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
• 
  

• 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.

What really happens if everyone lives to 150 or if your insurance carrier suddenly disappears?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr takes on two of the most common (and misunderstood) questions he hears at investor dinners: longevity risk and carrier stability. Drawing on decades of experience in the life settlements industry, Ben explains why both fears are statistically unrealistic and how data, history, and logic prove it.

He walks listeners through real-world probabilities versus possibilities, how A-rated insurance carriers like New York Life are financially stronger than most major banks, and why the “what if” scenarios that worry new investors rarely play out in reality.

If you’ve ever wondered how life settlements really work behind the scenes, this episode clears the air. Press play now to hear Ben’s straightforward answers to the most common fears about life settlements and find out why probability, not possibility, drives real investment success.

[00:00] – What a life settlement is—and why Warren Buffett buys them

[00:02:30] – The dinner seminar that sparked this conversation

[00:03:50] – “What if everyone lives to 150?” The truth behind longevity risk

[00:05:20] – Why unhealthy policyholders change the math entirely

[00:07:00] – Understanding probabilities versus possibilities in investing

[00:10:00] – Real data: hundreds of policies, zero reaching age 100

[00:13:21] – The second big question: what if an insurance carrier fails?

[00:15:09] – How insurance companies make money (and why they’re so stable)

[00:16:40] – Why A-rated carriers like New York Life are worth more than big banks

[00:18:45] – If New York Life ever failed, your stock portfolio would already be crushed

[00:20:30] – Ben’s reassuring answer: what’s possible vs. what’s probable

• Life expectancy reports and medical underwriting
• New York Life
• U.S. Treasury bonds and corporate bond investments
• Historical data on insurance carrier stability
• 
  

• 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.

What if the “next big investment opportunity” in your feed is nothing more than a cleverly packaged scam?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr exposes the alarming rise of fake investment companies on social media and the shocking claims they’re making to attract unsuspecting investors. From “crypto funds” promising 7% a month to “40-year track records” built on someone’s dad’s real estate license, Ben breaks down exactly how to spot a scam before it costs you your retirement savings.

He also reveals what a real proven track record looks like, shares red flags every investor should watch for, and explains why life settlements remain one of the few alternative investments with verifiable results and transparency.

Press play now to hear Ben’s unfiltered breakdown of the biggest social media scams and learn how to protect your portfolio from frauds posing as “alternative investments.”

• California Guaranteed Health and Life Association Act
• U.S. Treasury Notes & FDIC-insured CDs

• 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.

Is investing in life settlements really “too good to be true”?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr tackles the #1 question skeptics ask: how is this even legal, and why haven’t I heard of it before? He breaks down exactly how life settlements work, why premiums drive policyholders to sell, and how average investors can now access a strategy once reserved for the ultra-wealthy.

Ben also explains the landmark Supreme Court ruling that makes it possible, the guardrails that protect investors, and why diversification across multiple policies is the real key to returns. If you’ve ever dismissed life settlements as a scam or myth, this episode will change how you see alternative investing forever.

Press play now to hear why life settlements aren’t “too good to be true” and how this overlooked strategy could change the way you think about investing.

• Supreme Court case Grigsby v. Russell (1911)
• Study by the London School of Business on life settlement returns
• Educational brochures, eBook, and webinar via Life Asset’s LinkTree
• 
  

• 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.

How do you really know if a life settlement is a solid investment… or a ticking time bomb?

In this episode of Truly Diversified, retirement strategist Ben Mohr pulls back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood parts of life settlements: life expectancy reports. These detailed medical reviews are the backbone of every policy purchase, yet most investors have no idea how they work or why they matter so much.

Ben walks you through the science, the screening, and the surprising insights that determine whether a policy makes the cut. If you’ve ever wondered how professionals forecast outcomes with such precision, this is the episode you cannot miss.

Listen now to avoid costly mistakes, gain insider knowledge, and discover the exclusive process the ultra-wealthy have relied on for decades but almost nobody talks about.

• Educational brochures, eBook, and webinar via Life Asset’s LinkTree

• 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.

In today's episode of The Truly Diversified Show, Ben is joined by Kimberly Ann Flynn, President of XA Investments, to discuss a timely and often misunderstood corner of the financial world: hedge funds.

You'll learn how hedge funds have evolved over the years, and why they are becoming more accessible to a wider range of investors. Hear about a foundational understanding of their purpose, providing potential for higher returns while managing risk, as well as how they fit into the broader spectrum of alternative investments.

Ben and Kimberly also explore recent regulatory changes that could open the door for average investors to access strategies that were once reserved for large institutions. This shift in the retirement planning landscape leads to a vital question: is giving more people access a positive step toward true diversification, or does it introduce unnecessary risk? Learn the potential benefits against the criticisms, as well as how these new opportunities might impact 401(k)s, long-term savings, and retirement planning strategies in the years ahead.

With practical insights from Kimberly’s work at XA Investments, this episode provides a clearer picture of how these strategies could fit into your own financial journey, as well as the mindset shifts required to approach them wisely.

Want to know if hedge funds deserve a spot in your portfolio? Tune in for a clear look at the risks and rewards. If you've enjoyed this episode of The Truly Diversified Show, be sure to leave a review and subscribe today!

Enjoy!

Key takeaways:

• The various strategies used by hedge funds, including equity and credit-focused hedge funds, which aim to deliver more return with less risk.

• How the SEC and the Trump administration have made it easier for Americans to invest in private equity and other alternatives through retirement accounts.

• The need for the industry to invest in technology to incorporate alternative investments into 401(k) plans.

• The importance of financial advisors, wealth managers, and tax planners in guiding investors through complex financial products.

• And much more...

Guest Bio:

Kimberly Ann Flynn is President and Partner at XA Investments, where she leads product and business development, overseeing the firm’s proprietary fund platform and consulting practice. A recognized expert in closed-end fund product development, she frequently speaks at industry events and contributes to media on topics including interval funds and alternative investments. Previously, she was Senior Vice President and Head of Product Development for Nuveen Investments’ Global Structured Products Group, where she launched over 40 closed-end funds and helped raise \$13 billion in capital. Kim began her career in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division before earning her MBA from Harvard Business School as a William J. Carey scholar. She holds the CFA designation and is active in several professional and nonprofit leadership roles.

Resources:

Kimberly's LinkedIn

XA Investments

Life Asset, LLC

Disclaimer:

The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Truly Diversified Show or its affiliates. The content provided is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Listeners should consult with a professional for specific advice tailored to their situation. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that any reliance on the content is at your own risk.