FREE GAME

Financial tools and knowledge for athletes, investors, and anyone leveling up.

⚠️ FOR EDUCATION ONLY — These calculators provide estimates. Consult a licensed professional for financial decisions.

FINANCIAL RULES TO LIVE BY

The 28/36 Rule

28% / 36%
Your housing costs should be no more than 28% of gross income. Total debt should stay under 36%.
Housing
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The 50/30/20 Rule

50 / 30 / 20
50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings. The simplest budget framework that actually works.
Budgeting
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Emergency Fund

3–6 Months
Before investing a single dollar, stack 3–6 months of living expenses in a savings account. This is priority #1.
Priority #1
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Pay Yourself First

15–20%
The moment money hits your account, move 15–20% to savings or investments. Spend what’s left, not the other way around.
Habit
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The Rule of 72

72 ÷ Rate = Years
Divide 72 by your interest rate to see how long it takes to double your money. At 10%, that’s ~7.2 years.
Investing
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Never Invest Emotionally

DCA > FOMO
Dollar-cost averaging beats panic buying every time. Consistency over hype. Ignore the noise.
Investing
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Lifestyle Creep Kills Wealth

Income ↑ ≠ Spending ↑
When you start earning more, don’t automatically spend more. The gap between income and spending is where wealth is built.
Warning
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Protect Your Credit

740+
A 740+ credit score unlocks the best rates on mortgages, cars, and business loans. Guard it with your life.
Foundation
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NIL TAX CALCULATOR

Know What You Owe

⚡ Tax rate auto-fills when you pick your state

Your Estimated Tax Burden

Gross NIL Income
Business Expenses
Net Taxable NIL
Federal Tax
Self-Employment Tax
State Tax
Effective Tax Rate
Take-Home (After Tax)
📩 Save or Share Your Results
MORTGAGE CALCULATOR

What Can You Afford?

Your Monthly Payment

Principal & Interest
Property Tax
Insurance
Loan Amount
Total Interest Paid
INVESTMENT EXAMPLES

S&P 500 — 10 Year Growth

The benchmark. Average ~10% annual return over decades. Time in the market beats timing the market.

S&P 500 Index Fund

$50K → $335K
Invest $50K at age 22. At ~10% avg annual return, it grows to ~$335K by age 42 — without adding another dollar.
Low Risk

Apple (AAPL)

$10K → $89K
$10K invested in Apple 10 years ago would be worth ~$89K today. Big tech has delivered massive returns.
Blue Chip

NVIDIA (NVDA)

$10K → $290K
The AI chip king. $10K invested 5 years ago exploded to ~$290K. High growth comes with high volatility.
AI / Growth

Bitcoin (BTC)

$10K → ???
The most volatile major asset. Massive 5-10 year returns historically, but wild swings. Only invest what you can afford to lose. Zoom out — the long-term trend has rewarded patience.
High Risk

Ethereum (ETH)

$1K → $22K
The backbone of DeFi and smart contracts. $1K in 2019 grew to ~$22K at peaks. High upside, high risk.
High Risk

Rental Property

$80K → $2,400/mo
Put $80K down on a $400K property. Rent it for $2,400/month. Someone else pays your mortgage while you build equity.
Medium Risk

High-Yield Savings

$100K → $4,500/yr
Park $100K in a high-yield savings account at 4.5% APY. Earn ~$4,500/year doing absolutely nothing. Zero risk.
No Risk

Do Nothing

$100K → $0
60% of NBA players go broke within 5 years. 78% of NFL players face financial hardship within 2 years of retirement. Don’t be a statistic.
Warning

The 28/36 Rule

28% / 36%

What It Means

Your monthly housing payment should never exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. Total monthly debt payments should stay under 36%.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

When that first NIL check hits, it’s tempting to upgrade immediately. But locking into an expensive lease based on NIL income — which can fluctuate or disappear — is one of the fastest ways to get financially stuck.

Example: You’re earning $8,000/month in NIL deals. The 28% rule says your rent should max out at $2,240/month. That $3,500/month luxury apartment? It’s eating 44% of your income — way over the line.

The 50/30/20 Rule

50 / 30 / 20

What It Means

Allocate 50% of after-tax income to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and investments.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

NIL income is irregular — you might get $20K one month and $3K the next. Without a budget framework, it all disappears. The 20% savings piece is non-negotiable.

Example: You land a $10,000 NIL deal. After taxes (~30%), you keep ~$7,000. Using 50/30/20: $3,500 needs, $2,100 wants, $1,400 into an index fund. That $1,400/month at 10% becomes $108K in 10 years.

Emergency Fund

3–6 Months

What It Means

Save 3 to 6 months of living expenses in a high-yield savings account before investing anything. This is your financial safety net.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

Athletes face unique risks: injuries, transfers, loss of playing time. An emergency fund keeps the lights on while you figure out your next move.

Example: Monthly expenses are $3,000. You need $9K–$18K saved before investing. Tear your ACL and lose two brand deals? Your fund covers 3–6 months of bills while you recover.

Pay Yourself First

15–20%

What It Means

The moment money hits your account, move 15–20% into savings or investments before spending a dollar on anything else.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

NIL deals have expiration dates. The athletes who retire wealthy aren’t the ones who earned the most — they’re the ones who kept the most.

Example: $50K NIL deal — 20% ($10K) goes straight into an S&P 500 index fund. That $10K at age 20 grows to $172K by age 50 from one year of discipline.

The Rule of 72

72 ÷ Rate = Years

What It Means

Divide 72 by your annual return to estimate how many years to double your investment. At 10%, your money doubles in ~7.2 years.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

An athlete who invests at 19 has a massive advantage over someone who starts at 30 — even if they invest less money. Time is your greatest asset.

Example: $20K at age 19 at 10% → $40K at 26 → $80K at 33 → $160K at 40 → $320K at 47. One NIL check turned into $320K without adding a dollar.

Never Invest Emotionally

DCA > FOMO

What It Means

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule regardless of market conditions. FOMO investing almost always leads to buying high and selling low.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

When a teammate says they made $50K on a crypto coin, the instinct is to jump in. But emotional investing has wiped out more athlete fortunes than bad contracts.

Example: Your teammate’s hot token “went up 400%.” You throw in $15K at the peak. Two weeks later it crashes 70% — $15K becomes $4,500. DCA into an index fund instead. Boring wins.

Lifestyle Creep Kills Wealth

Income ↑ ≠ Spending ↑

What It Means

When income increases, the natural tendency is to increase spending to match. This is the #1 reason high earners end up broke.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

NIL money is temporary income funding a permanent lifestyle. When the deals dry up, those expenses don’t disappear. Live like a student now, live like a king later.

Example: Two athletes earn $100K NIL. Athlete A: $45K car, $2,500/month apt — ends with $0. Athlete B: keeps the used car, invests $40K. Five years later, B has $64K and zero stress.

Protect Your Credit

740+

What It Means

Your credit score (300–850) determines interest rates on everything. 740+ gets the best rates. Below 650, you pay way more.

Why It Matters for NIL Athletes

Your score follows you long after playing days. A bad score costs tens of thousands in extra interest. Build it now while you have income.

Example: $400K home: 740+ score = 6.5% = $2,528/month. 620 score = 8.5% = $3,076/month. That’s $197,000 extra over 30 years. Get a secured card now, use under 30%, pay it off monthly.

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