Financial Planning for Sports Professionals

Professional athletes often experience peak earnings over a short period. That means your investment strategy needs to work hard now but also protect your future. The key is to balance immediate growth opportunities with long-term financial security.  We’ll help you assess how much you can afford to invest without affecting your lifestyle or commitments. Then we’ll recommend a portfolio that reflects your goals, time horizon and appetite for risk while remaining flexible as your career evolves.

Setting up a limited company to manage earnings from endorsements, sponsorships and image rights can provide greater tax efficiency and control. It also separates your personal finances from your commercial ventures, which can offer better protection and flexibility. But this needs your financial planning especially to remain compliant with HMRC and to avoid overpaying on tax. We’ll work alongside your accountant or tax adviser to structure in a way that works for you both now and in the future.

Many athletes start by investing in what they know, but putting all your eggs in one basket can be risky. Diversifying means spreading your money across different sectors and asset types, such as stocks, property or funds.  We’ll help you explore options that align with your values and interests as diversification is key to protecting your long-term wealth and avoiding overexposure to a single area.

Absolutely. Even if you finish your sports career in your 30s, you could live another 50+ years and your pension will be one of the most important tools to support you in that time. The earlier you start, the more you benefit from compounding and tax relief.

Bonuses and incentive payments can distort cash flow, making it tempting to spend big, or hard to plan effectively. We’ll help you manage these peaks by treating them as part of your long-term wealth plan. That includes setting aside a percentage for immediate needs, ringfencing capital for tax, and investing the rest in a way that supports your long-term goals.

As early as possible. The reality is, retirement in professional sport often comes sooner than expected — whether due to injury, selection changes, or personal choice. Starting early gives you the power of time: time to grow your investments, build up pension savings, and test future career paths.

A sudden injury or contract termination can cause financial disruption overnight. That’s why it’s vital to have a safety net in place. This could include income protection insurance, an emergency fund, and an investment strategy that doesn’t rely on one source of income.

Possibly, but it depends on your full financial picture. Investing in a business can be a smart move, especially if it aligns with your passions and long-term goals. But it’s also high risk. We’ll help you assess whether you’re financially ready, how much capital you can afford to put in, and what support you might need (from legal, financial or operational perspectives). If it’s not the right time, we’ll help you build towards that moment responsibly so you go in prepared, not pressured.

*please note that we can only provide your financial assessment and any other services needed will be separate and distinct to those provided by SJP

High-profile careers often come with unwanted attention. That’s why we take discretion seriously. As your financial adviser, we’ll ensure that your plans, investments and personal information remain fully confidential. We can also work with legal professionals to support reputation protection, limit public exposure, and structure your finances in a way that keeps your affairs secure and private.

*please note that any legal services are separate and distinct from the services provided by SJP

When income is irregular or comes from several channels, standard budgeting doesn’t cut it. Instead, we help you build a cash flow plan that reflects your real earning pattern – smoothing out peaks and troughs so you always know what’s safe to spend, save or invest. This might include ringfencing tax liabilities, setting up automatic transfers to long-term savings, and reviewing regularly to stay on track. With the right plan, you can enjoy flexibility without losing control.

Your career might be short but your impact doesn’t have to be. Legacy planning means thinking about what you want your wealth to do long after you leave the game. That could include family protection, charitable giving, property investments, or intergenerational planning. We’ll help you define what legacy means to you, then put the structures in place like wills, trusts, or inheritance strategies to make it happen.

*Will writing involves the referral to a service that is separate and distinct to those offered by St. James’s Place and along with Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Please note that it is not possible to invest directly in property through SJP