Louis Barajas aims to boost Latino wealth with workbook

Louis Barajas, a certified financial planner since 1990, will publish Finances Con Corazón next week. The workbook is aimed at Latino consumers and at advisors who volunteer in underserved communities. Barajas says the book is designed to help readers act on financial plans, not just learn them.

The book uses exercises that ask readers to examine beliefs, habits and goals. Barajas defines “financial dignity” as having enough resources, knowledge, confidence and freedom to live life on one’s own terms. He frames the workbook to guide families “from survival to stability, from stability to success, and from success to legacy,” and to mirror the coaching process he uses with clients.

Barajas has spent nearly four decades working with Latino clients and running several businesses. He founded an education and consulting firm, International Private Wealth Advisors, Corazón Financial & Insurance Services, and a business management company for film and music. He also appears on a reality show about financial challenges. He says those experiences shaped the book’s mix of practical strategy and personal-context exercises that link money to culture, family and identity.

The workbook covers budgeting, saving, investing, insurance and legacy planning, alongside prompts that ask readers to explore family stories, fears and aspirations. Barajas wrote that knowledge alone rarely changes behavior and that the workbook format aims to turn readers into active participants.

Barajas cites demographic and industry data to explain the book’s focus. Hispanic and Latino people make up about 20% of the U.S. population, yet fewer than 3% of certified financial planners identify as Hispanic or Latino. He notes that median wealth for Hispanic and Latino households was roughly 22% of white households’ median in 2022 dollars. He links those disparities to limited access to capital and professional advice as well as cultural and psychological factors that affect financial decisions.

Barajas describes a “Latino economic revolution” that would include more Latino-owned businesses, higher homeownership, consistent investing, job creation and intergenerational wealth transfer. He expects measurable progress within a decade and a broader transformation over 20 to 30 years.

He says industry representation has improved since 1990, citing greater awareness and programs that create pathways for underrepresented planners. At the same time, he notes the profession still needs more advisors, firm leaders, educators and mentors who reflect Latino communities.

Finances Con Corazón is intended as a consumer workbook and a tool for advisors running pro bono clinics. Barajas wrote that culturally relevant materials are scarce and that a structured resource can help build trust and encourage action among the families advisors serve.