FOR ATHLETES AND THE FAMILIES SUPPORTING THEM
Your off-the-field playbook
For NCAA Division I athletes, high school student-athletes committed to Power 4 programs, professional athletes, and the families supporting them. We understand the earning window and what it takes to make the money last.
Schedule a consultationGetting to know Arc Wealth Partners
Will Platt played NCAA Division I football before becoming a CFP and a coach. When NIL money started flowing to the athletes he coached, he saw them making career decisions without the team they needed off the field. Arc's athlete practice was built on that gap.
The story behind this practice
William Platt spent his college years as a NCAA Division I football player. He earned the CFP and coached high school varsity in parallel with building his advisory practice. When NIL rules changed in 2021, the athletes he coached started showing up with money and no plan. Those first conversations exposed a gap: thousands of athletes across the collegiate space were suddenly earning income without the professional team to support it. He built the athlete practice at Arc Wealth Partners in response.
How we work with athletes
William's five-step process for a new athlete client.
Set your goals
Every relationship starts with an introduction call. We identify what you're trying to build during your playing years and what needs to be true when the checks stop coming in.
Find the tax savings
State residency, income timing, family payroll, business structure, and retirement plan design. Most athletes leave money on the table here. We start with the biggest levers first.
Build the off-field team
You need a tax professional, a lawyer, an advisor, and marketing people who move at the same speed you do. We introduce you to the ecosystem so you are not running your career and your business alone.
Protect what you're building
Business structures, insurance, contracts, and asset protection. One injury or one lawsuit should not undo what you earned. This step gets planned before anything unexpected happens.
Grow it for the long haul
Investment strategy built to produce lifetime income and pass wealth to the family. This is the payoff of doing steps 1 through 4 well.
Questions we get a lot
Should I create an LLC?
It depends on how much income you're generating, where it's coming from, and what you're planning to do with the business over time. An LLC can lower your effective tax rate through pass-through treatment and give you a legal wrapper for hiring people or making business-related purchases.
Should my LLC be taxed as an S corp?
The S corp election can reduce self-employment tax once your business income clears a threshold. It requires paying yourself a reasonable salary and running payroll. We look at income, other tax planning already in place, and whether the paperwork overhead makes sense for what you would save.
Can I purchase a vehicle through my business?
In some cases, yes. Vehicle deductions have specific rules on business use, documentation, and vehicle weight thresholds. We walk through what qualifies.
What are the best ways to invest in real estate?
The right structure depends on what you want the real estate to do: cash flow, appreciation, tax advantage, or all three. Direct ownership, LLC-owned rentals, syndications, and REITs each have different tax treatment and different risk. We start with what you're trying to accomplish, then match the structure.
How do I hire family members for my business?
In many cases you can. Family payroll can shift income between tax brackets and open retirement account funding for younger family members. The work must be real and the pay must match what you would pay a non-family employee doing the same job.
Why do I receive a 1099 for my college income, and why does that matter?
NIL payments come as 1099 income, which means no taxes are withheld and you're responsible for paying them yourself, including self-employment tax. That affects what you owe in April, whether you should make quarterly estimated payments, and whether an LLC or S corp structure would help. Most first-year NIL earners are surprised by the bill.
The people in your corner
A family-owned team of former athletes, coaches, and advisors who understand what it takes to build something, win at it, and protect what comes after. Backed by Farther's Intelligent Wealth Platform, we bring you a level of capability and coordination most advisory relationships cannot.
Talk with the team
Tell us about your situation.