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Ep 20 — Unlock Financial Freedom by Thinking Like a Banker | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 4)

Bankless by Design

Release Date: 12/18/2025

EP 25 - The Grocery Store Example - Part II: The Back Door Mistake | BYOB Series #9 show art EP 25 - The Grocery Store Example - Part II: The Back Door Mistake | BYOB Series #9

Bankless by Design

Tricia and Jonathan continue the Becoming Your Own Banker series with the second half of Nelson Nash’s Grocery Store example (5th edition, page 16). They unpack the “back door” problem — why taking from your own system without paying it back is a quiet form of self-sabotage — and how scrupulous honesty, long-term thinking, and disciplined repayment are essential to building a thriving family banking system. They also discuss the IRS as a “silent partner” in business and why Nash challenges the usual “friends and family discount” mindset.         ...

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EP 24 - The Grocery Store Example – Part I: It’s Not the Rate  | BYOB Series #8 show art EP 24 - The Grocery Store Example – Part I: It’s Not the Rate | BYOB Series #8

Bankless by Design

If you understand the grocery store example, the rest of Infinite Banking gets easy. In Part I of the Grocery Store Example from Becoming Your Own Banker, we break down why Infinite Banking isn’t about the rate of return—it’s about turning inventory, velocity of money, and running your policy like a business. Using Nelson Nash’s famous can-of-peas analogy, we explore how small margins become powerful when money keeps moving—and why most people miss this entirely. This is foundational thinking. Part II continues the lesson next week. 👉 Learn more or get started at   ...

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EP 23 - Why Infinite Banking Requires Imagination — Not Just Math  | BYOB Series #7 show art EP 23 - Why Infinite Banking Requires Imagination — Not Just Math | BYOB Series #7

Bankless by Design

Infinite Banking is often explained as a math strategy — but Nelson Nash began somewhere else entirely. In this episode of Bankless by Design, Tricia Miller and her son Jonathan explore why imagination is essential to understanding the Infinite Banking Concept, and why logic and calculation alone aren’t enough. Using the story of Carl Gauss, reflections from Becoming Your Own Banker, and real-life insight into how discovery actually works, this conversation unpacks what it means to recognize fixed relationships — not invent new rules. If you’ve ever felt confused by Nelson’s stories,...

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Ep 22 — Do You Have to Be Wealthy to Become Your Own Banker? | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 6) show art Ep 22 — Do You Have to Be Wealthy to Become Your Own Banker? | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 6)

Bankless by Design

Do you have to be wealthy to become your own banker? That question stops more people than almost anything else. In this episode of the Becoming Your Own Banker series, Tricia walks through the true origin of the Infinite Banking Concept — and it didn’t begin with wealth, comfort, or a perfectly organized financial life. It was born in crisis. By tracing Nelson Nash’s journey, you’ll discover why the real breakthrough wasn’t earning more money, but revising the spending pattern and redirecting cash flow through a system you control. If you’ve ever wondered: “How can I afford...

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Ep 21 — Who Really Controls the Money? | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 5) show art Ep 21 — Who Really Controls the Money? | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 5)

Bankless by Design

Who really controls the money? In Episode 21 of the Becoming Your Own Banker series, we take a 30,000-foot view of money, banking, and control. Nelson Nash teaches that there is one pool of money in the world — constantly flowing through individuals, families, businesses, and banks — and the banking business exists to control that flow. Most people never stop to ask how much of the banking function they actually control as it relates to their own needs. In this episode, we explore cash flow, the illusion of control, and why money always finds its way back to the banking system unless...

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Ep 20 — Unlock Financial Freedom by Thinking Like a Banker | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 4) show art Ep 20 — Unlock Financial Freedom by Thinking Like a Banker | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 4)

Bankless by Design

       Get In Touch:  Learn More:      Disclaimer: All content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The content shared is not intended to be a substitute for consultation with the appropriate professional. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Tricia Miller, unless otherwise specifically cited. The data that is presented is believed to be from reliable sources, and no representations are made by Tricia Miller, Thrivewell, and Bankless By Design as to another party’s informational...

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Ep 19 — What Infinite Banking Really Is | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 3) show art Ep 19 — What Infinite Banking Really Is | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 3)

Bankless by Design

Most people hear about the Infinite Banking Concept™ and jump straight to the policies, the numbers, or the rate of return… but that’s not where the concept begins. In fact, the most important part of Becoming Your Own Banker is the chapter almost everyone skips: the Introduction. In this episode, Tricia Miller and her son Jonathan walk line-by-line through the introduction of Nelson Nash’s classic book so you can finally understand what Infinite Banking really is, what it is not, and why many people misunderstand it. If you’re trying to get clarity on IBC, whole life insurance, or...

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Ep. 18 — Rethinking 401(k)s, Taxes, and Locked-Up Wealth | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 2) show art Ep. 18 — Rethinking 401(k)s, Taxes, and Locked-Up Wealth | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 2)

Bankless by Design

In today’s episode, Jonathan and I unpack one of the most important — and rarely questioned — financial topics: Are 401(k)s and other tax-qualified plans actually helping you, or holding you back? Using page 85 of Becoming Your Own Banker, we explore: Why tax-qualified plans were created The hidden trade-offs behind “tax breaks” How inflation and taxation impact long-term savings The dangers of having your money locked up until age 59½ Why you bear 100% of the risk while the government shares the reward What happens when you need liquidity but your dollars are...

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Ep. 17 – Rethinking Money to Live Intentionally as a Family | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 1) show art Ep. 17 – Rethinking Money to Live Intentionally as a Family | Becoming Your Own Banker Series (Ep 1)

Bankless by Design

In this opening episode of our Becoming Your Own Banker series, Jonathan and I explore what it means to rethink money in a world where most families feel trapped in the rat race. We talk through the first “Points to Consider” from page 85 of Nelson Nash’s book and discuss: The difference between people at work and money at work Why most modern families feel overwhelmed and financially stretched How inflation, the cost of living, and cultural expectations shape our financial choices What passive income really is (and isn’t) How a dividend-paying whole life policy becomes the...

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Ep. 16 - Meet Jonathan: A Gen Z Look at Money, Family Banking & Becoming Your Own Banker show art Ep. 16 - Meet Jonathan: A Gen Z Look at Money, Family Banking & Becoming Your Own Banker

Bankless by Design

In this special episode, I sit down with my youngest son, Jonathan Miller, for an honest conversation about money, growing up as the youngest of seven, and how his understanding of money has changed over the years. Jonathan shares: What money felt like from a youngest-child perspective How our family's financial challenges shaped his early beliefs Why he decided to start his own Infinite Banking System The story behind his Lego side hustle and entrepreneurial spark His hopes for the future, what he’s learning, and what he wants other young people to know This episode is your...

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More Episodes

Banks don’t chase returns — they control the flow of money.
What if you did the same?

In this episode of Bankless by Design, Tricia Miller and her son Jonathan continue the Becoming Your Own Banker® series by walking through the second half of the book’s introduction. Together, they dismantle some of the most common misunderstandings about Infinite Banking — and reveal why thinking like a banker, is the real key to long-term financial freedom.

You’ll learn:
✔️ Why Infinite Banking is not an investment
✔️ Why focusing on rates of return misses the point
✔️ How banks actually make money — especially in low-interest environments
✔️ Why Infinite Banking is a process, not a get-rich-quick scheme
✔️ How dividend-paying whole life insurance functions as a personal banking system
✔️ Why long-range, intergenerational thinking matters more than short-term gains

This episode is especially important if you’ve ever asked:

  • “What’s the rate of return on an IBC policy?”

  • “Is Infinite Banking basically a pension or retirement plan?”

  • “Why do banks thrive even when interest rates are low?”

If you’re ready to stop swimming upstream in the traditional financial system and start reclaiming control of your capital, this conversation will challenge — and change — the way you think about money.

📘 Referenced Book: Becoming Your Own Banker by R. Nelson Nash
🎙️ Series: Becoming Your Own Banker® (Episode 4)

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Disclaimer: All content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The content shared is not intended to be a substitute for consultation with the appropriate professional. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Tricia Miller, unless otherwise specifically cited. The data that is presented is believed to be from reliable sources, and no representations are made by Tricia Miller, Thrivewell, and Bankless By Design as to another party’s informational accuracy or completeness. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with your Adviser, Financial Planner, Tax Consultant, Attorney, Investment Adviser or the appropriate professional prior to taking any action.