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Are you aware of how the tax bracket creep affects your brand? As a business owner, you’re working hard and taking time to build your business. The last thing you think about is how the more thriving and successful you become, the more the government wants from you. When your company grows, the tax bracket seems to rise continuously with your cash flow, making you wonder whether all the extra effort for success is worth it. It’s not just enough to have a thriving business — you must also learn how to safeguard and protect your money. Wherever you are on your business journey, here are two things you can start doing today as part of your money strategy: If you’re looking for inspiration to grow your business and your wealth, you’re in for a treat. Tony Palmer’s inspiring story of building a side hustle into a successful company, making smart business decisions to save taxes, and leveraging private lending in the property market to multiply his money has lessons for us all. Tony Palmer hails from the Bay area, moving to Roseville, California, almost 30 years ago, and resides there with his wife and children. His move was prompted by the entertainment company he worked for needing him to be the general manager of a newly opened waterpark. The move prompted Tony to draw on his previous experience and have a life-changing idea. “I said, ‘Hey, I used to work for a sign company when I was a kid – why don’t we get our own sign equipment?’ … I started making signs and that exploded for me. I had my side hustle going at the same time I was working for the waterpark and within six or seven years, I had more income at night than I did during the day.” – Tony Palmer Today, roughly 50% of Tony’s business comes from vinyl signage, the kind you see on cars and buses. Another 30% of his business comes from apparel, t-shirts, embroidery, and screen printing. Instead of sending customers away because he doesn’t specialize in their desired branded merch, Tony expanded his product offering to cater to a broader market. “We wanted to be a one-time shop so people don’t end up going to 50 different places trying to get things done. We would have their logo, we knew their colors, [and] they didn’t have to worry about things… our business has been very successful [and] it’s afforded me opportunities to do other things.” – Tony Palmer With his increased business success, one of Tony’s current goals is to transition out of the industry over the next ten years — which led Tony to consider joining PMC. One major draw for Tony was to explore how others in the community make deals that help them protect their finances and successfully navigate their tax quandaries. As Tony’s sign business grew and he gained surplus money, he began to search for ways to grow his money and reduce the amount the government took in taxes as he climbed into higher tax brackets. “My whole thing is how do I legally shelter the most money as possible? I’ll pay [the government], but I’m not paying them a nickel more than I need to. I have been working on finding out different tax strategies, different ways of taking the money and making it work the best for us in a tax-free shelter or tax growth.” – Tony Palmer To protect his business from increased taxes, Tony started to offset the profit by purchasing property through his company. He joined forces with others to minimize his risk and has equity shares in several properties thanks to a partnership with First National Realty Partners. “It’s usually a three-year hold. We are part owners or equity partners in three properties and they’re big mall centers. [FNRP will] buy mall centers, keep them funded, and then we move on to something else. [We partner with] First National Realty Partners [and I’m in] three different properties. It’s about a quarter of a million dollars within them.” – Tony Palmer Tony is happy with how the deal is doing, yielding him a return, which he gets in the form of a quarterly dividend. Tony can either put that money back into the portfolio or wait until the deal closes and pull the money. Additionally, he is able to assess the depreciation on these properties and use that to help shelter Tony’s company from higher taxes. “One of the things that I was attracted to is that we can do advanced depreciation on it so we can depreciate those properties and help offset taxes. That was another thought that was behind that, more so than the growth that we receive.” – Tony Palmer Besides the strategies he already had in place before finding Private Money Club, what stood out for Tony was the valuable way he can use [PMC] to educate himself on learning strategies to help shelter his business. Being part of the [PMC] community has enabled him to connect with other members with the ability to offer deals to help him protect his business from tax bracket creep. As someone who built his empire by simply seeing an opportunity while working in corporate, Tony doesn’t try to put all his eggs in one basket. By becoming a member of the Private Money Club community, he’s gained plenty of opportunities to meet other members with various specialties. “I’ve connected with [Rob and] Nicole Fuller. [We connected because] my thought was, why would I do other [real estate] deals if it’s about making percentages off your money when I can set up with [Nicole] and the percentages are done? We’re in the process of [setting] that [up now].” – Tony Palmer Rob and Nicole are amazing people to connect with because of how they structure their deal-making process, especially with Tony’s background in collaborative real estate acquisition. It’s a terrific matchup for Tony because he has to do less homework with the land development based on their experience and the properties they’ve developed. Tony is also setting up a self-directed retirement account (SDIRA) with Horizon. An SDIRA allows you to save for retirement on a tax-advantaged basis and has the same IRA contribution limits. The difference between self-directed and other IRAs is the types of assets you own through your account. “We can take some of our money in the IRA and move it over into [the SDIRA]. We’ll put anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 into that and then take the dividends and use [them] elsewhere. We’re trying to create different cash flows coming in.” – Tony Palmer Tony’s deal-making strategies also accelerate his retirement plans because his self-directed IRA allows him to grow his retirement savings more quickly. With an understanding that he plans to retire in ten years, it’s essential to have options to ensure their cash flow is livable. Tony wants to ensure that most of their debt is knocked off before they retire, and he is currently well on his way to making that dream come true. “Our home is almost paid off. Our building will be paid off before our home. We set a bunch of refinances up a few years ago, which we are really lucky because we got our home at like 1.9%, and this building is at 3%. The building [we own] will be paid off in five years, and then our home not far off that. It doesn’t make sense for us to pay [our home] because [the interest rates] are so low. But our other debts that we have, that’s what we’re knocking off.” – Tony Palmer By connecting with other PMC members, Tony can match his private lending preferences with other members looking for funding for their projects. It’s a perfect match! Tony has a very clear understanding of what he wants to achieve with PMC members, and he’s excited to see how the deals he makes through those connections will continue the growth of his retirement funds. Additionally, Tony feels blessed to love what he does at his signage company and enjoys it immensely. So retirement for him is less about not working as it is about being able to do more things that he and his wife love. “My wife is from Canada, we lived there for a few years when I was younger. We would love to buy a home up there and then transition up that direction and kind of flip flop between. The winters in Canada were a little bit colder and so we will probably stay in California. We do have kids here as well [so] we would be bouncing back and forth between.” – Tony Palmer Tony is especially proud that his retirement is one hundred percent what he has created. It takes a great deal of self-knowledge to know what you want to do in your retirement and implement the plans today that set you up for success. That’s probably the number one concern people have about retirement — peace of mind, spending more time doing what you love rather than counting pennies and constantly wondering if your money will last. One of the best ways to learn is through other people. You can have someone write theories on a whiteboard and tell you how things work in a class — but Tony wants to hear what you are doing because that’s the proof to him. “That’s something that I do love about Private Money Club too, is that everybody is sharing the stuff that they’re doing besides just the lending back and forth on real estate. There’s a whole lot more that you can learn from people in there. To me it’s hearing it over and over again until it completely gels into my system. What I want to do is listen to it, really understand it forwards, backwards, all the different ways of doing it. Then I have an ability to adapt it into something else.” – Tony Palmer In one meeting with other PMC members, Tony walked away with a new way to think about using money from his business for luxury items he’s always wanted — like high-end cars. “In one of the discussions, [I learned about] the ability for me to loan the company money and then let the company pay that back. We [want] a high-end car; I need the company to have an expense. I thought, Why don’t I use the insurance policy, pull the money out, take that money, pay the loan off on that vehicle, then make a loan from personally from me to the company. The company pays me, then I get the deduction of the interest that I can write off, but it’s paying me, so it doesn’t matter.” – Tony Palmer What an excellent example of making your money work. Here Tony gets the benefit of cheaper interest rates and saving himself on taxes because he can turn a loan he was already paying into a business expense. Understanding how to apply these insights is one of the main benefits Tony feels he gets from meeting with other community members at Private Money Club. Through the Private Money Club, Tony has continued learning and expanding his knowledge about his money. Going from having a mini signage empire that started as a side hustle to creating real estate deals has helped Tony create his ultimate goal of financial freedom, especially for his retirement. If you’ve read Tony’s story today and thought to yourself, I want to take control of my finances and learn about taxes in the same way. You’re in the right place! Private Money Club has a wealth of resources for those looking to create a more secure future, connect with other like-minded individuals, or learn the ropes of real estate from other community members. If you’re curious about private finance and looking to find exciting projects, work out deals easily, and make magic happen, it’s time to get involved. Do you know how to make lasting professional connections with private money lenders and borrowers? Many view borrowing private money as a fast and more personal alternative to acquiring funds through a bank. One such private money enthusiast is named Benjamin Fredricks of Daytona, Florida. Benjamin recently joined the Private Money Club in order to make more connections with lenders and borrowers, but he’s no stranger to using private money to fund his investments. For the past five years, he’s successfully bought and flipped hundreds of real estate deals by working with auction houses and private money lenders. Because Benjamin has experience as both a lender and a borrower, he’s uncovered incredibly valuable insights during his time expanding his operation. In this article, you’ll learn Benjamin’s guide to attracting lenders, trusting your gut, and the benefits of using private money. Benjamin Fredricks has made a successful living flipping real estate deals. He started his career working for the Lehman Brothers investment bank in the early 2000s, but the firm closed its doors permanently during the housing market crash in 2008. After that, Benjamin began working for financial services. Although he didn’t enjoy the experience, he learned an important lesson regarding accumulating wealth. “I worked for New York Life and Allstate for eight years, [and] I hated every minute of it. Ultimately, it was during that time … I learned that I wasn’t going to build wealth in that way. I had to do it through real estate. … I knew [when] selling mutual funds to my clients … [that] most of these people [were] not gonna grow any kind of significant wealth.” – Benjamin Fredricks Benjamin realized the best way he could accumulate wealth was through real estate investing. After this realization, he experienced a life-changing moment: “The thing that pushed me … over the edge of saying, ‘All right, I’m leaving all of this behind. I’m gonna roll the dice and see what happens,’ [was] when my daughter was born. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna just be stuck doing something just because I [feel like I] need to do it.’ … So I was like, ‘If I’m gonna [invest in homes,] I’m gonna go all in.’” – Benjamin Fredricks Fortunately, Benjamin was already passionate about real estate and owned a few properties. He began accumulating more properties the more traditional way, by putting down 20% out of pocket. In addition to flipping deals, Benjamin sells properties by using seller financing. “What I do [is] I’m borrowing money, but I’m also lending. … I’m using private money to acquire properties, and then a lot of times, I’m turning around and then selling those on seller finance after we’ve paid back the funds or refinanced with our portfolio lender.” – Benjamin Fredricks Benjamin primarily obtains properties by buying them in bulk at auctions. He’s had much success flipping deals over the past five years, and today, he owns around 40 rental properties, and he’s closed between 500 and 600 deals. Through his time flipping deals, Benjamin has learned the value of borrowing private money rather than going through a bank. He used $150,000 in private funds to close his first package of deals at auction, and he used the momentum of this closing to make a living off of. Although Benjamin signed up for Private Money Club, he already has many connections to private money lenders. His first private money lender was a friend of his partner’s family. Since then, he’s borrowed money from many private lenders, including friends and family. In his time finding private money, Benjamin has learned important lessons in attracting lenders. When presenting your deal to a potential lender, you need to have confidence and transparency in the agreement: “I’ve done deals with family [to obtain] private money, and it’s fine because … you lay your cards out on the table and [show them that] this is what it is and this is what you can expect. [You need to have] your ducks in a row.” – Benjamin Fredricks You need to show the potential lender that you’ve done your homework regarding the deal’s intricacies, exit strategy, and timeframe. Benjamin observed that social media is invaluable for finding private money lenders. Although Benjamin has borrowed from friends and family, he never approached them directly. Instead, he stayed active on social media and posted about his business dealings, which caught others’ attention. “My family came to me not because I approached them. It was more because they saw what I was doing. Social media is a great tool for that. … If you use it in a way where you’re documenting what it is you’re doing — your wins, your losses, everything — people take notice. That’s essentially what happened to me. … I always just documented the process, and then eventually, the ones that were interested came to me organically.” – Benjamin Fredricks Benjamin has many connections to private money lenders, but he recognizes the importance of having different avenues for private funding. Fortunately for him, he joined Private Money Club, which connects borrowers and lenders. He hasn’t borrowed funds from PMC lenders yet, but he always has that option. In addition to having a great deal of experience borrowing private money, Benjamin also knows a thing or two about lending and some common pitfalls for beginner lenders. When Benjamin first started selling properties through seller financing, he primarily focused on helping others who had fallen on hard times. “In the beginning … I just wanted to be altruistic. … I wanted to be that guy that was helping somebody. I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve been able to do that a bunch.” – Benjamin Fredricks Benjamin values helping others but admits that there were times early in his lending career when he went against his gut to make financial decisions, ultimately costing him money. “There were times [when my] gut [was] like, ‘This isn’t gonna work out.’ [But] I pressed forward anyways, and sure enough, those deals didn’t work out. … Trust your gut when you’re dealing with somebody in any capacity but especially in private money.” – Benjamin Fredricks Trust your gut when speaking with potential borrowers. If you have the sneaking suspicion that someone won’t come through with your money, you may very likely be right. Benjamin observed that another critical part of finding the right deal is following data rather than emotions: “I live by three words when it comes to a deal: Data, not drama. That’s it. Like, does [the deal] make sense? … I don’t get emotional about any one deal. I only look at the numbers. … If the data’s there, then you can go to your intuition — ‘Okay, how do I feel about this deal? Am I getting the right vibe from this borrower? Am I getting the right vibe from the security and the deal?’ And if you do, then you’re good to go.” – Benjamin Fredricks When finding the right borrower, it’s also important that they have a clear strategy and plan to pay you back. This is especially important if the borrower is new to the world of private money. They need to be able to show you how the deal will work and their exit strategy for returning your money. Benjamin also offered some notable red flags when it comes to borrowers: “They don’t have a lot of [cash] reserves or … they’ve had a problem in the past with credit, [and] they haven’t shown that they have fixed that. … This was just a lesson learned early on. … If you fell down before, show me that you’ve gone through the effort to pick yourself back up again and you learned the lesson.” – Benjamin Fredricks Everyone makes mistakes, and a good borrower may have struggled with credit at some point in their lives, but they must be able to prove that they’re the right fit for handling your money. Benjamin Fredricks is a major advocate for using private funds, and borrowing private money has enabled him to scale his rental and deal-flipping operation. He prefers working with people, even if it means having to pay a higher interest rate: “It’s just so much simpler and faster. That’s what I love about it. I don’t mind paying somebody a higher interest rate than what I would pay the bank. And quite frankly, I’m grateful for it. Those are … my favorite checks to write because it means I’m growing.” – Benjamin Fredricks Borrowing private funds expedites the process of receiving money, allowing Benjamin to close deals much faster than he ever could by going through a bank. “The speed at which private money allows us to do deals has gotten me some of the best deals ever. As opposed to like, ‘Okay, well I gotta see if I can get financing and go through that process with my bank, where they’re taking 60 days.’ Or, I can [use private money] and let the auction company know, ‘Hey, I’ll take this deal tomorrow if you can give it [to me at] this price.’” – Benjamin Fredricks Going through the traditional bank loan route can take a great deal of time, potentially jeopardizing a transaction. Benjamin uses private money in order to find and close deals faster. Another reason why Benjamin prefers borrowing private money is because it positively impacts both him and the lender. “It’s exciting when you [borrow from] somebody [who] isn’t in real estate, and they start doing deals with you, and you kind of see [that they] get that feeling that I get every day being an investor. [It’s like], ‘Oh, this is working?’ … They’re starting to see cash flow. … If we both generate cash flow together, it’s a win-win. And that’s my favorite part of working with private money people. … I’d rather give it to somebody than give it to the bank.” – Benjamin Fredricks You create mutually beneficial relationships when you borrow money from people rather than the bank. Both Benjamin and his private money lenders profit, and he’s more than happy to work with real people rather than a bank. If you’re feeling inspired by Benjamin’s experiences and want to begin borrowing or lending private money, look no further than the Private Money Club. Although Benjamin has yet to borrow funds from a PMC member, he recognizes that making additional private money connections through PMC is crucial for expanding his operation. Private Money Club connects private lenders and borrowers to create mutually beneficial professional relationships. Additionally, PMC provides club members with educational resources for getting started with borrowing and lending. Have you ever felt like you were falling behind when it comes to your money goals? If you’re like a lot of people, you may think you waited too long to start generating wealth, that it will take forever to get where you want to be, and maybe even like it’s not worth trying anymore. Maybe you compare yourself to other people, thinking They have it all. They must have been doing this for years. They must have an “in” to somewhere they’re not disclosing. I’ll never get to that level. But here’s a secret: It doesn’t have to take forever. It doesn’t have to take years or decades or being naturally financially savvy and aware of how to make your money work for you to become financially empowered. With the right information, the right attitude, and the right alliances, you can multiply your money to change your lifestyle and your life for the better. It just takes a proactive approach and a willingness to seek out information that goes beyond the norm. Just ask Colleen Brown, a Private Money Club lender who went from a complete novice (She’d never lent before at all) to launching a full-blown lending business with over 30 deals made during its first year. Colleen is a trailblazer who hasn’t just overhauled her own life for the better but is now doing so for other people as a money mentor. As Colleen has said herself, she’s proof that you can make massive headway in a relatively short period of time. If you’re wondering how to create a lifestyle transformation, find reliable borrowers, and uplevel your financial empowerment, read on to learn her story. When most people think about wealth, they tend to think about those who were born into money, had special access or privilege, and never had to worry about debts or living paycheck to paycheck. Alternatively, they imagine that you have to start early, work hard, and grit your teeth as you climb out of the hole of scarcity. But some of Colleen’s first lending experiences were with Private Money Club members, and within a year or so on the PMC platform, she’d already made over 30 deals. She also launched her own lending business and is starting a business educating women and girls about managing finances. On top of that, she mentors and coaches people about money for free and has been called on to give talks about the lending game. That’s not too shabby for someone new. A little over a year in, she still works with her first borrower, who may have truly taught her what can be done through smart lending alliances. Colleen described the value she still gets from that alliance. “He put the money into a refurbishment fund for some of his apartments in Ohio. It’s still there, chugging away, and I love [getting my] little check of $550 every month, [which goes] straight back into my IRA. When it builds up, I can invest that interest portion. The last one I did was around $16,000, and he took it and put it into circulation. Now I’m getting interest on my interest, and that’s really exciting.” – Colleen Brown Colleen — whose loans come from her self-directed IRA, her husband’s self-directed IRA, and lastly, her own LLC lending business — discovered PMC to be welcoming to her as a newcomer, and she took advantage of every educational opportunity she could. Besides the opportunity to learn, she found the borrowers on the platform to be largely trustworthy people who she felt confident working with. “[When] I joined the Private Money Club, I got exposure to many different members.” – Colleen Brown As for what PMC is all about, it’s transforming people’s lives by serving as a community for lenders and borrowers. It’s bringing folks together from both sides who can work out mutually beneficial relationships with no middle man, who can feel confident working with each other, and who can build alliances with other people taking control of their financial lives. Private Money Club has always been more about people than money. As a forum for lenders and borrowers to network with, learn from, and ally with each other, it’s designed to be a space for everyday people (who might not have a background in finance) to make empowered financial alliances with other members. It’s also a place that meets you where you are, meaning there are resources and educational opportunities available such as group coaching, deal analysis tools, and webinars to help participants learn the ropes. Plus, PMC’s founder Chris Naugle’s Money School is brimming with information on how to crack the code of wealth creation, which people like Colleen have been leveraging with great success. “There’s a lot to learn: That’s why I sign up for every three day weekend [with Money School], and there’s a few other groups that I participate in. I’ve seen Chris and Stephen go and speak [at conferences]. I just sign up and watch, and that’s all I have to do.” – Coleen Brown All that education seems to be working, given her incredible 30-plus deals in a year. It goes to show that awareness and a determination to empower yourself financially take you further than you might think. It doesn’t have to be complicated. “Earlier this year, we crossed the million dollar mark. That’s astounding considering my background and how I grew up was not like that. We didn’t talk about money in our family, only the lack of money. There’s a lot of people who grow up that way. There was no money education. I’ve been to college and I’ve got an MBA, but the point is they don’t even teach you that there.” – Colleen Brown It’s so true — the keys to financial empowerment are too often hidden from most people. They’re just not taught, but that’s all changing now. With the help of members she connected with through PMC, Colleen has gone from total novice to lending business owner, mentor, and more. “I created an LLC with one of our trusted partners, Corporate Capital, and they’ve set up three different companies for me. They created the LLC and the bank account, and then I put a chunk of savings into there and some other money that I had. I closed out an account in Australia and brought that money over here. I loan that directly with investors I’ve met through Private Money club and all the different events that I attend.” – Colleen Brown With the right partnerships and the right strategy, you can stop wasting money or letting opportunities pass you by. It’s always a great feeling to know you’re in a position to help others. In some ways, that’s the true measure of success — if your cup is so full you can give freely without worry, you’re doing something right. Giving freely is exactly what Colleen is doing. She doesn’t want other people to have to wait until their older years to discover all that she’s learned. Her goal is to set younger people up for success throughout their lives. “My third company is about educating women and girls. I have three daughters, so that’s my passion. [Plus, I want to] make sure I leave a legacy and help other people. I’ve had several people come to my house, and I go through all of their debts and their credit cards and I help them. I do it for free because you’ve gotta give back. Chris has helped us and changed our lives, so I’m trying to give back to as many people as I can.” – Colleen Brown As she mentioned, most people are completely in the dark about how to manage their money. Because of that, families struggle, and kids grow up with scarcity mindsets and fears around getting their needs met, let alone being financially free. Breaking down these beliefs can be a challenge. But when people see an example of someone who has actually done it — and done it in a big way in a short period of time — it’s inspiring and deserving of attention and recognition. “All you need to do is share your story and show what’s possible. I have tangible proof. I have sent people screenshots of my bank account and said, ‘Look, you can see the deposits going in every month from all of the people that I loan money to.’ And I’ve said, ‘That’s not fake, that’s real. It’s there, and because they’re loans from savings, I don’t have to pay taxes on them yet.’” – Colleen Brown When you don’t learn the whole truth about money, you will have to deal with much more insecurity, scarcity, and volatility in your financial life. The tools to learn and change your financial situation are there, and no matter whether you’re barely making ends meet or feel completely solid, you need to take care of your money. “It doesn’t matter how much or how little money you have, you need to learn how to take care of it and to understand that there are options out there to improve your lifestyle. We are living proof of that.” – Coleen Brown A life lived with financial freedom is possible. There are all sorts of people making it happen. They’re connecting. They’re helping each other. They’re creating alliances, and they’re cutting out the middlemen. If you’re feeling inspired to improve your financial education and completely blow your own expectations out of the water, you’re in the right place. You don’t need to look far for where to loan money. Private Money Club is an incredible community and opportunity for you to learn best practices, connect with borrowers or lenders, and forge mutually beneficial relationships with real people. Connect with other folks who are passionate about multiplying their money, infinite banking, and more at PMC. It’s where the magic happens. 
Interview Tony Palmer
Who Is Tony Palmer?
Tony’s Journey to Make His Money Work for Him Through Private Lending
Tony’s Money Strategy with Private Money Club
How Tony Is Working Towards His Dream Retirement
Lessons Tony Learned from Other Private Money Club Members
You Can Learn More from Other PMC Members
Visit the website today to become a club member and start turning your dreams into a reality!
Interview Benjamin Fredricks
Shifting Toward Private Money Lending
Attracting Private Money Lenders
Trusting Your Gut in Lending
Benefits of Using Private Money Loans
Learn More About Finding Lenders and Borrowers Through Private Money Club
Ready to learn more about PMC benefits? Read more success stories on the PMC blog today!
Interview Colleen Brown
Colleen’s Story: From Novice to Lending Pro
Private Money Club Meets You Where You Are
Giving Back
Learn More About How Private Money Club Can Give You Financial Freedom
Become a club member and start turning your dreams into a reality today!