Here we are again, the start of the NFL Season and the season of Leverage

We are getting ready to start another exciting NFL season. Fans are getting their Sunday Ticket, their final trades for the fantasy football and their favorite teams gear. For the players this is another year to take advantage of the blessing that is being able to play in the NFL for one more year. This year holds even more importance since this is the year before the end of the salary cap. This is the dawn of a new age of labor negotiations for the NFL and the NFLPA. Players have decided to start building a war chest to combat the inevitable lockout by the NFL owners who want even greater profits, at the expense of the fans, working public, and the players. The NFLPA's 50/50 Plan of saving 50% of this years salary is a good start but how do you go about doing this? This is where a plan is needed to keep the leverage the player has. The player needs to ask himself several questions.

1. What are my fixed expenses for the year?
2. What is my take home pay net of taxes?
3. Are there any major payments due in the next two years?
4. Are there any places where savings can be found? (service professionals, trips, large purchases)
5. Has the reality of the next two years been properly communicated with family members?
6. Do you know your support options within the NFLPA?
7. Have you adjusted your asset allocation for the possibility of needing liquidity during the lockout?

Being prepared for this coming storm will help the players weather it and come out stronger fiscally for it. The players are about to enter a great teaching period and I hope the lessons are well learned. The NFLPA is doing a great job preparing the players for this under the dynamic new leadership of the new executive director, DeMaurice Smith, but having a strong team around each player advising them (Financial Advisor, Agent, Attorney, CPA) will help this to be the dawn of a new and stronger NFLPA, where the players, like on the field of play, use their Leverage, to win the game.