Infinite Banking Concept | The Definitive Guide (2024)

Secondly, it should be participating whole life insurance, meaning that you want it to pay regular dividends that will help your cash value to grow faster and/or you can use the dividends to pay a part of your insurance premium.

Thirdly, it is advisable to use a life insurance policy from a mutual company. That means that policy holders become company owners. For example, Equitable Life, as a Canadian mutual company, has paid dividends constantly since 1936 without a single year interruption.

Fourth, you want to determine the right size of a whole life insurance policy (coverage amount, etc.) based on your needs and on resulting life insurance premiums. That involves an understanding of the maximum amount that you are able to contribute to a life insurance policy on a regular basis.

We recommend working with an experienced life insurance broker who understands the concept of infinite banking and has extensive experience with Canadian mutual life insurance companies and their whole life products.

Expert tip from Steve Meldrum

Infinite Banking Concept | The Definitive Guide (1)

“Watch out for taxable policy loans. In Canada, there is the concept of ACB (Adjusted Costs Basis). The ACB diminishes over the lifespan of the policy due to various factors. As you take out policy loans, you accelerate grinding down the ACB dollar for dollar. After the ACB hits zero, policy loans become taxable. Those policy gains are 100% taxable as income. Do not get fooled by a free lunch in Canada. The US does not have the concept of ACB, so taking out policy loans there does not trigger tax the same way.”

More from Steve Meldrun

Infinite Banking Concept | The Definitive Guide (2024)

FAQs

Is the infinite banking concept legit? ›

KEY POINTS. Infinite banking is not a scam. There are insurance agents who do not properly educate their clients on how to use it. There are multiple success stories of people leveraging infinite banking to generate substantial gains and wealth.

What is the infinite banking concept simplified? ›

Infinite banking is the practice of overfunding a permanent life insurance policy so you can borrow against its cash value. It's an alternative to taking out a traditional loan as a funding source.

How do I maximize my infinite banking? ›

The infinite banking concept can indeed work quite well assuming the following:
  1. Your Whole Life policy is optimally designed with certain riders.
  2. You max-fund your policy as early and often as is allowable.
  3. You make regular loan payments as often as you can.
  4. You seek to utilize your best loan option available.

How much money do you need for infinite banking? ›

You'll need to contribute a hefty sum of money to your policy's cash value for infinite banking to work. You do this by overfunding your policy — paying more than your required premiums. It's common to allocate around 10% of your income to the policy every month, which may not be within your budget.

What are the downsides of infinite banking? ›

The Cons of Infinite Banking

The premiums for these policies are generally much higher than those for term life insurance. Additionally, the fees and commissions can eat into the cash value, reducing the overall returns.

What does Dave Ramsey think of infinite banking? ›

Dave Ramsey thinks that Infinite Banking is a Scam!

Did the Rockefellers use infinite banking? ›

The Rockefeller Family bank

This concept is similar to the Infinite Banking strategy. The Rockefellers, one of America's wealthiest families, are often cited as having used this strategy, although detailed specifics about their financial strategies aren't public knowledge.

Do banks buy whole life insurance? ›

Banks are the beneficiary and also usually the owner of the policy upon the death of the employee. Banks store and grow their capital using Permanent or Whole Life Insurance, and they own a LOT of it!

How much would a whole life insurance policy cost? ›

Rates vary based on health and most individuals who are considered healthy are rated as standard by most life insurance companies. In sample quotes our team pulled, a 45-year-old female might pay about $201 per month for a $100,000 whole life policy, while a 45-year-old male might pay about $215 for the same policy.

What is the problem with infinite banking concept in life insurance? ›

Long-term commitment: Infinite banking is a long-term strategy that requires consistent premium payments over many years to build the cash value in the policy. This long-term commitment may not be suitable for individuals with short-term financial goals or those who cannot maintain consistent premium payments.

What bank would a billionaire use? ›

J.P. Morgan Private Bank is the more elite program serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals,” Naghibi said. “It offers comprehensive services in savings, checking and retirement account management.

Who created infinite banking concept? ›

Infinite banking refers to a process by which an individual becomes his or her own banker. The infinite banking concept was created by Nelson Nash.

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