Merrill Partners With Florida School to Reach Student-Athletes Early

Merrill Wealth Management has entered into a three-year partnership with IMG Academy, a Florida-based boarding and preparatory school, to provide its student-athletes with financial education.

The goal of the partnership, according to the announcement, is to bring financial education and practical resources to IMG students while they are still in high school and preparing for college.

Since opening in 1978, IMG Academy has trained hundreds of Olympic and professional athletes, including pros in the NBA, NFL, MLB and other major sports leagues in the United States and abroad. The school also helps to place tens of thousands of student-athletes onto college athletic rosters annually through online programming, according to the announcement.

The curriculum will include educational sessions, self-study materials, and an opportunity for students and their families to meet with a Merrill advisor.

What they’re saying: The program aims to provide “actionable financial education to IMG Academy student-athletes that can help them throughout their student-athlete journey and in life,” said Greg McGauley, head of Merrill Private Wealth Management.

The core of the curriculum will be based on Bank of America’s free financial education resource, Better Money Habits. It will cover such topics as the basics of savings and spending, how to manage credit, and general investing information.