Windfall Alert: What Farmers Miss Every Single Year (Ep. 338)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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...
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Corporations Don’t Pay Taxes — You Do. Here’s How. (Ep. 337)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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....
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Your Biggest Problem Isn’t What You Think It Is (Ep. 336)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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: 👉 Get the book: 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...
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Commodity Prices Trap Farmers In Debt (Ep. 335)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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: 👉 Get the book: 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...
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Banks Don't Want You Knowing This About Investments (Ep. 334)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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: Get the book: 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...
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Tiny Town, Huge Risk: What Buying a 60-Year-Old Business Really Takes (Ep. 333)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
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: 👉 Get the 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...
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Parents Need to Teach This—Not Schools (Ep. 332)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Is your 401(k) really a “benefit”… or did you just get dropped into the government’s boiling pot without noticing? 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: In this episode, Mary Jo continues breaking down Nelson's book Building Your Warehouse of Wealth (Chapter 4) and why he called tax-qualified retirement plans a scam, how government “help” actually means control, and why cash flow + financial education beat blind 401(k) contributions every time. What we cover in this episode: We walk through the history of pensions, 401(k)s, IRAs and Social Security, and how...
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Change Your Financial Future Now! (Ep. 331)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Controlling the Banking Function in Your Life to Change Your Finacial Future! You might be saving 10% of your income… but quietly sending 34.5% of every disposable dollar to banks in interest. In this episode, Mary Jo breaks down Chapter 3 of Building Your Warehouse of Wealth and shows why how money flows is more important than the rate of return you’re chasing. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: Using Nelson Nash’s “All-American Family,” we walk through where your money actually goes, why banks always win under the current system, and how using...
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Why Life Insurance Might Be Your Secret Asset! (Ep. 330)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Banks classify your life insurance as an asset, so why do so many people treat it like an expense? In this episode, we break down how dividend-paying whole life can be your warehouse of wealth without feeding inflation like the banking system does. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: Chapter 1 of Building Your Warehouse of Wealth (Nelson Nash) hits hard: government programs, fractional reserve banking, and how we’ve become “part of the problem” by chasing cheap loans and rates of return. We contrast banks (who lend money that doesn’t exist) with...
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Stop Waiting for Inheritance; Start Farming Now (Ep. 329)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Are you waiting on an inheritance, a government program, or the bank to finally let you farm “for real”? In this episode, Mary Jo shows how that thinking is exactly what’s holding you back, and how Nelson Nash warned us about it years ago. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: In Episode 329, Mary Jo dives into Nelson Nash’s second book, “Building Your Warehouse of Wealth,” and unpacks why how you think about money, wealth, and government programs determines everything about your financial future. From government “police actions” to farm programs and...
info_outlineAre you paying tens of thousands for “help” that just sends you back to the bank—without cash flow, without clarity, and without confidence? Mary Jo gets loud (for good reason) to protect the underdog in agriculture.
👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryJoIrmen?sub_confirmation=1
👉 Get the book:
https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/book/
In this episode, Mary Jo calls out predatory consulting in ag, breaks down why cash flow beats fancy paperwork, and shows how real Infinite Banking is done—ethically, transparently, and with education.
From breaking out your enterprises to negotiating with banks and choosing the right rooms for growth, this is a wake-up call for producers tired of being taken advantage of.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re paying big fees and still can’t read your P&L or balance sheet, you’re being shortchanged.
- Break out every enterprise (cattle, custom work, farming, trucking) to see what actually makes money.
- Cash flow first. Don’t go back to the bank without a plan that funds itself.
- Watch your operating note rate, many should be ≤ ~8.5%; push back on 9–10%+ and refinance where possible.
- Infinite Banking is not just any life policy; it requires expertise, proper design, and ongoing education.
- Choose rooms where you’re the smallest producer—learn up, don’t level off.
- Nice folks get exploited; learn to advocate for yourself (or bring someone who will).
Chapters
00:00 Predatory “help” & farmers getting gouged
00:41 Why I’m loud: passion for the underdog
01:06 If nobody steps up, who will?
02:14 Protecting people others pick on
03:07 The bankruptcy case: big fees, no clarity
05:06 Cash flow ideas are more important then bank optics
06:21 How I get paid (and how I treat clients)
08:23 Beyond IBC: business, margins & marketing
09:08 CO₂ pipeline fight & standing up for landowners
10:15 Titles don’t impress me—results do
11:19 Bad programs & picking the right room
13:35 Life insurance rant: IBC done right only
15:12 Clips vs context: why I sound “loud”
16:07 Personal responsibility & due diligence
16:58 Rates & banks: stop overpaying
18:22 Don’t let “being nice” cost you
20:07 Confidence, advocacy & protection mode
21:20 Vet people; watch outcomes, not talk
22:09 Don’t pay to re-enter a broken system
23:02 Helping create cash flow (no policy needed)
(Timestamps are from the video version. Audio-only edits are always shorter since they have had more fluff removed, so the timestamps are not accurate to this version.)
If this hit home, drop a comment with your situation, like & subscribe, and share this with a producer who needs backup.
When you’re ready, we’ll help you build cash flow and learn IBC the right way.
Links Mentioned:
Website:
https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com
Book:
https://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/book/
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