Featured Image: Provided by Stifel
Authored by: Robert Penner
PARK CITY, Utah — This past month, Stifel continued its recent summer tradition, hosting a series of financial planning seminars designed for elite athletes across the various U.S. Ski & Snowboard programs.
The offseason’s final session took place last month with Katie Hensien and River Radamus of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team among those joining athletes from freestyle, freeski and other U.S. ski teams, marking the second consecutive summer of these workshops and reaffirming Stifel’s commitment to athlete education and financial empowerment.
“Helping athletes build financial acumen is as crucial as preparing them for competition,” said Todd Newstead, Director, Project Management, who opened the session by highlighting the program’s impact. “These workshops equip participants with the essential tools to build a budget, manage investments, and plan for long-term success, empowering them with financial confidence.”
He emphasized that Stifel is focused on real-world knowledge, equipping elite skiers not just for the season ahead, but for life after competition.
“Financial literacy is a journey that starts with getting organized and adopting smart financial habits,” said Newstead. “A key part of this process is learning about various types of accounts to effectively apply the basics of investing. Ultimately, this knowledge allows you to harness the power of compounding, which is the engine for long-term wealth creation.”
Chris Nielsen, a Senior Vice President at Stifel’s Park City, Utah office based just around the corner from U.S. Ski & Snowboard USANA Center for Excellence, has co-led the sessions with Newstead and echoed his sentiment: “We tailor each seminar to the unique needs of athletes, budgeting on fluctuating incomes, understanding sponsorship structures, tax planning, so they can approach their post-racing careers with confidence and clarity.”
Building on the success of this year’s foundational course, Stifel plans to expand the program for the upcoming year. Having covered the essentials, future seminars for ski team members will introduce more advanced topics, including more advanced investing strategies, detailed retirement planning, and portfolio management. The goal is to continue providing the tools needed to move from financial literacy to long-term financial security.
“Our athletes are incredible performers—and focus so much of their energies on their sport – so an opportunity to cover the basics of personal finance in a customized setting like this is a huge benefit that Stifel provides as long-term partners,” said Michele Lowry, Athlete Professional Development Manager, US Ski & Snowboard. “Thanks to Stifel, the athletes are gaining vital skills that support both their athletic and personal goals.”
The workshops also foster camaraderie across the teams, uniting skiers and snowboarders through shared learning experiences – in this case off the snow.
“We see real progress in athlete engagement and confidence,” added Newstead. “That shows in their questions, preparation, and even post-session follow-ups. We’re proud to support athletes with education for their financial journey.”
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