- Scottsdale, AZ
Financial Planning for Athletes
Financial planning for athletes is about transforming a powerful earning window into a lifetime of financial freedom, stability, and peace of mind.
A professional athlete often earns the bulk of their lifetime’s income in a decade, a dramatic difference from the standard 40-year career. An athlete’s front-loaded earnings period emphasizes the importance of a tailored financial plan and creates an amazing opportunity to invest early and harness the power of compounding investment returns.
The same logic now applies to college athletes, thanks to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rule changes. With NIL, today’s college athletes have the biggest opportunity any generation of athletes has ever had to secure a successful financial outcome for themselves and those around them.
Looking for a financial advisor who understands an athlete’s timeline? Contact the team at ARQ Wealth to build a plan tailored to your career and your goals. Call us at (480) 214-9572 to schedule a free consultation.
Why a Fee-Only Fiduciary Is the Right Fit for Athletes
A fee-only fiduciary firm, like ARQ Wealth, is legally & morally committed to act in your best interest and does not take commissions for the products that they recommend.
A good financial advisor for athletes should act as the hub of your financial team, coordinating the agent, tax professional, and estate attorney so the pieces work together rather than against each other.
For a busy professional athlete who would rather focus on their sport, that coordination is of most value. It is also why wealth management for professional athletes works best as an ongoing relationship, as your income, risks, and goals change.
Before hiring any financial advisor, you may want to ask these key questions:
- Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time?
- How are you paid, and does your compensation change based on the products you recommend?
- Will you coordinate with my agent, business manager, accountant, and attorney?
Meet Jerad Rosburg: ARQ Wealth’s Financial Advisor for Athletes, Dedicated to Serving Those Who Live the Game
ARQ Wealth’s mission is to empower athletes and coaches to navigate the complexities of professional sports by providing trusted guidance, personalized financial strategies, and lifelong support—helping them achieve lasting financial security and peace of mind.
Jerad Rosburg—as a former player for the NHL’s Dallas Stars—understands the pace, transitions, and demands of life in high-level athletics.
He can directly relate to athletes’ experiences and understand where they’re coming from better than anyone in the private wealth management space. Additionally, as the son of an NFL coach, he knows exactly how family dynamics often work for high-performing athletes.
This understanding of the athletic lifestyle allows him to provide high‑touch support at any time of the day and seamless coordination of their unique lifestyles. This includes helping athletes transition into the next chapter of their lives when the time comes.
The transition from the game you love to a life after sports can be financially complex, emotionally taxing, and an experience that most advisors can’t relate to. Whether you retire on your own terms or earlier than expected, you deserve someone who’s been in your shoes, successfully transitioned out of sport, and has helped others land softly.
Clients that Jerad and ARQ Wealth serve include:
- Professional Athletes: NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB athletes at all stages of their careers
- High-Earning Coaches: Professional and collegiate coaches, including NFL, NHL, College Football, College Basketball, and MLB head coaches and coordinators
- NIL Athletes: Collegiate athletes generating significant income through Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities
- Early Career NFL Coaches: Quality control coaches, position assistants, and other coaches just getting started in the NFL
- Up-and-Coming Athletes: Athletes in the early stages of their careers focused on foundational financial education
- Retiring & Retired Athletes: Athletes transitioning out of professional sports or living in retirement
How do I get started?
Begin by scheduling a free consultation with one of our financial advisors. Click below to request a meeting.
Today’s Athletes Have an Incredible Financial Opportunity, and Many Face Similar Circumstances
Professional athletes share a financial profile that’s unique among high earners. The paychecks are large, arrive early, and can be volatile year to year. As a result, almost all athletes face the same circumstances due to their unique skill set.
Years Where Earnings are High, But Inconsistent
The average career builds slowly over time, with peak earnings arriving in your forties and fifties. An athlete’s curve is inverted: peak earnings come first, often in your twenties, sometimes followed by reduced earning power in your later years.
The good news is that with sound investments, this early career arc can lead to a huge head start financially, maximizing the wonders of compounding returns and having your money work for you. For a pro athlete, financial planning should really start the minute that first check lands.
Lump-Sum Signing Bonuses and Sudden Wealth
A signing bonus or major contract can deliver more money in one year than most families see in a lifetime. While it’s tempting to treat this income as your new normal, it’s important to ensure a portion is invested for the future to start establishing a financial base.
Tax Obligations Across Multiple States and Countries
Few earners face a tax picture as complex as that of an athlete who competes nationally or globally. Athletes have to pay income taxes in most states where they compete, which is often referred to as the “jock tax.”
Compete in a dozen different states throughout the year, and you’ll be required to pay taxes to each state that you play in. Keeping a financial advisor in your corner who understands these complexities and works closely with your CPA is the easiest way to navigate—and potentially mitigate—your tax obligation across different states.
A Potential Post-Career Income Gap
Another difficult transition for athletes is the one from a large paycheck to no paycheck. Securing brand deals, business income, or investment returns while you’re still competing can help bridge the gap after your playing career.
A Financial Planning Framework Built for an Athlete's Timeline
Strong athlete financial planning tends to track the arc of a career.
- Early and Breakthrough Years: Focused on capturing and protecting a sudden influx of money.
- Peak Earning Years: Converting income into a diversified portfolio while the earnings are good.
- Post-Career Years: Drawing on that base in a tax-efficient way.
Tax Planning
Effective tax planning for athletes requires coordinating several moving parts: managing jock tax and multi-state filings, choosing a domicile thoughtfully (some athletes establish residency in no-income-tax states such as Texas, Florida, or Nevada, though the residency rules are strict and audited), and using tax-advantaged accounts to lower taxable income.
The 2026 401(k) contribution limit is $24,500, and maxing it is one of the cleanest ways to trim a top-bracket tax bill while building retirement savings. Athletes earning 1099 income from endorsements can set up a solo 401(k) as self‑employed individuals, allowing them to contribute both as “employee” and “employer.” This structure lets them shelter income tax‑free, deferring taxes on contributions and investment growth while reducing taxable income from those deals.
Many young athletes sit in the same $250,000 to $750,000-plus band as the high earners, sometimes called HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet), facing top-bracket rates without the deductions business owners can benefit from, which makes disciplined tax planning much more important.
Investing and Diversification
Wealth management is often focused on converting earnings into assets that continue to pay after the career ends. The goal is usually to achieve two principles:
- Diversification: Diversification is like a championship team—each player or investment brings unique strengths that complement the lineup, ensuring we’re equipped no matter what the future holds. Protecting athletes from overconcentration, whether in a single business venture, a friend’s startup, or a single piece of real estate, is vital to long-term success.
- Time: An athlete who invests aggressively in their twenties has a compounding advantage almost no one else gets. Investing even $50,000 a year from age 23 to 30 and never adding another dollar can outgrow someone who starts a decade later and contributes far more, simply because the early money compounds for 40 years.
A registered investment advisor can help match the portfolio to your risk tolerance and timeline to establish a clear investment strategy.
Insurance and Asset Protection
Athletes often need deeper, more complex insurance holdings than people in a traditional W-2 career. For example, most athletes should consider getting disability insurance to help replace income if they suffer a career-ending injury. Then there’s life insurance, which protects the family, children, or friends who may rely on you for support.
Estate Planning
Estate planning is how you stay in control of your money and protect the people who depend on you the most. A basic plan includes a will, current beneficiary designations, and often a trust to manage how and when assets pass to heirs. Again, for athletes who will earn the bulk of their income in their twenties, it’s important to put financial guardrails in place sooner rather than later.
A coordinated estate planning strategy keeps the wealth working across generations rather than leaking to avoidable taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is financial planning different for professional athletes?
Athletes earn a large share of their lifetime income in a compressed, often unpredictable window, and face tax, insurance, and career-transition strain most professions never encounter. That combination of front-loaded earnings and a long post-career life makes proactive professional athlete financial planning far more important than it is for a typical 40-year career.
What is the jock tax, and how does it affect athletes?
The jock tax is the state and local income tax charged on money earned where you work, not where you live. Because pro athletes compete in many states each season, they may owe taxes and file returns in a dozen or more jurisdictions in a single year. Planning for it in advance prevents surprise bills and, in some cases, lowers the total owed.
What happens to an athlete's finances after retirement?
Active income usually stops or drops sharply, often before age 35, while expenses continue for decades. A sound plan replaces that sport-specific income seamlessly with income from the portfolio and other sources built during the playing years. This plan is developed early on and is implemented one to two years before income is expected to decline.
Why partner with a financial advisor who played professional sports instead of one who’s only worked in finance?
The life and pressures of professional athletes are difficult to understand for anyone who hasn’t lived them. Unfortunately, many advisors pursue athletes to enhance their own image, without truly grasping the complexity of an athlete’s financial and personal world. An advisor who has lived the game protects and serves his athletes because they are his people—grounded, genuine, and never star-struck by the bright lights.
Take the First Step With ARQ Wealth
Take the First Step With ARQ Wealth
You don’t have to navigate the financial complexities of a sports career alone. Whether you’re earning NIL income, signing your first professional contract, managing the demands of peak earning years, or preparing for life after the game, ARQ Wealth can help you protect what you’ve earned and plan confidently for what comes next.
Schedule a free consultation with ARQ Wealth today or call us at (480) 214-9572 to learn how our financial planning for athletes can support your career, your goals, and your long-term financial security. You can also explore our sample financial plan.