Fall, Football, and Finances:
The Championship Playbook

There’s something magical about those first crisp mornings of September when the air carries the promise of football season and the trees begin their slow dance toward winter. It’s the season of family gatherings, the smell of barbeque from the stadium tailgate, and the faint roar of a cheering crowd off in the distance. The end goal – win a championship, however, champions aren’t built on a single Saturday or Sunday in autumn – they succeed through seasons of systematic preparation, strategic planning, and the kind of disciplined execution that builds a legacy. Financial planning is no different. We will explore how America’s most beloved autumn tradition correlates to personalized wealth management strategies.

Long-Term Vision

We start as every football program does, on the idea of not only winning a championship, but building a legacy based upon a unified goal and objective. Generating and sustaining wealth is no different; successful financial planning should operate with a long-term perspective, identifying strengths and areas of improvement to properly examine the sustainability of achievement. This includes a comprehensive evaluation of current investment strategy, estate planning documents, and retirement planning, coinciding with a thorough understanding of your risk tolerance, time horizon, clarification of long-term goals, and any adjustments that need to be accounted for.

Recruiting Your Team

Championship programs excel at identifying and recruiting talent that fit within their culture. Evaluation looks beyond pure athletic ability but those that possess the character, servant leadership, and coachability for long-term team success. Financial planning requires similar talent identification, finding professional teammates who actively listen, understand your objectives, and share common values. Beyond your team at Greenleaf Trust, we recommend utilizing trusted tax advisors (CPAs) and estate planning attorneys for their expertise in the comprehensive financial planning process.

Offensive Playbook

A team’s offensive playbook assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the team, relying on the skill set and chemistry of individual players to executive accordingly. Just as a team is made up of different skill players (quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers), the offensive line is equally as important for the plan to operate efficiently. The same is true for your investment portfolio – understanding and evaluating the risk-return tradeoff will help determine the asset allocation most appropriate for achieving your long-term goals. Just as an effective offense runs a combination of different running plays, passing plays, and play-action passes; a portfolio should maintain a diversified investment approach across various asset classes. Your running game is like fixed income – consistently gaining small, but reliable returns to generate stability in your portfolio. Equities are that to a passing game, taking calculated risks to achieve the potential for higher long-term returns for a given level of risk. Lastly, alternative assets are like a play action pass – they operate not as fixed income or equities but provide an added diversification benefit for achieving a well-rounded investment playbook. There is a reason why football teams do not run the “Hail Mary” play every time, just as your investment strategy should not focus on a single security to achieve long-term success. Asset allocation is the primary driver for generating long-term returns and building a diversified portfolio is the key to achieving your goals.

Defensive Strategy

Well, who doesn’t like watching an offense march down the field and score on an opening drive? While we all can agree that the offensive playbook might be more exciting to watch unfold, we must also acknowledge that a defensive strategy is a necessary component for winning championships. This includes the idea of mitigating risk, improving tax-efficiency, and finding opportunities to proactively (not reactively) plan.

Just like a strong defensive line that helps prevent the opposing team from scoring, risk management strategies – such as insurance – protect from the erosion of wealth. Each individual client’s needs are different, but at a minimum, we recommend clients thoroughly analyze their life insurance, property and casualty insurance, and umbrella coverage needs to mitigate unforeseen financial events.

Tax-optimization strategies help to improve the tax-efficiency of your portfolio. Just as you wouldn’t put a defensive lineman at cornerback (arguably one of the toughest positions to play), the same is true for allocating your consolidated portfolio with asset allocation placement. While asset allocation is the primarily responsible for pre-tax returns, asset location strategies have been shown to increase the after-tax return without increasing the overall risk profile. This strategy targets higher allocations to taxable fixed income investments within accounts that receive preferential tax treatment (such as an IRA), while tax-efficient assets, such as equities, are held at higher allocations in taxable accounts. Your consolidated portfolio allocation target is still achieved, but removes unnecessary tax drag from impacting after-tax returns.

Legacy Planning

Universities and colleges are not focused on the next touchdown or the next quarter but building a legacy program that withstands the test of time. Completing a well-thought-out estate plan is powerful strategy for building such a tradition, extending the longevity of a legacy beyond that of the original creator. Estate plans could be designed to benefit grandchildren not yet born, create family foundations that will operate for decades, and establish governance structures that preserve family values across generations. Just as Alabama’s football program has “coaching trees” where former assistants have become successful head coaches elsewhere; estate plans provide financial opportunity for beneficiaries to obtain financial education and learned responsibilities for carrying on the family legacy.

Getting Over the Goal Line:

The culmination and implementation of the previous planning strategies are important considerations for entering the game, however, what play do we draw up to get over the goal line? While each planning strategy is somewhat unique and may not be utilized by all, the impact of small changes creates meaningful differences in compounding growth.

1. Roth IRA Conversion – If you anticipate a lower marginal tax bracket now versus during retirement, we recommend evaluating a Roth Conversion strategy with your Client Centric Team (CCT) and CPA.
2. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) – If you’re charitably inclined, and are at least 70 ½, we recommend utilizing QCDs from your IRA to fulfill your charitable gifts. Greenleaf Trust will send these gifts directly to a qualified charity without treating the distribution as taxable income.
3. Annual Gift Tax Exclusions – Whether looking to provide annual gifts or fund 529 Plans, you may gift $19,000 annually ($38,000 as a married couple) to as many individuals as desired, free of federal gift tax. A gifting strategy allows you to transfer wealth from your estate over time, without incurring gift tax consequences.
4. Charitable Planning Strategies – If you’re approaching the lifetime gift and estate tax exclusion ($15,000,000 per individual or $30,000,000 per married couple in 2026), and your portfolio has significant appreciation, consider utilizing a Charitable Trust or Donor Advised Fund. Both charitable giving strategies provide opportunity to benefit qualified charities; transfer appreciated stock and receive an income tax deduction in the year of the gift.

As we reflect on our favorite teams approaching the gridiron this fall, remember the preparation, planning, and strategy that took place before stepping onto that field. They succeed through systematic application of proven principles, a disciplined approach, and unwavering commitment to long-term excellence. So, the next time you hear the crunch of leaves beneath your feet or the smell of bratwursts cooking at the hometown tailgate, think of your “home” team at Greenleaf Trust and how a personalized Wealth Management Plan could help you and your family build a legacy!