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Be Smart Pay Zero Taxes: Use the Buy, Borrow, Die Strategy to Get Rich and Stay Rich

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BUILD WEALTH. KEEP MORE. LIVE TAX-FREE.

Discover the strategies the ultra-wealthy use to grow their fortunes and legally avoid taxes — made simple for EVERYONE — with the ultimate guide to reducing your tax bill to zero. Learn the secrets the rich use to get rich, and STAY RICH,



Master the S.M.A.R.T.  Strategies to Maximize Assets and Reduce Taxes.Build your “Perfect Portfolio”: It is LIFE-CHANGING! Leverage “The Five Pillars” of investing — stocks, real estate, life insurance, cryptocurrency, and precious metals — a bulletproof, tax-free financial plan.Implement the “Buy, Borrow, Die” strategy to grow and protect tax free wealth.Live off the “Borrow Button”: Unlock tax-free financial freedom by borrowing against your investments and never selling your assets.Learn how ANYONE can build $6 million in wealth, retire early, and live tax-free without relying on traditional retirement accounts.Turn modest earnings into millions, be financially independent, and LIVE RICH!

“If you want to pay NO TAXES  BE SMART PAY ZERO Use the Buy, Borrow, Die Strategy to Get Rich and Stay Rich! It’s possible!”

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

191 people are currently reading
133 people want to read

About the author

Mark J. Quann

5 books8 followers

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5 stars
38 (53%)
4 stars
13 (18%)
3 stars
11 (15%)
2 stars
6 (8%)
1 star
3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Robert Sutherland.
319 reviews16 followers
May 30, 2025
A coworker loaned me this book so I could read it and we could discuss it. I'm reminded of an old comedy bit: "How to not pay tax on a million dollars....FIRST, get a million dollars."

Quann has discovered financial alchemy. All you need is a company to lend you low interest money on margin without expecting you to repay it, then buy assets that only go up, and voila, you're a money printing machine.

Here is his recipe (SPOILER ALERT!) You buy an asset. Then you leverage it. Then you use the leverage to buy another asset. Then you leverage that one and buy another. Repeat until you have all the money in the world.

His five pillars include stocks and ETFs. You're supposed to buy some stocks, then get a margin loan against what you own so you can buy more. He quotes margin rates of 2% but I see only double digit rates from places like Vanguard and Fidelity. So how do you pay this back? You don't, you die, he writes. But then what? Is Fidelity going to loan me money and I never pay it back or even make payments? If I make payments where does that money come from? Another loan? Eventually I run out of places to borrow from.

Then there is real estate. You only need 3% down. Then you leverage the rest, watch the value of the property skyrocket, write off everything, then sell it for a fortune. If everything works perfectly, that can work. But more likely you're going to be under water.

Then there is crypto. I'm going to be honest. I have no faith in crypto. He does.

Gold? How do you practically buy and sell gold without paying huge fees?

Insurance. IUL and chill is his advice.

It's a quick read, simple words, but it's not actionable based on what I read. Paraphrasing his action items: find a really good accountant and educate yourself. There are parts of this method that will work, but this is really complicated for the average person and can earn you a huge tax bill or financial ruin if you don't have very good luck and perfect execution.

I laughed at the end when he wrote what to do if you inherit $3 million dollars. That plan, I'm pretty sure, will work.
1 review
July 29, 2025
Before buying Be Smart Pay Zero Taxes, I was skeptical.

I had already read Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Total Money Makeover, both of which Mark references in this book. Like many readers, I believed financial security meant saving diligently, building good credit, paying off my home early, and maxing out my 401(k) and mutual funds — all with the guidance of a traditional financial advisor.

Wow… was I headed in the wrong direction.

This book opened my eyes to a completely different way to think about money, taxes, and wealth. One of the most shocking realizations was that my tax-deferred 401(k) will be taxed at income tax rates when I retire — and even worse, it could trigger taxes on my Social Security benefits. I had never once heard that from my financial advisor.

So I did the math. At age 65, I’m projected to have around $1.2 million in my 401(k). Sounds great, right? But when I applied the 4% rule and adjusted for inflation… it works out to roughly $20,000 a year in income. That would leave me relying heavily on Social Security — which, as we all know, is running out of money.

Another eye-opener: I had been making extra payments toward my mortgage principal, thinking I was being financially responsible. But Mark pointed out something I’d never considered — that every time I pay extra principal, I’m locking up money in my home where it can’t grow, and I’m reducing my interest deduction, which could actually increase my taxes. My CPA confirmed this is true.

One negative review I read before buying the book mentioned that you can’t borrow at 2% from Vanguard or Fidelity. I had the same question, so I reached out through the website listed in the book. They responded quickly and confirmed that Vanguard and Fidelity do not offer low-interest margin loans, and that those brokers keep rates high to maximize profits for shareholders. They explained that M1 Finance and Robinhood are the ones offering low-interest margin loans — and yes, those are the platforms Mark mentions repeatedly in the book. Why did that reviewer ignore this? Did they actually read the book?

That same reviewer also said he had “no faith in crypto.” But Mark breaks it down in a way that finally made sense to me. I even read the Fidelity report he references — the one projecting Bitcoin could hit $1 million by 2030. That was the first time I really understood crypto. I’m now teaching my kids about it.

I’ve been researching and applying what I’ve learned for almost three months now. I started with just $100, as Mark suggests. I’ve even used the “borrow” feature and transferred money into my bank while keeping my investments intact and growing. It works.

To be clear: this book isn’t for everyone. The strategies are very counterintuitive. They go against everything we were taught by financial advisors and traditional education. But I’ve done extensive research and verified that these ideas have been used by the wealthy since the Great Depression. What’s changed is that today, newer platforms make them accessible to everyday Americans.

I’ve now read the book three times and watched many of the YouTube videos. I’m also following Mark’s advice to rent out my current home while buying another property to live in. I’ll use depreciation to generate tax-free income on the rental.

I’m incredibly grateful that Mark wrote this book. I’ve come to believe that most Americans are being set up to fail financially — following advice from advisors and CPAs trained by Wall Street and the big banks.

If you’re someone who’s serious about learning, who wants to put in the time and effort to understand and apply a smarter strategy — this book can change your financial future. But if you’re just looking for a quick fix without doing the work, this probably isn’t for you.

Either way, I’m glad I took the leap. I’ll never look at money the same way again.
3 reviews
December 27, 2025
Didn't know

This book is very eye opening. A lot of information covered and learned a few things I can implement now. I've been retired for a little over a year, and my wife will be retired next week. I can see how quickly money can disappear without a strategy. Hope to implement a few of these. It does take courage and a change in thinking. Thank you for sharing information that is needed for us.
Profile Image for Christopher Lail.
33 reviews
August 22, 2025
Mark Quann may end up dead from not taking a vax in the future; he will likely end up dead broke from borrowing so much.

I did learn some information that I didn't know, so I gave it one extra star.
40 reviews
August 29, 2025
I like the idea of this book, but it just seems way too risky to me. Mark Quann wants everything to be leveraged, and I just don’t know if that lifestyle is for me. He makes everything sound so easy, when in reality it most likely isn’t.
Profile Image for Gustavo  Gomez, Ph.D..
115 reviews
June 13, 2025
I had high expectations for this book, but I was disappointed.
I found the investment recommendations in this book to be risky.
Profile Image for Kasia.
472 reviews4 followers
August 31, 2025
DNF 11% (Chapter 4) right after Dave and Robert are wrong and I'm right !
Profile Image for Jesse Stoddard.
Author 3 books5 followers
January 20, 2026
A combination of unusual and contrarian ideas about finances in the vein of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad school of thought, but even more specific and actionable. I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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