Walter Stith, a former NFL offensive tackle-turned-financial advisor, is rooting for the San Francisco 49ers of their Tremendous Bowl matchup with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Sunday. 

He has a number of causes — not the least of which is that he has a consumer who occurs to play for the 49ers.

Stith, who had NFL stints with the Buffalo Payments and Cleveland Browns, in addition to with the BC Lions of the Canadian Soccer League, works principally with skilled athletes as a monetary advisor with the RM Compass Group at Morgan Stanley, with property beneath administration of $2.5 billion.

Stith, who relies in Atlanta, can also be a World Sports activities and Leisure director at Morgan Stanley, serving to different monetary advisors serve their athlete and leisure trade purchasers. 

Within the interview with Stith, who joined Morgan Stanley as an advisor in 2011, he discusses the problem that NFL gamers have in saving for an prolonged retirement and provides recommendation to rookie advisors with out the posh of becoming a member of a household follow. “It’s a must to be relentless in your pursuit,” he maintains.

Listed here are highlights of our dialog:

THINKADVISOR: What are your expectations for the Tremendous Bowl?

WALTER STITH: I’m rooting for the 49ers. This can be a rematch of the 2020 Tremendous Bowl; Kansas Metropolis received that one. This season has been risky for each the 49ers and Chiefs. 

However I really feel fairly good in regards to the 49ers’ probabilities to win. Plus, I’ve a consumer that performs for the 49ers! 

It’s going to be a fantastic sport. Viewership shall be even increased due to Taylor Swift’s impact on NFL viewership [attending games and rooting for boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Chiefs]. 

Her followers are wanting ahead to seeing her on the Tremendous Bowl. She has virtually 100 million followers on X. The NFL has, like, 30 million!

Is there something new inside the NFL that you just notably like?

Much more Black coaches and Black basic managers have been employed. 

That’s a superb factor: 75% of gamers are Black. That must be mirrored in management in addition to teaching.

As a World Sports activities and Leisure director, what are your tasks?

I’m an advisor to athletes and other people in leisure [among others]. I additionally help the advisors that work with these markets, [providing] the assets vital to satisfy the distinctive wants of the purchasers.

What’s a salient attribute of those purchasers that advisors want to bear in mind?

Many occasions, they’re actually younger. They get large payouts, however then they need to reside on them till they get their subsequent 12 months’s payout.

One of many greatest methods to offer help is to [equip them with] instructional assets.

Broadly, what might be finished to extend monetary literacy amongst professional athletes?

The earlier a student-athlete is uncovered to monetary literacy and understands arrange a finances, what investing is and the way it is best to take into consideration your future, plan and save now, the higher: The typical profession in professional sports activities is [only] between three and 5 years.

What are the implications?

You’ll make some huge cash in a really brief time, however you want that cash to final via retirement, which is longer. Gamers are finished of their 30s and are retired for 60 years.