Annuity University

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

In this hard-hitting episode, Don and Tom expose “Retirement Planning University”—a slick, misleading marketing operation posing as a legitimate educational program. Despite hosting seminars at respected universities, the organization isn’t accredited and exists primarily to funnel attendees into high-commission indexed annuities sold by Strategic Wealth Investment Group. The duo break down the tangled relationships, the legal gray zones (including a likely violation of Florida law), and the wildly under-disclosed conflicts buried deep in Form ADV filings. Plus: a call from a skeptical listener about global diversification, a backdoor Roth update in response to H.R.1, a heartwarming tribute to Tom’s mother-in-law, and a brutal real-world annuity pitch targeting grieving beneficiaries. This one hits hard.

0:04 Thunder and fireworks, then a storm of a different kind: fake financial education

1:20 “Retirement Planning University” is not accredited—possibly illegal in Florida

2:38 Florida law: using “university” in a name can be a crime

4:21 Strategic Wealth Investment Group funnels money into their “nonprofit”

6:27 Don breaks down Form 990 and discovers $6.3M in funding with 1.8% used for education

8:50 A never-before-seen conflict disclosure: over a page of indexed annuity conflicts

11:02 Universities that rent space to these events—should they be ashamed?

13:56 Don confesses: used ChatGPT to surface filings, laws, and charity reports faster

15:40 Final verdict: it’s not education—it’s a sophisticated lead funnel

17:18 Caller Jack: Is VT too concentrated in tech megacaps like Apple and Nvidia?

19:22 Don: It’s still globally diversified, but yes, value/small tilts help

21:57 A heartfelt tribute to Tom’s mother-in-law and her one smart money move: LTC insurance

23:01 Caller Mark: Does the new tax bill kill backdoor Roths?

27:18 Don runs the full 900-page bill through GPT—no mention of Roth changes

28:56 Sidebar: elderly elephant tourists and Romanian bear selfies

30:36 Caller Mary: Advisor pitching a 1035 annuity swap to dodge IRMA

34:42 Don and Tom: Just pay the IRMA bump—don’t buy another bad annuity

36:44 The IRMA fear is way overblown; it’s just one year

39:18 Why aren’t these practices banned? Because regulators are stretched thin

40:12 Don taught real adult education classes—but the next “educator” was a broker

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