Former NFL player explains how to make your money ‘your employee’

 Less than half of US adults consider themselves financially disciplined as more Americans identify inflation as one of the biggest challenges to their finances, according to a Northwestern Mutual study. Life 101 Founder-CEO and former NFL Player Brandon Copeland sits down with Brad Smith to speak about how to build up financial security while saving for a more comfortable future.

"And at the end of the day, I always say, you got to make money your employee — put your money to work for you or you'll always have to work for money," Copeland shares. "So, that's investing, that's retirement accounts, that's several different strategies, but you have to become the bank and start to manage your money in a way where you are playing puppet master, so to speak, and trying to get returns on it." Speaking from experience from his NFL career, Copeland discusses how he learned to become more conscious of where his money is going, including when to say "No" to the people around him, becoming an active day trader, and planning for the future in case of life events like injuries. "The worst financial decision I ever made was just being complacent. When I came into the NFL, I was day trading, and I would day trade every single day," Copeland, who also teaches these same lessons and more as a University of Pennsylvania professor, says on the greatest mistakes he's learned the most from. "And literally there'd be times I would buy Nike call options and I go into meetings, I look around, and everybody is wearing Under Armor that day for some reason, I'm like 'You know what, I need to sell out of this."