Highline Wealth Partners

Independent SEC registered investment advisor (RIA) that manages portfolios for a variety of investors including corporations, partnerships, individual investors, trusts, foundations, retirement plans, 401K plans and other tax-exempt entities.

Director- Private Wealth Advisor

Director

Wells Fargo Advisors

Associate Vice President- Investments

Park Place Home Mortgage

Senior Loan Officer

Lehman Brothers

Institutional Fixed Income Sales: Worked with large money managers and central banks to facilitate trading for porfolios

Associate

Real Estate's Financial Planner | 25 Years Demystifying Retirement for Investors

You can retire sooner than you think.

But you need a few things.

-> A plan to reduce taxes (so you can keep more income)
-> A strategy to give you more time (so you can enjoy life more)
-> A roadmap to maximize your investments (so you can build generational wealth)

After decades advising executives, founders, and real estate professionals, I discovered the real issue isn’t a lack of strategy, it’s a lack of alignment.

That’s why I created the Wealth Edge Blueprint™, a complete, integrated system that helps high earners eliminate wealth leakage, build true financial infrastructure, and lead their wealth the same way they lead their business.

I help high-income entrepreneurs build wealth that actually feels like success.

1)By aligning your tax strategy, investment plan, and business structure into one cohesive system.
2)Eliminate hidden wealth leakage, bring clarity to your finances.
3)Help you create the kind of legacy you can feel now,not just later.

If your income is up but your financial life still feels scattered, this is the shift you've been looking for.

Ready to learn how?
Send me a DM now.

Please schedule a meeting with me here: https://calendly.com/hmeyer_highline/financial-freedom-call

Twitter: @HMoneyTalks1
IG: @hughmeyerofficial and @money_talks_now







Opinions and comments expressed by LinkedIn members are those of the persons submitting them and do not necessarily represent the views of the creator of this profile or their firm. Social media networks are independent organizations and are not affiliated with Highline in any way. Views expressed in these posts are the current opinion of the author, but not necessarily those of Highline . The author’s opinions are subject to change without notice. The information contained within this post was received from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy is not guaranteed. 


Disclaimer: all items listed in the "Skills & Endorsements" section of this webpage are unsolicited and intended to apply to this individual's profile alone, not that of Charlesworth & Rugg, Inc. DBA Highling Wealth Partners. These "Skills & Endorsements" are in no way indicative of current or future performance or of investment selection.

Hugh Meyer, MBA

Gib Irons

Irons & Irons P.A.

As the managing partner of Irons & Irons, P.A., I am in charge of running the day to day operations of the business including but not limited to implementing firm policy related to cash flow and profitability, staffing, client development, time management, and productivity systems.  
My practice is focused on personal injury litigation and family law.  As a rule, our firm does extensive screening before accepting a personal injury or family law case.  We seek to limit the number of active clients that we are representing at any given time in effort to streamline the litigation process.  As such, our clients enjoy being able to have regular and frequent access to their attorney and exceptional service.  
In the world of domestic and family law, where tension and stress are all too common for everyone involved, and the burnout rate amongst attorneys in astonishingly high, we provide a client based service that caters to high net worth and upper middle class individuals seeking to reach a favorable disposition in their case within a reasonable timeframe.

Managing Partner

Irons Equity, LLC

Gib Irons is an attorney, entrepreneur and real estate investor.  He is the founder and CEO at Irons Equity and oversees operations, acquisitions, investor relations and asset management.
Gib and his wife, Kate have 3 children, Anna-Gibson (9), Miles (7) and Malene (4).  Gib is an avid surfer and fisherman and loves offshore fishing for tuna, dolphin and wahoo.

Chief Executive Officer

Helping Accredited Investors Passively Invest in Real Estate | Founder @ Irons Equity | Father & husband (and surfer & fisherman, but my wife told me to write that last.)

In 2007, I started my law firm in Greenville, NC.

In 2019, I had a breakthrough.

Being an attorney is taxing.

It's stressful. It's intense. It's a ton of work.

It's all of that — and it's non-stop.

(If you're an attorney, you're nodding your head right now.)

A lot of attorneys work until they die. Not because they want to — but because they don't have an exit plan. 

My breakthrough came when I met a real estate investor during the Big Rock Blue Marlin fishing tournament in 2019.

He started telling me all about his strategy.

- How he invests in real estate.
- How it's saved him 6 figures in taxes. 
- How he built 6 figures in passive cash flow.

I walked off that boat committed to real estate investing.

14 months later, I owned 14 properties.

Today, my mission is simple:

I want to help other high-earners (not just attorneys) experience the same benefits I've seen from real estate investing.

Yes, not paying as much in taxes is incredible.
Yes, the portfolio diversification is great.
Yes, the return potential is wonderful.

But you know the best thing?

Real estate gives you and your family more options for your lives.

And what could be better than that?

Visit ironsequity.com or send me a DM to learn more.

Gib Irons is an attorney, entrepreneur and real estate investor.  He is the founder and CEO at Irons Equity and oversees operations, acquisitions, investor relations and asset management.  Gib is a resident of Greenville, North Carolina.

Gib owns 14 single family condominiums, a commercial building, and a short-term rental (STR) property in Sevierville, Tennessee near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg named “Smoky Mountain Masterpiece.” 

Gib is a passive investor in a 660-unit portfolio in Arlington, Texas, a 344-unit apartment building in Dallas, Texas, and a 295-unit property in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

In addition to Gib’s real estate investing experience, Gib is the owner and managing partner of Irons & Irons, PA, a multi-million dollar law firm based in North Carolina and established in 2007.

Gib and his wife, Kate have 3 children, Anna-Gibson (9), Miles (7) and Malene (4).  Gib is an avid surfer and fisherman and loves offshore fishing for tuna, dolphin and wahoo.

My wife made $250,000 in a year while staying at home with my kids.

When I first started investing in real estate, it was chaos.

-> I was trying to run a law office.
-> I was managing my 14 properties.
-> I was juggling multiple contractors.

Then my CPA made a suggestion:

“Gib, would your wife be open to becoming a qualified real estate professional?”

My CPA told me if Kate managed those 14 properties and logged 750 hours in a year, she could become a qualified real estate professional, and we’d be able to improve our tax situation.

Kate was interested, and in 2021, she earned her qualified real estate professional designation.

Now, Kate is critical to our real estate success as a family.

-> Any time we have turnover, she’s at properties doing showings.
-> She’s constantly juggling maintenance people and tenants.
-> And did I mention she watches our 3 kids under 10 years old?

It’s a ton of work — and she’s incredibly good at it.

In 2021, thanks to Kate’s help and her professional designation, we were able to save $250,000 in taxes in a single year.

Not a bad salary for a Stay at Home Mom.

I quit alcohol 17 years ago because of the metal band Korn.

Why it was one of the best decisions of my life:

In 2002 I met the lead singer, Jonathan Davis.

I thought he was the stereotypical party animal like most rockstars.

But he told me something that changed my life:

“I saw my career going down the drain and I had to make a choice:

Music or partying.

I couldn’t do both so I quit.”

He didn’t drink or do any drugs.

5 years later… I quit.

Since then I:

• Have become healthier
• Wake up more energized
• Built 2 thriving businesses
• Got better at handling my emotions
• Created the best relationships with my friends and family

If you’re stuck in the same miserable job or situation and have no idea how to break out…

Look at how much you’re drinking.

I guarantee it’s holding you back.

P.S. -

If you're looking for an opportunity to invest in medical real estate and build passive income. 

Send me a DM.

I missed my daughter's soccer game to bill $800.

Worst trade I ever made.

And I've made some shitty investments.

But that one hurt different.

Because you can't get that back.

Here's what nobody tells you:

High income is a trap.

You think: "Just a few more years."

"Just one more promotion."

"Just get to partner first."

Then you're 50.

Rich on paper.

Poor in memories.

The math that woke me up:

$400K salary = 2,000 billable hours

Every hour you work = $200

Every game you miss = Priceless

You can't buy those back.

What I did:

Stopped optimizing for income.

Started optimizing for time.

Bought assets that work without me.

The shift:

2019: 80-hour weeks, missed every game

2020: Bought 14 properties in 14 months

2024: 1,200 units GP/LP, never miss a game

Still make the same money.

Work 40% less.

The assets pay me monthly:

Medical real estate → distributions

Build-to-rent portfolio → Cash flow

Multifamily syndications → Equity growth

All while I'm coaching soccer.

The truth nobody says:

Your kids don't care about your salary.

They care if you show up.

Your spouse doesn't want the promotion.

They want you present.

You're not building wealth for later.

You're trading life for money.

Working 80-hour weeks is hard.

Building assets that buy your time back is hard.

Realizing too late that you missed everything is hard.

Choose your hard.

---

Comment "TIME" if you're tired of missing what matters.

Follow me for real talk on buying your life back.

$100,000.

That’s how much I invested in my first real estate deal while still running my law firm full-time.

And that single decision changed how I think about money, time, and freedom.

Here’s the truth most people miss:

You don’t have to quit your job to get the benefits of real estate investing.

You just need to do what I did:

→ Find experienced operators you trust

→ Invest in deals that generate steady cash flow

→ Let your capital work harder than you do

The investors I work with aren’t trying to “escape” their careers.

They like what they do they just want their money earning while they’re in meetings, on vacation, or sleeping.

They want:

✅ Consistent passive income

✅ Tax advantages that beat the W-2 grind

✅ Long-term equity in real, tangible assets

You don’t need to overhaul your life.

You just need to redirect your capital into something that buys your time back.

If that sounds like your next move 

Send me a DM to connect and discuss your goals.

We raised $1.2 million in 3 weeks.

No banks.
No institutions.

Just high-earning professionals — doctors, lawyers, engineers — looking for a better way to build wealth.
Most of them have never bought a rental property.

And honestly? They don’t want to.

They’ve got demanding careers, kids in sports, calendars packed with back-to-back Zooms.

What they don’t have is time to chase deals, manage renovations, or deal with tenants.

But they do want:

✅ Consistent cash flow
✅ Tax-efficient returns
✅ Real, appreciating assets
✅ A trusted operator with a proven track record

That’s why they invest with us.

We raised $1.2 million in 3 weeks for our latest multifamily deal — not because we’re the flashiest group out there, but because we’ve built real relationships and delivered real results.

Our model is simple:
📍 We buy undervalued properties in strong markets
📍 We force appreciation through strategic renovations
📍 We distribute returns quarterly — while preserving capital

If you’re a high earner who’s sitting on cash and wondering how to get it working without quitting your day job...

DM me “PASSIVE” and I’ll walk you through exactly how we help investors like you build wealth with confidence.

I invested $1.5M of my own money in 24 months.

Not a single dollar from investors.

Here's what that bought me:

The right to ask for theirs.

Most syndicators are broke.

They're raising capital they can't afford to invest in themselves.

Then they wonder why nobody trusts them.

Here's what I learned:

Skin in the game > Slick pitch decks

Real money talks > Fake Instagram posts

Eating your own cooking > Selling dreams

The breakdown:

$500K → Multifamily deal (Arlington, TX)

$300K → Medical real estate fund

$200K → Phoenix build-to-rent

$500K → Three more deals after vetting 100+ opportunities

What happened next:

Raised $12M in 3 weeks.

Why?

Because investors could see my money first.

Not asking them to do what I won't do.

The truth nobody says:

You can't raise capital without credibility.

You can't have credibility without skin in the game.

You can't have skin in the game without capital.

Being broke is hard.

Risking your own money is hard.

Asking others to trust you when you don't trust yourself is hard.

Choose your hard.

Comment below:

Would you ever invest with anyone that does not have skin in the game?

Arnold Schwarzenegger's $750,000,000 empire started with real estate.

Before his acting career skyrocketed, he was a real estate millionaire.

When Arnold got to the US, he had a problem.

He had to figure out a way to pay for:

• Bodybuilding competitions.
• Personal marketing.
• Auditions.

All without a traditional 9-5 job.

To buy real estate, Arnold used his savings from:

• Competitions.
• Workshops.
• Seminars.

He started with a 6-unit apartment complex.
He lived in 1 and rented the other 5.

3 years later, he sold the 6-unit for a 12-unit building.

He made a 481.8% return on that property.

Over time, he traded the:

12-unit → 36-unit
36-unit → 100s of units, offices, and retail spaces

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲:

1. Start with an income-producing asset.

↳ Arnold prioritized buying an income-generating property before purchasing a personal home.

2. Use real estate to fund your dreams.

↳ Arnold used real estate to support his acting and bodybuilding competitions, without needing a traditional 9-5 job.

3. Re-invest and scale up.

↳ He scaled his 6-unit into a 12-unit and then a 36-unit.
↳ Eventually scaling up into a diverse portfolio of 100s of units.

4. Have a long-term belief.

↳ Arnold's real estate success wasn't overnight.
↳ Starting small, he grew his empire with a vision.

5. It's never too late to start.

↳ It's always possible to invest in real estate, regardless of your current situation.

Real estate isn't just about owning property.

It's about owning your future.
It's about owning your time.
It's about owning your life.

The choice is yours.

Build your dreams or watch others live theirs.

0–11.

That was my daughter’s soccer team record this year.

Not 11–0.
Zero wins. Eleven losses.

As someone who’s been competitive my entire life — as an attorney, an entrepreneur, an investor — I’m not used to losing.

In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that didn’t win at least once.

But here’s the thing:

This season taught me more than any “winning” one ever could.

Because the scoreboard didn’t show what really mattered:

→ Watching my daughter grow in confidence
→ Laughing on the car rides home
→ Seeing her shake off tough games and show up again
→ Spending quality time, not just more time

I used to think winning was everything.
But now I realize — showing up, staying present, and investing in the people you love?

That’s the real scoreboard.

And in that game, I feel like I’m 11–0.

I pay 35% in taxes.

I paid $0 on $1M of income last year.

Legally.

Here's exactly how I did it:

I made a $200,000 charitable donation in 2023.
That donation turned into a $1,000,000 tax deduction on my 2024 return.

Let me break down the math:

Tax I would've paid on $1M at 35%: $350,000

Tax I actually paid: $0

Net savings after the $200K donation: $150,000 in my pocket

Here's the $100K example:

Say you donate $100,000.
You receive a $500,000 tax deduction (5x multiplier).

If you're making $1M annually in the 35% bracket:

Tax on $500K at 35% = $175,000
Amount you donated = $100,000
Net benefit = $75,000 you keep instead of sending to the IRS

How This Actually Works:

You donate to a qualified charitable organization

→ They buy raw materials and create a product (medical supplies, accessibility tech)
→ Independent appraisal values the finished product at 5x cost
→ You get a K-1 by March 15th with your charitable deduction
→ Reduces your AGI by up to 50% per year
→ Excess carries forward to future years

The Track Record:

9 consecutive years of successful operation
Zero IRS audits
$90M raised annually in just 8 weeks

Hundreds of high-earners have used this strategy

Yes, there's risk.

The IRS could theoretically disallow it years later.

You'd owe back taxes plus penalties.

But with 9 years and zero audits, I'm comfortable with that risk to keep an extra $150K.
The Bottom Line:

Donate $100K → Save $175K in taxes
Donate $200K → Save $350K in taxes

The window opens mid-September and closes by Thanksgiving.

If this caught your attention, DM me "TAX".

I'll send you more details on my personal experience with this strategy.

--
I am not a CPA, tax attorney, or financial advisor. This is not tax or financial advice. This is educational content based on my personal experience.

Over $100,000.

That's how much I legally didn't pay in taxes last year.

No loopholes.

No offshore accounts.

Just strategy, leverage, and the same tax code every high-income professional has access to—but few truly understand.

Here's what I've learned after years of earning a strong W-2 income:

The harder you work for your money, the more the system takes.

But when your money starts working for you—that's when everything changes.

Most high earners don't have a tax problem.

They have an asset problem.

They're generating income—not equity.

They're paying taxes—not leveraging depreciation.

They're trading time—not building freedom.

When I started investing in real estate, everything shifted.

Every dollar I invested started working two jobs:

→ Earning cash flow every month

→ Sheltering my income with legal, strategic deductions

Depreciation. Cost segregation. Passive losses.

These aren't "hacks"—they're how wealth is built quietly, legally, and predictably.

It's the same playbook family offices and ultra-high-net-worth investors have been running for decades.

They just don't talk about it on social media.

Here's the part that really hit me:

I didn't have to quit my career or walk away from my law firm.

I just had to start letting my capital do the work instead of my calendar.

If you're a high-earning professional tired of trading 60-hour weeks for a 40% tax bill, real estate investing isn't just a financial move it's an act of freedom.

Because the only thing better than making great money is keeping it and watching it multiply while you live life on your own terms.

Send me a DM to connect and discuss how to make your money work smarter (and legally pay less).


---
Disclaimer: I’m not a CPA or tax advisor. This post is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as tax or financial advice. Always consult with a qualified tax professional before making investment or tax decisions.

Your $75K salary becomes $150K.
Then $250K.
Then $500K.

And you know what happens?

Your stress doubles. Your tax bill triples. Your time disappears.

You're making more but keeping less—and you've got nothing to show for it except exhaustion and a fat tax return to the IRS.

The dirty secret of wealth building isn't about making more.

It's about **keeping more** and making your money work while you sleep.

I see this with every high-earning professional I meet:
- Doctors working 80-hour weeks
- Lawyers billing their lives away
- Business owners trapped in their own companies

They're rich on paper but broke on time.

Real wealth isn't just income. It's options.

The freedom to say no. The ability to take a Tuesday morning surf session. The option to retire—or not—on your terms.

That only happens when you stop trading time for money and start putting your capital to work.

Most people wait until they're 60 to figure this out.

Don't be most people.

What's keeping you from making your first passive investment?

I built my law firm into a prison.

Then I bought my way out with real estate.

Spent 10 years becoming the attorney everyone wanted.

Also became my own worst boss.

The prison I built:

80-hour weeks

Can't take vacation (clients need me)

Miss my kids' games (depositions scheduled)

Make great money (but can't spend it with my family)

The wake-up call:

2019 Fishing tournament. Met a guy with 200 properties.

He asked: "What's your exit plan?"

I didn't have one.

39 years old. Multi-million dollar firm. Zero exit strategy.

What I did next:

Bought 14 properties in 14 months.

Studied real estate like I studied for the bar exam.

Invested $1.5M of my own money.

Built a 1,200+ unit portfolio.

The truth no one tells you:

You can't build freedom by selling hours.

Doesn't matter if you charge $500/hour or $50/hour.

Time for money = prison.

Assets that pay you = freedom.

Today:

Still run my law firm (on my terms)

Invested in 20+ real estate deals

Raised $12M in 3 weeks

Actually see my kids play soccer

Being trapped is hard.

Building an exit is hard.

Staying trapped forever is hard.

Choose your hard.

---

Comment "EXIT" if you're ready to stop trading time for money.

Follow me for real talk on escaping the high-earner trap.

$1 trillion in jobs are on the line.

That's how much income could disappear as AI reshapes the workforce.

And it's already happening.

Lawyers. Analysts. Consultants. Creatives.

Good people. Great at what they do.

Still getting replaced or "restructured."

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

You can't outwork an algorithm.

But you can outsmart it.

That's why I started investing in real estate.

Cash flow doesn't get automated.

Buildings don't get laid off.

And rent checks don't care who's training the next model.

While everyone panics about what AI might take, I'm focused on what it can't touch:

→ Tangible assets

→ Predictable income

→ Long-term equity that works while I do

The future's coming fast—and it's not waiting for anyone.

But the investors who own *real* assets?

They'll keep earning while the rest of the world updates their résumés.

If you're ready to build income no machine can replace

Send me a DM to connect and discuss your goals.

Grateful today.

Not for the deals. Not for the distributions.

For the time.

Time with Kate and the kids.

Time I wouldn't have had when I was billing 2,000+ hours a year.

Real estate gave me options but the best option has always been choosing family first.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I donated $200K to charity in 2023.

And took a $1M charitable contribution.

Let me show you the math.

My numbers:

Donated: $200,000

Charitable Contribution K-1 loss: $1,000,000

If I'm in the 35% blended tax bracket on that $1M of income:

Tax I would have paid: $350,000
Tax I actually paid: $0 (on that portion)

Money saved: $350,000

Net savings after donation: $150,000 in my pocket

Here's how someone could do this with $100K:

Donate: $100,000
Tax deduction received: $500,000 (5x multiplier)

If you're making $1M annually in the 35% bracket:

Tax on $500K at 35%: $175,000
Amount donated: $100,000

Net benefit: $75,000 you keep instead of paying to the IRS

The Structure:

-> You donate to a qualified charitable organization.
-> They purchase raw materials and create a product.
-> Independent appraisal values the finished product at 5x the raw materials cost.

-> You receive a K-1 by March 15th showing your charitable contribution.
-> You can reduce your adjusted gross income by up to 50% per year.
-> If the charitable contribution exceeds 50% of your AGI, it carries forward to future years.

The track record:

The sponsor I work with has done this for 9 consecutive years.

Zero IRS audits.

$90M raised annually in just 8 weeks (mid-September through Thanksgiving).

Hundreds of high-earners using this strategy.

Yes, there's risk.
The IRS could disallow the deduction years later.
You'd owe back taxes plus penalties and interest.

The bottom line:

Donate $100K, save $175K in taxes.
Donate $200K, save $350K in taxes.

The math is simple.
The strategy is proven.

This post is just here for educational purposes. 

If you have more questions or want to connect on my personal experience send me a DM. 

Disclaimer:
I am not a CPA. I am not a tax attorney. I am not a financial advisor. This is not tax advice. This is not financial advice. This is purely educational content based on my personal experience. Always consult with your own qualified tax professional before making any financial decisions.

Every successful investor I know has a Not To Do List.

Here's mine and some people will hate this:

I don't invest in deals without skin in the game.

I don't chase cap rates without looking at sponsor track record.

I don't take calls from syndicators who won't show me their actual distributions.

I don't invest in markets I haven't personally visited.

I don't respond to pitch decks that say "strong cash flow" without numbers.

I don't work with sponsors who don't invest their own capital.

I don't sit through webinars that are just sales pitches.

I don't buy into deals where the sponsor makes money even if I lose mine.

I don't invest without understanding the tax benefits first.

I don't take advice from people who've never closed a deal.

I don't fill my portfolio with assets that can't show me monthly distributions.

I don't ever invest in something I can't explain to my wife.

Your time is your capital too.

Spend it wisely.

You have anxiety because deep down you know you could be doing greater.

It's really just you against the mirror.

You vs you.

I get it. 

I spent years billing 2,000+ hours as a trial attorney while knowing I was trading time for money in a game I couldn't win.

The anxiety wasn't about the work.

It was about the path.

When I invested my first $500K into real estate, the anxiety didn't disappear it transformed.

Now it's fuel.

It reminds me that sitting still is more expensive than any deal I could lose money on.

So when anxiety hits, I do one of two things:

Go small—knock out the task I've been avoiding.
Or go BIG—take the swing I've been thinking about for months.

For me, going big was putting $1.5M of my own capital into deals before asking anyone else to invest.

For you, it might be making that first $50K passive investment instead of letting it sit in a savings account earning 4%.

Which sounds scarier?

That's the one you need to do.

Our team raised $12 million in 3 weeks.

For medical real estate.

People keep asking how we did it so fast.

Here's what actually happened:

It wasn't one big pitch that convinced everyone.

It was 18 months of building trust before we ever opened the fund.

Here's the truth about raising capital that nobody talks about:

The raise doesn't start when you launch the fund.

It starts the first time you show actual results.

Our investors didn't invest in a deal.

They invested because they'd been watching:

→ Monthly distribution updates (actual amounts, not vague "cash flow")

→ Real tax savings with receipts ($250K my first year)

→ Honest conversations about deals we walked away from

→ $1.5M+ of my own capital already invested alongside LPs

When we opened the medical real estate fund, we weren't asking people to trust us.

We were giving them the opportunity to participate in what we were already doing.

That's the difference.

Most sponsors spend weeks trying to convince investors with projections.

We spent 18 months showing them actual results.

By the time we launched, the question wasn't "Should I invest?"

It was "How much can I invest?"

---

$12M in 3 weeks wasn't luck.

It was proof of concept that took years to build.

Do you want to connect and discuss your 2026 investment goals?

Send me a DM.

$34,000,000,000,000 in debt.

And the federal government has been shut down since October 1st.

40+ days of silence.

No budgets passed. No end in sight.

This isn’t just politics.

It’s a flashing warning light for anyone relying on W-2 income, federal programs, or market “stability.”

Here’s what this shutdown is exposing:

1. 800,000+ furloughed workers paychecks paused, morale gutted, operations stalled

2. Frozen capital pipelines SBA loans, HUD-backed real estate, permits and grants all stuck in limbo

3. Rising market anxiety rates jittery, investment timelines slipping, uncertainty everywhere

Why it matters now:

→ Income streams tied to government = vulnerable

→ Passive income from cash-flowing assets = defensive moat

→ Real estate and private deals not reliant on approvals = major edge

→ Market dysfunction = discount deals for those with liquidity and speed

The headlines say “shutdown.”

But what they mean is: you’re on your own.

If you’re not building income outside the system, you’re one budget fight away from chaos.

I help investors take control with tax-smart, income-generating assets that don’t care who’s in office or whether Congress clocked in.

Get the playbook I share weekly in my investor newsletter:

https://lnkd.in/e3dfUJFp

$152,000,000,000.

That’s what the U.S. travel industry contributes to GDP every single month.

40+ days of delays, disruptions, and uncertainty.

It’s not just frustrating for travelers it’s a major economic red flag.

Here’s what this shutdown is doing to U.S. travel:

1. TSA + air traffic staffing stretched thin overtime halted, sickouts rising, delays spiking

2. Passport + visa processing slowed or stopped backlogs growing, trips canceled

3. National parks + landmarks closed or unstaffed tourism dollars lost, local economies hit

Why it matters for investors:

→ Travel-dependent assets (hotels, STRs, tourism hubs) are seeing demand shocks

→ Markets reliant on visa/immigration flow = instability risk

→ Infrastructure delays can ripple into CRE timelines and valuations

→ Consumer confidence tied to smooth travel and right now, that’s shaky

This shutdown is a sneaky saboteur.

It’s not loud. But it’s quietly choking off the flow of money, people, and opportunity.

If your income relies on systems that *need permission to function…

You’re playing someone else’s game.

I help investors build streams that flow no matter what—

Passive, tax-efficient, and shutdown-proof.

I break it down weekly in my newsletter:

https://lnkd.in/e3dfUJFp

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The Battle

Hugh Meyer, MBA

Gib Irons

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taplio

The Battle

Hugh Meyer, MBA

Gib Irons

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Gib Irons's LinkedIn Performance

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