What if you could invest the exact same way Warren Buffett does without needing millions?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr breaks down how the ultra-wealthy use life settlements to generate competitive returns with no stock market risk. For decades, hedge funds, banks, and major institutions have quietly bought life insurance policies as assets… and now, for the first time, everyday investors can finally do the same.

Ben reveals how direct policy ownership works, what kind of returns are possible, how life expectancy reports guide the process, and why buying the actual asset (instead of a fraction of a fund) means even bigger upside. If you’ve ever wondered how to play the game the 1% plays, this episode shows you exactly how.

[00:00] – Why CDs and annuities leave investors frustrated long-term

[00:00:44] – How the market swings impact returns in ways you can’t control

[01:00] – Why the wealthy invest outside the market

[01:23] – How life settlements actually work

[01:40] – What an 82% return looks like inside a life settlement fund

[02:18] – The game-changer: direct policy ownership

[03:00] – How Warren Buffett buys policies and waits for payouts

[04:00] – Cutting out the middle layer and doubling potential returns

[05:14] – What servicing a direct policy looks like behind the scenes

[05:54] – Example #1: $150K policy you can buy for $60K

[06:29] – Life expectancy reports and what they reveal

[08:22] – Expected timelines and real-world maturity patterns

[08:51] – Example #2: $500K policy available for $130K

[10:31] – Even if someone lives twice as long as expected… still profitable

[11:34] – In nearly 3 decades, Ben has never seen a policyholder reach 100

[12:55] – Real case study: a 4.5-year maturity on a 9-year expectancy

[13:43] – How early maturities create 20%, 30%, even 40%+ APRs

[14:26] – Smaller vs. larger policies: what changes and why

[15:43] – How to start: $50K minimum for direct ownership

[17:00] – Why accredited investors can now “play Warren Buffett’s game”

• Life Expectancy Reports
• Previous Episode About Life Expectancy Reports
• Echo Life (Barry Neal’s company)
• AXA and Equitable (A-rated carrier)
• Universal Life Policies
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• Book a call to speak with Ben: https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-consult
• Watch our webinar (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/ben-mohr-56b45e
• Grab our ebook here (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-ebook
• 
  

Truly Diversified is an original podcast brought to you by Ben Mohr. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

Ben sits down once again with Barry Neal, CEO of Equity Life LLC, to break down real-life performance from this year’s life settlement maturities.

If you’ve ever wondered whether life settlements actually deliver competitive returns without stock market risk, this is the episode to listen to. Barry walks through four actual maturities from 2025, including one that doubled its life expectancy, one that paid out early, and a headline-making $3 million payout that delivered a 20 percent annualized return for investors.

It’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at how these portfolios behave across the full spectrum: the early wins, the on-time cases, the long-tail maturities, and what happens to reserves when policies mature ahead of schedule.

00:00 Why life settlements work even when the market is shaky

00:19 Ben reintroduces returning guest Barry Neal of Equity Life LLC

01:10 What EquiLife actually does and how investors buy policy fractions

01:28 Snapshot of this year: 4 maturities totaling over $5M paid out

03:34 Policy #1: Expected 3-year LE… matured at 6 years… still a 5–7% APR

09:49 Policy #2: Expected 8 years… matured in 6… about a 13% APR

12:20 Policy #3: Expected ~35 months… matured in 38 months… about a 10% APR

14:45 Policy #4: The big one… $3M payout… matured in under half the expected time

15:15 Why that early payout produced a 20% APR

17:03 Inside the 2023 round: previous maturity delivered ~33% APR

18:17 Why investors in that round already recovered 94% of their original principal

22:11 How reserve funds from early maturities boost returns & reduce premium-call risk

25:40 Why spreading your capital across multiple portfolios improves blended APR

28:40 The reality: longevity variance is rare across multiple policies

29:54 Final recap of the year’s returns and what investors can expect

• Equity Life LLC
• Life Asset LLC
• Life Advisor Solution (for agents)
• 
  

Barry Neal is the CEO of Equity Life LLC, a California-based life settlement investment firm focused on building diversified life settlement portfolios for everyday investors. With nearly a decade of performance history and multiple multi-million-dollar payouts, Barry’s approach centers on transparency, actuarial discipline, and providing investors with a way to earn competitive returns without stock market exposure.

🔗 LinkedIn

• Book a call to speak with Ben: https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-consult
• Watch our webinar (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/ben-mohr-56b45e
• Grab our ebook here (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-ebook
• 
  

Truly Diversified is an original podcast brought to you by Ben Mohr. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

How much of your portfolio should go into life settlements and other alternative investments?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr breaks down his simple and effective 70/20/10 rule for smart portfolio allocation. He explains why most investors are overexposed to the stock market, how to think differently about diversification, and where alternative assets like life settlements fit into the bigger picture.

You’ll learn how to balance market opportunities with predictable income streams, and how even 5–10% of your portfolio in life settlements can deliver competitive returns—without stock market risk or outside influences from politics, inflation, or global events.

[00:00] – The question every investor asks: “How much should I invest?”

[00:00:45] – Why alternatives make people nervous and why they shouldn’t

[00:01:21] – How traditional advisors make money through AUM fees

[00:02:00] – What “decent returns without stock market risk” really means

[00:03:49] – Why diversification inside the market isn’t true diversification

[00:04:54] – The 70/20/10 rule: market, safe money, and alternatives

[00:06:00] – What a safe money bucket looks like and the only annuity Ben recommends

[00:08:00] – Turning part of your IRA into a personal pension plan

[00:11:13] – Why safe money isn’t sexy but helps you sleep at night

[00:11:50] – The 10% alternative bucket: life settlements explained

[00:12:57] – Real payout examples: 10%, 12%, and 20% APRs from life settlements

[00:14:20] – Why Ben starts clients at just 5% and never takes more than 10% total

[00:16:00] – The key question: “Where is your worst-performing 10%?”

• Equity Life LLC payout case study (20% APR)
• Rule of 72 for compounding returns
• Fixed Indexed Annuity with Income Rider explanation

• Book a call to speak with Ben: https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-consult
• Watch our webinar (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/ben-mohr-56b45e
• Grab our ebook here (no opt-in): https://rebrand.ly/life-asset-ebook

Truly Diversified is an original podcast brought to you by Ben Mohr and Podcast Your Brand. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.