Few studies have assessed the financial impact of cancer diagnosis on patients and caregivers in diverse clinical settings. S1417CD, led by the SWOG Cancer Research Network, is the first prospective longitudinal cohort study assessing financial outcomes conducted in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). We report our experience navigating design and implementation barriers. Patients age ≥ 18 within 120 days of metastatic colorectal cancer diagnosis were considered eligible and invited to identify a caregiver to participate in an optional substudy.