Every year during tax season, Americans turn to CPAs and financial advisors with hope in their eyes and a folder full of documents. They’re looking for guidance, clarity, and maybe even a refund. But here’s the one thing they’re not expecting to find: a financial advisor or CPA who’s still working long hours at age 63 and has no clear plan to retire.
And certainly not tax-free.
I say this with full respect—and from experience. I spent about 15 years as a financial advisor and Investment Advisor Representative (IAR), and not just for everyday clients. I was also the financial advisor for several CPAs. I’ve sat across the kitchen table from hundreds of hardworking Americans, helping them save and invest, including licensed tax professionals. And here’s what most people don’t realize:
Most Americans assume their tax pro or financial advisor is on track for an early, tax-free retirement.
But that’s far from the truth.
I’m not here to criticize the professionals doing their best in a complex system. I’m writing this because I want to help them. I want the overworked CPA, the stressed-out financial advisor, the one cranking out returns and rebalancing portfolios, to know there’s hope and a better way. And no, you don’t need to be a billionaire to use it.
The Problem Behind the Desk
Let’s be honest: CPAs are trained to defer, not eliminate, taxes. Advisors are taught to help clients accumulate money in tax-deferred accounts and hope they’ll be in a lower tax bracket later. The system rewards conformity, not creativity. And as Ted Benna, the creator of the 401(k), eventually admitted—it also generates a lot of fees for Wall Street.
So how many CPAs or advisors do you know who’ve actually retired early? Is your financial advisor showing you their own investment statements and how they’re on track to retire? Or is this just the blind leading the blind?
The system is designed to convince us it’s normal to work hard, pay taxes forever, and fund a retirement account so you can maybe retire someday, keep paying taxes until the grave, and pass on that same advice to your heirs.
I’ve taken a deep dive into this system. I know the model. Sell 401(k)s. Set up IRAs. Build a diversified portfolio of mutual funds. It’s safe. It’s easy to explain. But it often leads clients—and the advisors themselves—into a lifetime of paying more taxes.
And no, you’re not saving money by adding more to a retirement account. That’s tax deferral. Even worse, distributions from your tax-deferred accounts can trigger taxes on your Social Security benefits. The wealthy don’t defer taxes. They eliminate them legally, using well-established IRS codes.
Years ago, I discovered there’s a better way. A strategy the ultra-wealthy have used for decades but somehow is never taught in finance school or tax prep courses.
It’s called Buy, Borrow, Die.
And not only do I write about it in Be Smart Pay Zero Taxes, but I also show how ordinary Americans can use it too.
The Strategy That Changes Everything
Here’s how it works:
Buy appreciating assets.
Borrow against them.
Never sell.
Then pass them on tax-free.
Simple, right?
It sounds too good to be true—until you realize that billionaires have been doing this for decades. Loans aren’t income. They’re tax-free. And if your return on assets exceeds your cost of borrowing, you win. Repeatedly.
I’m a former construction worker and college dropout. I’ve done roofing, built chimneys and fireplaces, worked in factories, and stood night shifts as a security guard. So, I made it my mission to teach this strategy to everyday, working-class Americans.
Yes, I also help HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet). I help the wealthy grow wealthier. But my real passion is leveling the playing field, so everyone gets a fighting chance to win the game.
Here’s the truth: anyone at any income level can use Buy, Borrow, Die to build generational wealth.
This is the core of the strategy I teach in Be Smart Pay Zero Taxes. I didn’t write the book to shame the industry. I wrote it because I saw good people trapped in a system that was never designed to help them escape.
We all followed the same playbook: work hard, save more, defer taxes, and hope we don’t run out of money—or die too soon to enjoy it.
That’s not a retirement plan. That’s a slow leak in a sinking boat.
A Note to the Professionals
If you’re a CPA or financial advisor reading this, let me ask:
• Do you have a solid plan to achieve financial freedom, without relying on Social Security?
• Have you created tax-free income streams you can access at any age?
• Have you built a plan that lets you retire 100% tax-free—without relying on the 4% rule?
If not, don’t worry. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means the system didn’t teach you how.
That’s why I left it. And that’s why I created The Perfect Portfolio—to teach people, including CPAs and advisors, how to stop deferring and start designing a life that’s flexible, tax-efficient, and truly free.
Using S.M.A.R.T. strategies—Strategies to Maximize Assets and Reduce Taxes—I teach how to build a Buy, Borrow, Die framework around five key asset pillars: stocks and ETFs, real estate, life insurance, crypto, and precious metals.
But the real secret is this: the rich don’t just buy assets. We use them as collateral to borrow strategically, avoid taxable events, and retire on our own terms.
Stop Playing Defense
Most tax professionals play defense: “Here’s how much you owe.”
I teach people to play offense: “Here’s how to owe nothing.”
Or better yet—turn that tax liability into a refund. You can use margin loans to donate more to your church, create tax credits, and still grow your wealth in the background.
Buy, Borrow, Die isn’t a loophole. It’s a shift in mindset. You stop focusing on job income and start focusing on assets. You stop asking, “How much can I save in taxes this year?” and start asking, “Can I reduce my tax bill to ZERO?”
That’s a question worth answering.
If you think you can, you’re right.
And if you think you can’t . . . well, you’re also right.
