It has been said that government policy resembles a game of "whack-a-mole," meaning when the government tries to tackle a specific issue with a policy, it often causes new variations of the problem to emerge in different areas. In other words, "any action has an equal and opposite reaction." When taxes and regulations are reduced, as is expected in 2025, two things tend to happen: those at the bottom economically have it tougher because there are fewer safety nets and protections. Those at the top make a killing. There will always be a debate about what makes good or bad public policy, but the writing is on the wall for 2025, so let's make the most of it. Go, Get The F-ing Money Homeownership is the gateway to the middle class, but business ownership is the path to prosperity. Latinos are inherently entrepreneurial; now is the definitive time to focus on business ownership. Consider investing in a dull but profitable company, starting a construction business, enhancing your side hustle, or discovering new ways to utilize AI or assist others in doing so. Corporate and capital gains taxes are anticipated to decrease further, making business ownership more attractive. I favor businesses with high margins and low operating costs. Stay lean, yet be aggressive. Consider this: A great plumber can make $300K in a year, but if that same person purchased a plumbing business and flipped it for a $600K profit, they would pay roughly the same in taxes. In 2025, the environment for building wealth through business ownership may reach an all-time high. Support Each Other's Businesses DEI has become the convenient scapegoat for all failures. The irony in the criticism of DEI is that legacies and nepotism have influenced about a thousand times more college admissions, coveted internships, and C-suite appointments than DEI ever did. Many individuals throughout our economy currently hold very senior positions because of it, but that is the reality, and it's probably not going away. We can complain about it or learn to play the game. In actuality, I don't blame people too much for hiring their family and friends. You have to be intelligent about it, but I've done it, and it has generally worked out for me. With less help from government, we have no choice but to make a stronger effort to support one another. Whether it involves patronizing each other's businesses, forming partnerships, offering jobs, or simply sharing ideas, we are all stronger when we help each other. If Latinos did 10% more business with each other than they currently do, the impact on our collective wealth would be in the billions. Pull Someone Else Up As stated above, reducing taxes and regulations will leave some people behind. If you are one of the beneficiaries, commit to helping someone else. Find someone to mentor or help. Give someone a fish, and they will eat for a day, but teach someone to fish, and they will eat for a lifetime. My goal for 2025 is to help create an even larger army of wealth-building warriors while encouraging a culture of collaboration and mentorship. Last year, I wrote a blog titled "Your Ideas Without Money Are Just Noise." In a nutshell, it said that the ones with the money make the rules. It sounds cynical, but it's probably more true now than ever. Let's get the money in 2025 so we can save the world later
