Before The Returns
Before the Returns is the podcast for people who want to build wealth with purpose—not just chase numbers on a spreadsheet. Hosted by Wealth Strategist Jaden Zubal, each episode challenges the “highest return at any cost” mindset and shows you how to align your money with your values, your family, and your legacy.
We cover Family Banking, smart insurance design, real estate strategies, entrepreneurship, and generational wealth planning—practical tools that create security today and freedom tomorrow.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make money the tool instead of the goal, this podcast is your blueprint.
Episodes
23 episodes
E21 - Why Knowing How Money Works Still Doesn’t Change Your Behavior
You know how money works. You know what the smart financial move is. And yet—when stress hits or life gets busy—you fall back into the same patterns.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden revisits how ban...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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17:33
E20 - Your Money Decisions Aren’t Logical - They’re Emotional
Most people believe they make financial decisions based on logic, math, and discipline. But in reality, most money choices are driven by stories we absorbed long before we ever earned a paycheck.In this episode of Before the...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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16:31
E19 - Whole Life Insurance Explained: Why It Fails as an Investment (And Where It Actually Works)
If you’re trying to make whole life insurance beat the market, you’re right to hate it.That belief — that whole life insurance should function like an investment — is the root of almost all the frustration, backlash, and misinformation s...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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18:19
E18 - Using Whole Life Insurance to Invest in Real Estate (Pros, Cons, and How It Actually Works)
more than chasing returnsWhen this strategy doesn’t work (and who should avoid it)I also share how this same system helped my family handle unexpected medical expenses without disrupting everything else f...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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19:37
E17 - Is Real Estate Really Passive? The Truth About Turnkey Rentals & Property Managers
Real estate is often sold as “passive.” Buy a turnkey property, hire a property manager, and let the checks roll in.That’s the story. This episode is the reality.In this episode of Before the Returns, I break dow...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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16:47
E16 - Why Your Money Feels Stretched No Matter How Motivated You Are
Every January, motivation shows up again.New goals.New promises.New discipline.And yet, for so many families, money still feels tight, stretched, and frustratingly stuck — even when they’re doing “everything right.”...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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13:23
E15 - Why Christmas Is the Most Expensive Lie We Tell Ourselves
Christmas isn’t expensive because of gifts. It’s expensive because of a lie we’ve been telling ourselves for years.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden breaks down why Christmas quietly exposes the strengths — a...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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14:02
E14 - Why the Best Financial Opportunities Never Show Up Online
Most people believe wealth comes from making the right investment. This episode challenges that belief — and explains why it’s incomplete.In Episode 14 of Before the Returns, Jaden shares two real conversations from his...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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16:37
E13 — Why High Income Still Leaves People Stuck
A million-dollar income should mean financial peace… but for many people, it doesn’t. Meanwhile, some families earning a fraction of that quietly retire wealthy.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden tells two ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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16:30
E12 – Why Most People Fail at Family Banking Before They Even Start
Everyone wants the benefits of Family Banking — tax advantages, compounding, leverage, control — but very few people set it up the right way. And as Jaden explains in this episode, most people fail before they even begin.Why?
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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12:04
E11 - 5 Wealth Lessons Most Parents Learn Too Late
It’s Thanksgiving week, and instead of talking about deals, football, or what’s on the dinner table, Jaden is shifting the focus to something deeper: the kind of wealth that has nothing to do with dollars.In this special episode of B...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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12:56
E10 - Why Being Debt-Free Still Feels Like a Trap
Most people spend their entire lives trying to “own” things — their home, their car, their business. But as Jaden explains in this episode, ownership is mostly an illusion… and that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually the doorw...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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14:55
E9 - 50-Year Mortgages Explained: The Strategy Banks Don’t Want You to Understand
When you hear “50-year mortgage,” most people instantly assume the worst — you’ll never pay it off or the interest must be insane. But in this episode, Jaden breaks down why the real question isn’t whether it’s good or bad...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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14:18
E8 - Addressing the Critics - What Banks Know About Whole Life Insurance
What if the system everyone told you to trust — including banks and corporations — all quietly relied on Whole Life Insurance behind the scenes?In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal addresses the critics head-on and...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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19:23
E7 - The Truth About How Banks Use Your Money
Most people never realize they’re paying rent on their own money.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal explains how the modern banking system actually works — why banks can lend out nearly ten times wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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14:21
Bonus Episode - I Made A Costly Real Estate Mistake - And What It Taught Me...
In this bonus episode of Before the Returns, I share a raw story about a recent failure — one that cost me thousands of dollars but taught me some powerful lessons about humility, responsibility, and focus.I walk through a real ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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7:20
E6 - Busy Money vs. Working Money - How To Tell If Your Cash Is Actually Building Wealth
The treadmill gets more done than your bank account — and here’s why.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal explores the difference between money that moves and money that works. Because just like runni...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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15:41
E5 - Money That Never Rests — The Velocity of Wealth
Most people think about money in a straight line: earn it, spend it, save what’s left. Wealthy families think differently — they think in circles.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal reveals one o...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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15:58
E4 - Cash Flow vs Net Worth - The Real Measure of Financial Freedom
We love to track net worth — but here’s the problem: you can’t spend it.In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal breaks down why cash flow is the real measure of financial freedom, and how targeting net worth ca...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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17:57
E3 - Does Renting or Buying Make More Sense in 2025?
Is buying a home always the ultimate financial milestone—or does renting sometimes make more sense?In this episode of Before the Returns, Jaden Zubal breaks down the numbers and the emotions behind one of the most common money d...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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16:05
E2 - Rockefeller vs. Vanderbilt: Why Structure Outlasts Fortune
Two of America’s wealthiest men died with fortunes worth billions in today’s dollars. Yet within just a few generations, one family’s money was gone—while the other’s wealth still supports over 200 heirs a century later.In this episode o...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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13:44
Before The Returns: Official Trailer
Money isn’t the goal—it’s the tool. Before the Returns is a short, impactful podcast about building wealth with purpose, creating legacy, and aligning your financial decisions with your values.In this trailer, host Jaden Zuba...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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0:46
E1 - Why Chasing High Returns Keeps You Broke (Build Roots First)
Most people start their wealth journey asking, “How much can I earn? How fast can I grow my money?” But those questions can trap you in short-sighted decisions that keep you broke instead of building lasting wealth.In this kicko...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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12:52