Every July 1, He Gets a Check from His Younger Self
Every July 1, sports fans celebrate what has become known as Bobby Bonilla Day.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, Bonilla is a former Major League Baseball player who hasn’t played a game in more than two decades. Yet every year on July 1, he receives a check from the New York Mets for over $1 million thanks to a deferred compensation agreement negotiated back in 2000.
The story is usually told as a quirky piece of baseball history. Some people laugh at the Mets. Others admire Bonilla’s deal.
But this year, it made me think about something else.
In a sense, every July 1, Bobby Bonilla gets a check from his younger self.
That may sound strange, but researchers have found that many of us think about our future selves almost like strangers. The person we’ll be ten, twenty, or thirty years from now often feels distant and abstract. We know that future version of ourselves exists, but we don’t always feel connected to him or her.
That helps explain why so many worthwhile things are difficult to do.
Saving for retirement.
Exercising regularly.
Investing in a marriage.
Building a business.
Spending time with our children.
The costs are paid today, but the benefits often belong to someone we haven’t fully become yet.
Bobby Bonilla Day is a reminder that life is full of decisions that transfer value across time.
A younger Bobby Bonilla made a decision that continues to benefit an older Bobby Bonilla decades later. Whether he realized it or not, he sent something valuable forward to a future version of himself.
The same thing happens in our own lives.
The workout you complete this morning may benefit you years from now.
The conversation you have with your spouse tonight may strengthen your marriage long after you’ve forgotten what was said.
The money you save, the business you build, the values you pass on to your children—all of these are ways we send gifts forward in time.
And not all of those gifts are financial.
Some of the most valuable things we pass forward are habits, relationships, character, wisdom, and faith. In many cases, those investments prove to be worth far more than the dollars attached to them.
Financial planning is really an exercise in helping our future selves. Retirement plans, estate plans, insurance strategies, and investment portfolios all exist to create opportunities for a future version of ourselves and the people we care about.
But good planning has always been about more than money.
It’s about making intentional decisions today that make tomorrow better.
Most of us will never have a Bobby Bonilla contract.
But every one of us is sending something forward.
The question isn’t whether your future self will receive something from the choices you’re making today.
The question is: What are you sending?
Have a great Fourth of July and a wonderful summer.
Andrew Eppes, CFP®
Andrew Eppes is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. www.SIPC.org. Nexus Advisors, LLC is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC, or its affiliated companies. 14241 Dallas Parkway Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75254 972-348-6300. This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice. The views and opinions expressed are of Andrew Eppes only. They are not necessarily those of MML Investor Services, LLC. CRN202906-11492407