What Do They Do All Week?
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of NFL football.It’s the best sport in the world, partly because of the scheduling. Unlike baseball or basketball, where games run constantly, football gives you one weekly appointment. You lock in on Sunday for a few hours, and that’s your fix. It means something because it’s scarce.Which got me thinking. If the games are only on Sundays, what exactly are these guys doing the other six days?The answer is: everything that makes Sunday possible.
They lift weights. They run. They do conditioning work. They run drills. Seven-on-seven. Blocking. Tackling. Catching. Throwing. They work on technique until it becomes second nature.They watch film. Hours of it. They study themselves and the other team. They break down formations, tendencies, strengths, weaknesses. They learn the playbook inside and out.Nobody in the NFL just shows up on Sunday, straps on their pads, and hopes for the best. The game is won during the week, long before the cameras turn on.
Q: Derek, what does this have to do with personal finance?
A: Everything. Think of April 15 as your Super Bowl. Most people treat it like the only day that matters. They scramble to gather documents in March, hand everything to a preparer, and hope the number isn’t too bad. Then they forget about their finances until the next April.That’s like an NFL team skipping practice all week and expecting to win on Sunday. It doesn’t work that way.
Q: Derek, what does “practice” look like for personal finance?
A: Doing the work during the year, not just at the deadline. A good financial game plan has a rhythm, just like a football team’s schedule.Lifting the weights means building your savings habits. Automating contributions to your 401(k), your IRA, your taxable account. Consistency over willpower.Watching film means reviewing your portfolio. Not obsessively. Quarterly at minimum. Is your allocation still right? Have your circumstances changed? Is there a tax-loss harvesting opportunity that nobody has touched?Running drills means staying on top of the basics. Updating beneficiaries. Reviewing insurance. Making sure estate documents are current. Not glamorous. Neither are wind sprints. They still matter.Studying the playbook means understanding your tax situation before December 31, not after. Does a Roth conversion make sense this year? Should you accelerate deductions or defer income? What should your estimated payments look like so April doesn’t bring a nasty surprise?
Q: Derek, why don’t people do this?
A: Same reason most people don’t go to the gym six days a week. It’s not fun. It’s not urgent. The consequences of skipping one week aren’t obvious.The consequences stack up. Miss one quarter of tax planning and you lose a conversion window. Ignore your allocation for a year and you take on too much risk. Forget to update beneficiaries after a divorce and your ex-spouse inherits your retirement account. I’ve seen all of them.
Q: Derek, how does someone get started?
A: You get a coach. Every great NFL team has an entire staff. Offensive coordinator. Defensive coordinator. Position coaches. Film analysts. Nobody does it alone.Your finances deserve the same approach. Someone looking at the whole field. Someone who sees the tax implications of your investment decisions and the investment implications of your tax decisions. Someone who runs the drills with you all year so game day is just a formality.
Q: Derek, what’s the real takeaway?
A: Stop treating April 15 like it’s the only day that matters. The people who win financially prepare all year long. The ones who lose show up on game day and hope for the best.Clarity beats activity. Discipline beats cleverness. The less you interfere, the better the system works.
If you want this done right, it helps to have one person looking at everything. Investments and taxes aren’t separate decisions. If you treat them that way, you’ll end up with bigger problems.That’s what I do. As both a CPA and a CFA, I manage your investments and your tax strategy under one roof. No gaps. No conflicting advice. Just one coordinated plan.
Start your tax savvy journey
Whether you’re ready to get started or have questions about our firm, we’re here to help.
Call Derek: (432) 687-0243
Email Derek: hello@basinwealth.com
