straight forward management

Protect Your Future

gostraightforward.com

Straight Forward Management is a Financial Services company providing a highly proactive and personalized approach to the complex financial needs of pro-fessional athletes, entertainers, doctors, and professionals.

Our ownership team includes people from these specialized industries and our advisors have had a total immersion in your area of expertise. We understand you, we have been in your shoes and we have no conflicts of interest. This combination allows us to truly understand you, your unique needs, and offer the best possible service.

AthletesOwners and ExecutivesAgentsAthlete BusinessesDriversCrew Chiefs

ENTERTAINMENT

ArtistsWriters ProducersDirectorsTechnical Professionals

SPORTS & MOTOR SPORTS

MedicalChiropracticDentistsAttorneysC-Level ExecutivesEntrepreneurs

PHYSICIANS

Number of Clients: 50+Years of Experience: 9 1/2+Total Budget Under Management: $450M+

OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR’S STATS

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

Our clients are located across the United States and world-wide. From Atlanta to Russia, we can meet you virtually wherever you are, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are ready to help you any time of day to give you the best and most reliable service possible.

WHY US

You deserve a team who cares about your life and finances as much as you do.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY PROTECTION

We uphold client confidentiality as carefully and meticulously as that of a medical or legal firm. Your business remains private. Our level of privacy and discretion is a key reason so many choose us.

Our Internet servers are highly secure and protected, all emails are secure, encrypted and fraud protected, and your information is protected and safe at all times.


1

2

BUDGET

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

• Create andmonitor a personalizedbudget thatmeets the financial needs andobligationsforyouandyourfamily

• Preparepersonalfinancialstatementandbalancesheets

• Help keep you focused and on budget so you can maximize your monthlyinvestmentandsavings

• Protectagainstpoorinvestmentadvicethatcouldthreatenyourfuture

• Overheadassessmentincludingevaluationofallhome,personal,andprofessionalcostsandservicefees

• PrivateAccountsPayableandBillPayTeam

• Paybillstimelyandreviewforaccuracy

• Recordallincomingdeposits

• PrepareandinitiateWireandACHtransfers

• Maintaincashflowandcoordinatedistributions

• Organizeallstatementsandtrackbillduedates

• Preparemonthlyfinancialreports

• Prepareandreviewgeneralledgertoensurecodingiscorrectforyear-endtaxplanning

• Organizeallfinancialstatements

• Coordinatestaffpayroll

• Managepersonalandbusinessaccounts

WHAT WE DO

Weallowyoutofocusonyourlife,family,andcareer.


3 ORGANIZE

• Organizeandkeepaccountoftheprogressofallinvestments

• Taxpreparation–gatherandcompletealldocumentsforyourCPA

• Ensureallinsurance(Health,Life,Disability,Home,Auto,Umbrella,Excess,etc.)areinplaceandpremiumsarepaidandcurrenttoavoidlapse

• Workwithfinancial institutions formortgages,openingaccounts,andmakinglargepurchases

• Trackendorsementandotherprofessionalrevenues

Your Agent, Investment Advisor, and Accountant will love us.

4 SAFEGUARD

• Protection from those whomight take advantage of you and advise you onmakingfinancialdecisions

• Helptoavoidlawsuitsthatcanhappenthroughdisorganizationorpoorattentiontodetail

• FraudandIdentityProtection:monitoringyourcreditreport,creditcardsandallaccounts

• Accesstoacircleofqualifiedattorneys,accountants,andinvestorsforthosethatneedthem

WHAT WE DO


IT’S NOT WHAT YOU MAKE, IT’S WHAT YOU KEEP

$-

$2,000,000

$4,000,000

$6,000,000

$8,000,000

$10,000,000

$12,000,000

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

NET WORTH OVER 10 YEARS AT 8%

$27K Per Month $50K Per Month

INVESTMENTS PERSONAL

FEES

TAXES

BUDGET !

INVESTMENTS

PERSONAL

FEES TAXES

ACTUAL !

NET WORTH OVER 10 YEARS AT 8%

Keeping to your budget allows you to reach your financial goals.

GOAL

VARIANCE


HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR SOMEONE TOMONITOR YOUR FEES?

No Fees $50K

1% Fees $49.5K

2% Fees $49K

3% Fees $48.5K

10% Fees $45K

$9,2

08,2

83

$9,1

16,2

00

$9,0

24,1

18

$8,9

32,0

35

$8,2

87,4

55

$17,

417,

257

$17,

243,

084

$17,

068,

912

$16,

894,

739

$15,

675,

531

10 Years 15 Years

It is common for excessive, unnecessary, and/or fees billed in error to ultimately rob your investments of millions of dollars. We evaluate and monitor all of your monthly personal, business, and financial fees to maximize the money going into your investments.

Dow

n $1

00K

Dow

n $2

00K

Dow

n $2

00K

Dow

n $3

48K

Dow

n $3

00K

Dow

n $1

MM

Dow

n $5

22K

Dow

n $2

MM

This example shows how full investment dollars working for you equal $17.4 million over 15 years. That’s almost $2 million lost when your fees are 10% of your investment.


HOW WE PROTECT YOUR FUTURE

Straight Forward Management’s summary of services designed to protect your financial future:


SECURITY SOFTWARE

We uphold client confidentiality and privacy as carefully as medical or legal firms. Our level of privacy and discretion is of utmost importance to Straight Forward Management. All internet servers are secured and protected. All emails are secure, encrypted and fraud protected and client information is protected and safe at all times. Bills are either pulled from online, scanned electronically if not received through the postal services.

Our IT Team provides our clients with reassured security. Our servers operate in a datacenter facility with SOC 1 Type 2 (previously SAS70) security protocol, operating using redundant servers and switches, and dual firewalls with intrusion detection, utilizing secure connections with encryption and enterprise antivirus protection. Secure email is handled by the IT enterprise class spam filter and encryption.

SECURE STORAGE

Our Records and Information Management Storage Systems are handled through Iron Mountain Management Solutions, integral to keeping confidential information secure at all times.

SHREDDING

Confidential and private paper-based documents as well as unnecessary papers are shredded through secure Iron Mountain Shredding services.

PERSONAL PRIVACY

Only the Director of Financial Services and your Account Manager will be involved in your personal finances.

SECURITY YOU CAN TRUST

• Experienced Team of Experts• SOC1 (SSAE 16) Type II, PCI and HIPAA compliant

with yearly audits• Orlando’s Carrier Interconnection Point (Carrier-

Neutral)• Disaster Recovery Site• Managed Colocation/Data Center Services• Iron Mountain Record Storage and Shredding

Management Solution Systems• Bonded and insured (underwritten by Wells Fargo)


HOW IT WORKS

Necessary paperwork filled out, signed and dated by client

• Client Information Profile

• Bill Pay Service Agreement with agreed upon monthly and/or annual fee

• Client Business Management authorization letter - signed and dated by client

• Personal Signature Card/POA Bill Pay Checking Account

• Bill Pay Services Registration and Online Vendor Information Forms

• Business Management Letter of Authorization

• Create a proposed budget based on conversation with client and bills provided

Once you agree to sign up with Straight Forward Management, here’s what you can expect:

STEP 1

Straight Forward Management receives signed documents

• All invoices are reviewed immediately

• Complete the Master Checklist: Allowances, Auto, LOC, Loans, Cellphones, Credit Cards, Family Support, Monthly Property bills, Quarterly/Semi-Annual and Annual bills listed by due date

• Updated Master Check List provided to Client for approval and signature

• Change billing address (online, verbal and in writing) on all bills so they come directly to Straight Forward Management’s billing mailing address

• Prepare and present Personal Financial Statement to client

STEP 2


I worked with Miss Cliffonny Spears for over 6 years and if I was to only say it was a pleasure, it would be an understatement. I never felt as though I was not a priority and that is a huge factor when it comes to me trusting those that I work with. Cliffonny is always there for me. That’s what made her unique. I am not just a client that wrote her a check each month but I am a friend. I’ve never had any issues of my personal business being shared with others.

Her professional services as well as her interpersonal skills were as good as it gets. By having Ms. Spears working with me, it allowed me to focus my time on matters both business and personal without having to worry.

Kendrick A. Perkins

NBA Star Kendrick A. Perkins

TESTIMONIALS

“Personal financial managers are imperative for athletes, businessmen,

and women.”

John & Kimberly EhrhardProducer/Director & Business OwnersCliffonny is a true professional with excellent organizational skills, follow-through and detail. When working with Cliffonny we feel safe and protected knowing someone is looking out for our best interest. She is there to help manage the financial and logistical side of our lives and is always quick to respond and make things happen. The level of trust and confidentiality is excellent. With so many moving parts in our financial picture, it is great to know that everything is being compiled in one place and to know we can get up to date information on any account or billing, quickly with a one-stop connection.

The financial customize budget and monthly reports helps us to have a real picture of what our day to day spending is, so we can make changes if needed or estimate future income based on these numbers.

I would recommend Cliffonny and the Straight Forward Management Financial Services and if anyone was undecided about their services, I would tell them all of the above, plus that the personal connection with Cliffonny makes you feel like you are really being looked out for and she truly wants to help make our lives easier in whatever ways possible.

The services we’ve received have given us peace of mind knowing that all of our financials are being tracked in one place accurately and with detail and that info will be readily available whenever needed versus having to track things in multiple documents, binders, etc., and having to spend hours to track things down. It has been a great help.

John & Kimberly Ehrhard


Straight Talk is a free podcast and newsletter program for athletes with the goal of stopping the vast majority of men and women who play sports from ending up broke, broken, or less well-off financially and physically than they could have and should have been. The videos and written material are coming from athletes, their families, financial experts, and doctors all who have both good and bad experiences, want to give back, and make a difference in the future of a young athlete.

Help Us Flip the Numbers

GIVING BACK

•60% of NBA are bankrupt within 5 years of retirement

•MLB players file bankruptcy 4 times more often than the public

•78% of NFL players file bankruptcy within 5 years

Our goal is to “flip the numbers” in the near term and ultimately eliminate this preventable and unnecessary crisis in sports. Additionally, the content will address the lifestyle decisions athletes make during their careers that creates an early ending to both their time in the sport as well as cuts short their ability to earn an income.

From ESPN’s, “Broke” and Sports Illustrated’s, “How and Why Athletes go Broke”

“Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders, saddled with medical problems, and naturally prone to showing off, many pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life. Drawing surprisingly vulnerable confessions from retired stars like Keith McCants, Bernie Kosar and Andre Rison, as well as Marvin Miller, the former executive director of the MLB Players Association, this fascinating documentary digs into the psychology of men whose competitive nature can carry them to victory on the field and ruin off it.”

…..AND BROKEN

From “Death of a Celebrity,” Darryl Tally is from the Buffalo Bill’s Super Bowl years.

“He’s 54, but his body is a wreck and continues to crumble. He suspects collisions from playing linebacker for 14 NFL seasons, a dozen with the Buffalo Bills, have damaged his brain. He’s often depressed beyond the point of tears. He’s bitter at the National Football League for discarding him and denying that he’s too disabled to work anymore. Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, Bears safety Dave Duerson, Eagles safety Andre Waters, Saints safety Gene Atkins and Steelers guard Terry Long are among Talley contemporaries who committed suicide.”

5 COMMON FINANCIAL MISTAKES WE ADDRESS

1. Rolex syndrome: Buying expensive jewelry, a Bentley, and a mansion

2. Mega fees

3. Getting pulled into bad investments

4. Financing the entourage

5. The rock star lifestyle

The physical health issues married with the financial create a downward spiral that is impacting most former players. Your short interview, sharing both your successes and your pains, will make a long-term difference in the lives of many.

David Price giving back


straight forward management

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