Banking Will Happen to You, or You Control It (Garrett Gastil)
Most people don’t realize they’re “doing banking” every day. They call it car payments, mortgages, credit cards, and lines of credit.
Here’s the truth Garrett Gastil shares in this episode: Banking will happen to you, or you’ll be in control of it.
Garrett is one of Ascendant Financial’s newest teammates in the United States. He may be early in his practitioner journey, but he is not early in impact. Most importantly, he’s a husband and father who chose to stop outsourcing his financial future. What happened next surprised him.
Meet Garrett: Before Infinite Banking, Life Was “Head Down”
Garrett’s first exposure to Infinite Banking came about seven years ago, before his first child was born. At the time, he was working in consulting. He was chasing performance, promotions, and status.
He wanted to become the youngest partner at his firm. However, the schedule came with a cost. Long days. Late nights. Less time with family. More pressure. More treadmill.
Then he did something many driven professionals do: he tried to “solve it” by investing. Like many people, Garrett read Rich Dad Poor Dad and started exploring real estate. He built spreadsheets. He ran projections. He did the math.
And what he saw felt discouraging: If he bought one rental, and it cash-flowed a little each month… he might reach financial freedom decades later.
That wasn’t freedom. That was a delay.
The First Big Shift: “My Money Was Everywhere… Except My System”
Garrett and his wife were doing what they were told was “smart.”
- Maxing out retirement accounts
- Following conventional planning
- Saving, investing, staying disciplined
Yet the problem was simple: their money was locked away. So when opportunity showed up, the capital wasn’t ready.
And when life happened, flexibility was limited.
That’s when Garrett’s uncle introduced him to Infinite Banking. Garrett read Becoming Your Own Banker and made a decision fast.
He got started with a small policy. Then, as he describes it, something changed once he actually started. “You kind of have to get in the water to really experience this concept.”
Why It Felt Different: You Don’t Just Learn It, You Feel It
There’s “understanding” a concept intellectually. Then there’s experiencing what it produces in real life.
Garrett describes how the process created a tangible sense of control. Because now, financing was no longer something happening to him. It became something he could direct.
He and his wife began building their own family banking system. They went all-in. And here’s the key: it didn’t just change money. It changed their options.
What It Produced: More Abundance and More Freedom
Garrett says it plainly: “We’ve had a lot more abundance and a lot more freedom than we would have had otherwise.”
That showed up in real-life decisions, like:
- Buying an Airbnb (something they couldn’t have done with money trapped in a 401(k))
- Purchasing a vehicle through their own system
- Funding life choices with a sense of stability rather than fear
Even better, as repayments happen, the system replenishes. It’s financing from a position of strength. And that strength hits differently when you’re raising a family.
The Family Man Reality: Peace of Mind Changes the Whole Game
This episode carries a powerful emotional undercurrent: Garrett isn’t just building wealth. He’s building certainty for the people he loves.
He talks about how comforting it is to know his wife and children would be taken care of if something happened to him. That kind of protection isn’t theoretical. It’s real.
It matters because, as Richard points out in the conversation, no parent wants to leave a mess behind.
Garrett reinforces this with a hard truth many families face: when parents age without liquidity and planning, their children often inherit stress, confusion, and financial burdens.
Infinite Banking doesn’t remove life’s challenges. However, it changes the posture a family can take when those challenges arrive.
Cutting Through the Noise: The Problem Isn’t Lack of Info
Garrett shares something practitioners see every day: There is a lot of noise online.
People hear about IBC from a dozen voices. They hear about “better versions,” sensational claims, and competing product pitches. Then they get stuck.
Garrett’s advice is refreshing because it’s simple:
- Trust the process.
- Stay focused.
- Get a coach.
- Do the work.
This is not a “product purchase.” It’s a lifestyle shift. It’s a long-term system you build, then live inside.
A Line You’ll Remember: “Control Has No Downside”
One of the most essential takeaways from this conversation is almost laughably obvious once you hear it:
Does having more control over your financial life hurt you? Of course not.
- Control brings calm.
- Control buys time.
- Control reduces dependency.
- Control creates options.
And that’s why Garrett’s line hits so hard: “Banking will happen to you, or you’ll be in control of it.”
Listen to the Episode
If you’re a parent, business owner, or ambitious professional who feels boxed in by the “standard plan,” this episode will reset your thinking.
Watch on YouTube: Click Here!
Prefer audio? Listen Here!
Want Help Building Your Own Family Banking System?
If you want to regain control of cash flow, increase liquidity, and create a system that supports your family’s future, we can help.
Book a discovery call with our team: Click Here!
We’ll help you map out your current cash flow, clarify your goals, and determine what building a Family Banking System could look like for your situation.