Kyle Busch and his wife, Samantha, recently opened up about a painful lesson that had nothing to do with racing. They say a financial advisor sold them an insurance-based retirement plan that was pitched as safe, tax-free, and basically foolproof. Instead, the couple claims they lost more than eight million dollars once the hidden truth came out.

They’re now suing the people who sold it to them and speaking out so others don’t get burned the same way. Their story is a tough reminder that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, especially when retirement money is on the line. And now, a respected financial voice is backing them up with the same warning.

Why some insurance plans are raising red flags

Financial strategist Chris Kirkpatrick has been watching these kinds of products for years, and he’s not shy about what he sees. A lot of insurance-based retirement plans, especially Indexed Universal Life policies, get sold as simple, low-risk replacements for regular retirement accounts.

“There are millions of policies being sold every single year, to middle-class Americans that are losing $20/25/30-thousand before they realize it.”

The pitch is tempting: tax-free growth, downside protection, and sometimes even “better than a 401(k)” returns. But Kirkpatrick says the reality is way more complicated. These policies come loaded with fees most people never hear about up front, which include sales charges, administrative costs, insurance deductions, and penalties if you try to get out early.

Even when the market does well, your growth is usually capped. So you don’t get the full upside, but you still pay for all the downside protection you might never need. Over time, those costs can quietly eat thousands of dollars a year out of what you thought was growing safely.

Kirkpatrick’s point is simple. For a lot of middle-class families, these plans end up being more expensive and less flexible than they expect. The cash value can grow more slowly than promised, and if life changes and you need the money sooner, you can get hit hard.

His final advice?

“If anybody is sending you an IUL as a rich man’s Roth or an alternative to a 401(k), you need to run the other way as fast as possible.”

The Busches say the agent left out the tricky parts and made it sound guaranteed. Kirkpatrick says that’s exactly the problem. The plans aren’t scams on paper, but the way they’re sold can leave regular people thinking they’re buying one thing when they’re actually getting something much riskier.

While all this has been playing out off the track, Kyle Busch did something that reminded everyone why fans love the guy behind the helmet.

Kyle Busch takes a quiet moment to say thanks

Right around Thanksgiving, he put the racing world on pause and posted a heartfelt thank-you to his family, friends, teammates, sponsors, and the whole Rowdy Nation community.

“Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!! Thankful for our family, friends, team, partners, and #RowdyNation! Eat up today!!” he wrote on X.

Along with that, he posted pictures of his family too. Check them in his tweet here:

In a sport that never stops moving, it was one of those small, real moments that hit harder than any trophy celebration. After a long season full of pressure and headlines, Busch just wanted everyone to know he sees them and appreciates them. No sales pitch, no drama, just gratitude.

It was the perfect contrast to the financial headache he and Samantha Busch are dealing with. Money comes and goes, plans fall apart, but the people who stick with you through it all? That’s the stuff that actually lasts.

Kyle’s simple holiday message showed the same heart that’s kept fans cheering for him, win or lose. Sometimes the loudest statement a champion can make is a quiet thank-you to the people who never left the stands.