of regulatory hurdles, and the surprising strength of the labor market despite concerns about inflation. They also touch on investment strategies, including exposure to Bitcoin through ETFs, and the overall optimistic outlook for the stock market.

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You can disagree without being disagreeable—yeah right. Not these days!

We’re stuck in this tribal mentality, where it’s less about what you believe and more about toeing the line of your “team.” It’s as if we’ve traded rational, independent thought for this knee-jerk reaction of following whatever beliefs our group holds.

But here’s the thing: If we want to get back to having real, meaningful conversations, we’ve got to break out of this mindset.

Let me take you back to an example of what real debate used to look like: Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr. These two guys were as far apart politically as you can get. Vidal was the quintessential liberal intellectual, and Buckley, the conservative firebrand. 

Their debates in the late ‘60s were intense, and yeah, they got personal—at one point, Buckley called Vidal a “queer” on live television, and Vidal shot back with “crypto-Nazi.” Not exactly what we’d call polite conversation. But underneath all that heat, there was substance. They were engaging with real ideas. They weren’t just parroting talking points from their respective teams; they were thinking, challenging, and sharpening their viewpoints in the process.

Now, look at the political landscape today. It’s less about the exchange of ideas and more about shutting down the opposition. We’ve all seen it—whether it’s on Twitter, cable news, or even around the dinner table. People shout over each other, throw labels, and end up more entrenched in their beliefs than before. America is divided in a more violent way that it has been since the 1960s.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Take a cue from Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill. These two were on opposite sides of just about everything. Reagan was the conservative icon, and O’Neill, the liberal Speaker of the House. They fought tooth and nail during the day over policy, but when the work was done, they’d grab a drink together. 

They didn’t see each other as enemies. They saw each other as people who cared about the same things—just from different perspectives. Imagine that today! Even when they fiercely disagreed, they kept it about the issues, not about taking personal jabs or making it a win-lose situation.

The big takeaway from relationships like Reagan and O’Neill or Vidal and Buckley is this: They didn’t let their differences destroy their conversations—or their respect for one another. Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to do that. Today, it feels like the second someone hears an opinion that challenges their beliefs, they immediately go into attack mode. Why? Because we’re not listening to understand; we’re listening to respond.

When you actually listen to someone you disagree with, you’re not just doing them a favor—you’re doing yourself a favor. You’re growing. You’re sharpening your own beliefs. You’re gaining perspective. And believe me, this isn’t some fluffy feel-good idea—it’s a practical skill that will make you smarter, sharper, and more resilient in everything you do.

Look, I get it. It’s comfortable to stay in our echo chambers, where everyone agrees with us, and we don’t have to challenge our views. But that’s a fast track to intellectual stagnation. When you never engage with opposing viewpoints, you stop thinking for yourself. You end up just repeating what your group believes, instead of critically evaluating the ideas you hold. 

So, how do we start having these real conversations again? It starts with a mindset shift. First, we need to drop the notion that every conversation is a battle to be won. It’s not. In fact, the minute you go into a discussion with the mindset of “winning,” you’ve already lost the opportunity to learn something. 

Second, we need to be willing to ask ourselves hard questions. Am I holding this belief because I’ve thought it through? Or am I holding it because it’s what my tribe believes? There’s nothing wrong with questioning your own stance. In fact, it’s how you grow.

Let’s bring it back to basics: Independent thought. Listening to understand, not just respond. And most importantly, disagreeing without being disagreeable. If we can do this—if we can step away from the tribal mentality and start thinking for ourselves again—we’ll not only elevate the quality of our conversations, but we’ll also become better, more thoughtful people in the process.

Why do I bring this all up? Well, this week’s guest on Wealth Formula Podcast is a lot more liberal than me and, while I agreed with some of his ideas, others left me completely befuddled. But, rather then react violently, I did my best to try to learn his perspective as an expert on real estate policy and challenged him where I thought necessary.

09:50 What is the National Housing Conference?

12:21 Current Housing Market Challenges

15:49 The Impact of Rent Control and Price Fixing

22:01 First-Time Home Buyer Assistance Programs

28:24 Insurance Challenges in Real Estate

34:47 Strategies for Increasing Housing Supply

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Buck discusses the importance of understanding our emotional responses, particularly the interplay between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex in decision-making. Through various examples, including high-stakes situations and everyday interactions, Buck emphasizes the significance of self-regulation and the power of pausing before reacting. He offers practical advice on how to manage emotions effectively to foster better relationships and decision-making.

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Buck and Zulfe discuss the critical importance of due diligence in investment, using the infamous Madoff scandal as a case study. They explore the challenges of detecting fraud, the role of auditors, and the relative safety of real estate investments. They also talk about current market trends, economic indicators, and the impact of geopolitical tensions on the financial landscape.

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Due diligence is certainly something you do when making a big investment or buying a business. But it’s actually something that should apply to all areas of life—whether you’re signing a contract at work, getting involved in a new relationship, or even deciding which dating app bio seems like it won’t end in a true-crime documentary.

In the business world, due diligence means doing your homework before diving into any deal. It’s checking the financials, understanding the risks, and making sure everything is legit before you sign on the dotted line. Just like you wouldn’t buy a car without checking under the hood (unless you enjoy random roadside adventures), you shouldn’t make decisions at work or in business without getting the full picture.

The same goes for your personal life. That new person you just met? It’s worth making sure their story adds up. And let’s be honest, these days, doing a bit of digital “due diligence” (a.k.a. light social media stalking) is part of dating etiquette.

That said, even the most thorough due diligence can sometimes fall short. Just look at Bernie Madoff. This guy had years of audited financials and still managed to scam investors out of billions. It wasn’t because people weren’t doing their due diligence, but because Madoff was a master manipulator who played the long con. He reminds us that no matter how careful you are, sometimes bad actors can slip through the cracks. All we can do is to know that we did our best.

In some cases, that might even involve hiring a third party to dive even deeper. In this week’s episode of Wealth Formula Podcast, we will talk to someone who does that for a living. She provides lots of pearls for you to apply in you everyday life.

05:00 Introduction to OSINT and Its Importance

08:05 Understanding Open Source Intelligence Gathering

11:09 The Role of OSINT in Business

13:54 Digital Vulnerability and Reputation Management

17:04 Red Flag Analysis for Investments

19:54 Cost-Effectiveness of Due Diligence

22:59 The Value of Background Investigations

26:01 Conclusion and Contact Information

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Buck shares insights on how to focus on what truly matters, prioritize tasks, and implement strategies like time blocking and the two-minute rule to enhance productivity. Buck emphasizes the significance of a results-driven mindset and the need to eliminate distractions to achieve goals efficiently. He concludes with the idea that a proactive approach to time management can lead to greater success in both personal and professional endeavors.

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Buck and Zulfe discuss the recent Federal Reserve rate cuts, their implications for the economy, and how markets are reacting. They explore the rationale behind the Fed’s decisions, the expected trajectory of interest rates, and the potential impact on various asset classes, including stocks, gold, and Bitcoin. The conversation also highlights investment opportunities arising from the current economic landscape, particularly for those looking to refinance or invest in distressed assets.

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One of the rude awakenings I’ve had about the legal system in our country is that its not really about who is right or wrong. It’s about risk mitigation.

In my former life as a practicing surgeon, I saw this in the form of malpractice law suits. Experienced surgeons will tell you that if you have not had some complication during surgery in your career, you simply have not operated enough.

That’s why we have robust consent forms and processes making sure that patients are aware that complications are always possible and do occur.

I once had a complication in a procedure that was well known. In fact, the consent form specifically named this complication multiple times and even provided the incidence of this specific complication based on published studies.

Unfortunately, the patient decided to file a malpractice suit against me even though he recovered fine. Why not I guess? Lawyers will take up just about any case if there is a chance to make a buck.

I was appalled and thought for sure it would go away. But, as it turns out, my attorneys felt that it would be smart to have insurance settle the case rather than risk a bigger loss by going in front of a jury.

Since then, I have been in multiple business litigation matters. And again, its not about who’s right or wrong. It’s often about calculating how much it would cost to continue with lawyers rather then an evaluation of the merits of the case. 

Bottom line is, its not about who’s right or wrong. It’s about who’s got the money and who’s willing to spend it. 

That’s why the best defense against frivolous lawsuits is to turn yourself into a really ugly target. You want lawyers to look at you and realize that trying to get money from you is just not worth their time. 

And that, my friends, is the basis of asset protection. Sounds cynical I know. But that is the truth. So how do you turn yourself into a skunk that no one wants to get near?

That’s what this week’s show is all about. Doug Lodmell, my friend and asset protection attorney will tell you everything you need to know about asset protection in 30 minutes.

06:25 Introduction to Asset Protection

08:32 Understanding the Basics of Asset Protection

12:18 The Importance of LLCs in Asset Protection

16:25 Creating a Holding Company for Investments

20:11 Advanced Asset Protection Strategies

24:34 The Role of Asset Protection Trusts

28:16 Navigating Legal Challenges and Criminal Considerations

32:28 The Bridge Trust: A Hybrid Solution

Get a free consultation with Doug Lodmell:

www.lodmell.com

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