Nelson Nash developed the idea of infinite banking in the 1980s. Nash was an expert in finance and an adherent of the Austrian school of economics, which contends that conventional economic principles like supply and demand do not always determine the value of things.

Instead, people place varied values on money and products depending on their financial situation and requirements. Nash came up with the concept of people acting as their own bankers to better attain their own special, particular financial goals as a result of this approach.

High loan interest rates were one of traditional banking’s drawbacks, in Nash’s opinion. Too many people, including himself, had financial difficulties as a result of their reliance on banking institutions. Individuals lacked control over their own money as long as banks determined lending terms and interest rates.

Nash came to the conclusion that you could take control of your financial future by being your own banker. However, you require a bank of your own in order for Infinite Banking to function.

Infinite Banking is not a quick-money program. In its most basic form, infinite banking is the ability to manage your money, plug any holes in your personal economy where money is lost, and use that money to increase your assets.

The best financial instrument you’ll ever find for the goal-oriented individual, Infinite Banking requires you to be responsible for your financial destiny. The following are some advantages of limitless banking:

Liquidity

Your cash flow is perhaps Infinite Banking’s most advantageous feature overall. You don’t need to go through the hassles of a regular bank; all you need to do is ask your insurer for a policy loan, and money will be made accessible to you. Compared to other assets like real estate, stocks, bonds, or qualifying plans like your 401(k) or IRA, whole life insurance is a very liquid investment.

Whole life insurance acts as your emergency savings because it is liquid, which can be a vital component of your financial foundation. Policy loans provide assurance whether you encounter unexpected medical expenses, a job loss, or expensive home repairs. You may even utilize your insurance coverage to make a payment to yourself.

We at recommend using whole life insurance as a savings vehicle before considering other investment options like real estate or the stock market. 

Control

Whole life insurance that pays dividends is extremely low risk and gives you, the policyholder, a lot of control. The two categories of control that Infinite Banking provides—tax benefits and asset protections—are the greatest places to start. Tax Benefits Whole life insurance is perfect for Infinite Banking due in part to the way it is taxed. The death benefit of a whole life insurance policy is tax-free to your beneficiary and frequently exempt from estate taxes, in addition to tax-free policy loans and tax-free growth of interest and dividends inside your whole life insurance policy. Protection of Assets You and your insurance provider enter into a private agreement when you utilize whole life insurance for Infinite Banking. This confidentiality provides some asset protections.

Protection Against Volatility

Whole life insurance policies are assets that are not connected. This explains why they function so well as Infinite Banking’s monetary base. Your insurance coverage keeps its value no matter what occurs in the market (stock, real estate, or otherwise).

Too many people divide their money among bank accounts and investments rather than using this crucial volatility buffer that helps safeguard and develop wealth. While money in a bank account is safe, there is a relatively low rate of return, which is the issue with this strategy.

Market-based investments increase wealth much more quickly but are fundamentally risky due to their exposure to market changes. What if there was a third bucket that provided security together with a guarantee of modest returns? That third category includes whole life insurance.

No matter how well-diversified you believe your portfolio to be, an investment based on the market is still an investment based on the market. Your worth might not decline, but your returns might. Your returns are assured with Infinite Banking using properly structured whole life insurance, and your cash worth won’t drop.

Certainty

Your whole life insurance policy’s death benefit and premium payments, in addition to the rate of return, are guaranteed. Another reason why correctly organized whole life insurance is the best tool for Infinite Banking is because of these certainties.

Think about additional assets, such as those related to your 401(k) or IRA. Should you pass away with money still in one of these eligible plans, it will be taxed before it is distributed to your beneficiary. Although you can be sure your beneficiary will receive something, you can’t be sure how much because of potential tax rates. There are different kinds of permanent life insurance, but the premium for whole life insurance will be the same for the whole term of the policy. You can be sure that as you become older, your premium won’t go up. When it comes to establishing and accomplishing your financial objectives, this is priceless.

Cash Flow

Many people rely on Infinite Banking to help them retire tax-free. You don’t have to worry about your future tax rate like you would with a 401(k) because insurance policies are purchased using after-tax money. You don’t have to pay taxes on the growth of your cash value as long as you make use of your whole life insurance policy’s policy loan option. Simply use policy loans to support your retirement, and when you pass away, your insurance provider will take the outstanding loan amount from your death benefit.

Running out of money in retirement is a very real and legitimate issue for millions of Americans, especially if your retirement assets are linked to market-based investments. Because your cash flow won’t be at risk if the market has a downturn, Infinite Banking with properly designed whole life insurance will ensure you won’t run out of money in retirement. Due of this, some people choose to completely stop contributing to qualifying retirement plans like 401(k)s and IRAs in favor of using the Infinite Banking technique.

Legacy

The death benefit from whole life insurance is tax-free and typically exempt from estate taxes, making it a tried-and-true strategy for creating generational wealth.

Using Infinite Banking within an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust may be an option for big estates where federal or state estate taxes may apply (ILIT). Even the largest estates may qualify for tax benefits by designating the trust as the policyholder on your whole life insurance policies, considerably increasing the wealth passed on to succeeding generations.

Yes. The philosophy underpinning Infinite Banking—using dividend-paying whole life insurance as your own private bank to increase and safeguard wealth—is one that has been tried and tested over many generations by families. The advantages of any financial tool depend primarily on how it is applied, and success is determined by well defined goals.

It is advised to combine dividend-paying whole life insurance with an add-on policy known as a Paid-Up Additions rider for the fastest growth and greatest rewards (PUAR).

Your insurance policy can be “overfunded” with a PUAR up to the point where it becomes a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC). Using a PUAR allows you to quickly enhance your cash value (and death benefit), which strengthens the position of your “bank.” Additionally, the insurance provider will pay you more in interest and dividends the more cash value you have. These dividends can then be reinvested to buy more Paid-Up Additions.

Your entire life insurance policy’s potential is increased throughout the course of your lifetime by front loading it with a PUAR.

Policies for whole life insurance have a cash surrender value, also called cash value. Your policy’s cash value is the amount of your death benefit that the insurance company is transferring to you as cash.

The cash value is what the insurance company usually pays you if you decide to terminate your coverage while you’re still alive. On the other hand, as long as your insurance payments are paid, you can use the cash worth of your policy as collateral for both personal and business loans.

Whole life insurance, in contrast to term life insurance, provides benefits to the policyholder while they are still alive as well as financial support to your beneficiary following your death.

Both participating and non-participating whole life insurance are available. The primary distinction between the two is that participating whole life insurance policies let you share in or receive dividends from the insurance company’s profits. With non-participating policies, the insurance provider does not pay profits or allow you to participate.

Every time the insurance provider pays dividends, your cash worth grows if you utilize a participating whole life insurance policy for Infinite Banking. Additionally, it grows when you pay insurance premiums and earns a fixed interest rate.

Your “bank” essentially consists of a part of premiums paid (your money) plus guaranteed interest received plus prospective dividends (money from your insurance company).

Your dividend-paying whole life insurance policy serves as a safe haven for your funds, allowing them to grow tax-free and at a better rate of return than standard bank accounts that offer meager yield.

Your whole life insurance policy’s cash value is available at any moment for any purpose, including home purchases, education costs, other investment opportunities, startup money, unexpected bills, you name it. However, it’s ideal to use your cash value as a policy loan rather than a withdrawal in order to fully capitalize on the Infinite Banking concept. When you use the whole life insurance policy’s policy loan function, your cash value keeps increasing despite the borrowing. You can still earn interest and possibly profits on every dollar you borrow. You, not a bank, recoup the interest when you repay your insurance loan. This is the foundation of the idea of infinite banking; as your money increases.

Whole life insurance is NOT infinite banking. But when you, the banker, use properly organized whole life insurance as your bank, the Infinite Banking principle functions best.

In the 1980s, using whole life insurance as a financial tool to increase wealth wasn’t a novel idea. Business tycoons like John Rockefeller used whole life insurance to make their riches and then used their insurance policies to pass on wealth that has lasted for generations. To assist pay for company expenses and obtain advantageous tax benefits, many corporations maintain millions of dollars in whole life insurance. Whole life insurance is used by banks as Tier 1 assets.

In fact, the Wharton School in Pennsylvania offered a college course on whole life insurance. The course work? How to use the cash value of insurance policies to finance financial goals including paying off debt, buying real estate, starting a business, and more.

By the time Nash developed the Infinite Banking Concept®, employing policy loans as a bank substitute and a means of privatizing family wealth wasn’t a novel concept. Nash’s method of promoting the idea to his clients and giving a modern twist to a long-standing tactic was to call it “Infinite Banking.”