Ben on SFG from URI talk

I learned what excellence looked like and felt like. I learned – I met great people that I could eventually recruit to work with. I learned how deals got done – absolutely critical part of my development. That led to the bottom picture there which is the best picture I could get of my dog Sherman but that led to the start of Sherman Financial. That’s what I’m going to kind of focus on going forward, what that experience was like.

Let me tell you about what it looks like today. Then this will be the “wow, how does all this happen and how did you get here?” We’re going to go through that but let me tell you first what we look like today. So I’m not going to spend a lot of time but we have a number of different businesses. We are one of the largest private financial services companies in the country.

On the far left, we have a bank called Credit One Bank. We have 7 million credit card customers at the bank. We’re the ninth largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa cards. Second is Resurgent Capital Services where we’re one of the nation’s largest buyers of distressed consumer debt. We’re purchased about $200 billion of distressed consumer debt from all kinds of different consumer finance companies. We have a consumer finance business in Mexico where we’re partnered with a Mexican family down there. It’s a pretty neat business. Lastly, we have a bond-rating agency. You guys are probably familiar with like S&P and Moody’s. Ring a bell? It’s a smaller version of an S&P and Moody’s. I’ll talk about that a little bit later.

On the upper right hand corner is something that’s become very near and dear to me is my/our philanthropic effort in education. We serve under-resourced kids through four different schools today and have about 900 kids that we are responsible for educating, under-resourced kids in South Carolina. So I think it’s easy to look at this and sitting where you’re sitting and going, “Holy crap, I could never do that.” But here’s the thing: This whole thing started in a one-bedroom apartment with a newborn baby and a phone/fax machine and I’m not some genius. So if I can do something like this, there’s no reason that you can’t as well.

Yes, it is another personal growth tip. It’s hopefully consistent with the message I was just sending. Again, you can sort of write this off as cheesy or whatever but come up with the biggest dream you can think of. Start down that path and see where it takes you. Again, I had no idea where I was going. I knew I wanted to start my own business. I knew I wanted to work with people I liked. I knew I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to enjoy it – those sorts of things. I had a certain skillset that hopefully I could take advantage of but that’s about it.

And that dream, that thought process, led to the org chart you just saw in the last slide. I would say to each of you, more than anything else, get a picture in your head of where it is you’d like to end up, what it looks like, what that feels like for you. Having that picture in your head is a super powerful thing. I can’t stress it enough. Find that passion.

For More About Sherman Financial Group Click https://www.pinterest.com/ShermanGiving/

Building Literacy Skills Early Ben Navarro Comments

Though there are certain ages at which children are more prepared to begin learning various skills, Benjamin Navarro, a representative for Sherman Financial Group, says, the earlier children can begin learning how to read and write the better. Sherman Financial Group, a company whose foundation, Meeting Street Academy, provides children in South Carolina the opportunity to learn foundational skills at an early age, fights to combat the high levels of illiteracy in America. Reading and writing are not just important for children; they are foundational to a child’s continual development and intellectual growth.

 Literacy, Navarro explains, is vital for living successfully in everyday life. Sadly, the number of Americans who do not possess basic reading and writing skills is arresting. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s Institute for Statistics, 774 million adults lack basic reading and writing skills.

Without a basic knowledge of reading and writing, people are not able to perform successfully as employees, parents, and citizens. “There is a direct link between literacy skills and public assistance, teen mothers, children living in poverty, and prison populations. Literacy is our greatest weapon in the ongoing struggle between success and failure – between economic vitality and prosperity for all our residents,” explains a representative for the Literacy Council of Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Sherman Financial Group agrees, believing that it is important to help your child prepare to read before they even enter school, Navarro states. There is such a thing as too early to read, he explains, but for most children, parents and teachers are able to start before preschool.
By reading to them, showing them books, and helping them explore the subject of literacy; children will be able to develop reading skills faster. Central Georgia Technical College reports that when parents don’t introduce their children to reading before they start school, children are less prepared for learning to read than others who were introduced at an earlier age.
It is important to realize that from the very beginning, your child is learning to read. According to Reading is Fundamental, America’s oldest literacy organization, “Learning to read is built on a foundation of communication skills that children start learning at birth – a process that is both complicated and amazing.”
The organization explains that from birth to age three, babies and toddlers learn to do many things that help them learn to read, such as making sounds that imitate the tones and rhythms adults use when talking, beginning to associate words with objects and feelings, as well as listening to stories and other people talking. As they continue to grow, they start pretending to read books, noticing the characters and objects, and begin trying to reproduce the letters, words, and pictures they see on their own, explains the organization.
While formal reading lessons may not be appropriate quite yet, these natural, early practices help children prepare for reading and writing, even if they are not actually able to read or write letters correctly yet, the Sherman Financial Group believes.
As children reach ages three and four, however, they are able to interact with the material in a more recognizable way. For example, they are able to retell simple stories, recognize letters and letter-sound matches, and use descriptive language. They also understand that things are read from left to right and top to bottom and can begin writing letters, numbers, and some words, Reading Is Fundamental explains.
The only way to combat the illiteracy rate is to start teaching children in a timely fashion, Benjamin Navarro states. Some ways this can be done is by engaging your child with interesting books that catch their attention. Using toys and games can make reading even more fun.

Teach Reading Early, a website that encourages parents to foster a love of reading in their young children, explains that reading books can involve more than simply reading it to your child. Using expressive language and rich vocabulary will improve the child’s story telling skills. Fully engaging your child by asking questions will also help them learn to speak effectively as well.

Remember that each child is different, Navarro adds. They all learn at different levels and times that are right for them. It is best to be patient with your child as new things are introduced to them. If, however, there is a concern, there is nothing wrong with checking in with the child’s doctor or teacher for advice and support. If a child does have a learning disability, Sherman Financial Group’s representative Ben Navarro states, the earlier it is discovered, the better it is for the child.

Sherman Financial Group’s foundation, Meeting Street Academy, continually sets higher standards and strives to create more effective ways of teaching children the foundational skills they need to be successful in school as well as in life. “Children need to be given the tools to achieve, we express the importance of literacy and it is a priority for our institution,” Benjamin Navarro, South Carolina’s Sherman Financial Group executive adds.

Spoleto & Sherman

For the past few years, Sherman has established a relationship with Spoleto Festival USA, acting as a sponsor fora festival event each year. Spoleto Festival USA brings so much culture and artistic inspiration to the Charleston community. In return, the artists who share their talent take away the sense of memorable hospitality and community that Charleston offers.

In 2016, Sherman sponsored Havana Rakatan, a stunning show that combined mambo, jazz, bolero, cha-cha-cha, son, salsa and rumba together to give audiences a “slice of Havana life”. The show took viewers on a tour of Cuban dance throughout the centuries. The performance incorporated flamenco brought to the country by Spanish settlers in the 15th century, tribal dances of West-African slaves and high-octane routines popular in Havana dance halls in the 1920s to 1950s. The show was choreographed by Cuban choreographer, Nilda Guerra.

In 2017, Sherman looks forward to sponsoring another colorful, high-energy show for Spoleto Festival USA.

In addition to the annual event sponsorship, Sherman and Spoleto also work together to coordinate with select Spoleto artists to put on aspecial show, exclusively for Meeting Street Academy students.

Spoleto Festival USA staff work to confirm which artists will be the perfect match for an event with Meeting Street Academy. The idea is to expose students to the art and culture that Spoleto brings to the city of Charleston. It is also a chance to introduce Meeting Street Academy students to opera, puppetry, ballet or other performance art that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see.
In 2016, Meeting Street Academy students had the opportunity to attend part of an opera, The Little Match Girl, at the historic Dock Street Theater. Students had a sneak peak of the show before its community debut.

Blind Summit Theatre director and puppeteer Mark Down, along with his team of puppeteers from London, held a Q & A session for Meeting Street students before the performance to help students understand their opera’s plot and technique. The artists utilized shadow puppets to tell the story of the Little Match Girl. After they performed a segment from their show, the crew answered more of the student’s questions about what they had seen. The artists made the comment that the experience was just as beneficial for them as it was for the students and even made a few changes to their show as a result of feedback they received from the students.

This partnership with Spoleto on behalf of Meeting Street Academy, makes Sherman’s sponsorship more meaningful. Planning is already in place for the May 2017 event.

For More About Sherman Financial Group Visit

https://www.pinterest.com/ShermanGiving/

Sherman and MSA

Sherman Financial Group, based in Charleston, SC, is leading a corporate trend of community involvement. Sherman Financial Group Founder and CEO, Ben Navarro, founded Meeting Street Schools (MSS), a network of schools that serve under-resourced families in Charleston and Spartanburg. Navarro, along with help from other likeminded community members, developed MSS based on the belief that a child’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education. Meeting Street Academy Charleston (MSAC), flagship school for MSS, was founded in 2008. Since the school opened its doors, there have been many things to celebrate.Two cohorts of graduated fifth grade classesnow attend top quality middle schools in the Charleston area. The 2016 graduating class alone earned over 1.2 million in scholarships for the area’s top schools.

MSAC students and families never cease to show gratitude by giving back to their community. This year, on Friday, December 16th during morning carpool, MSAC students and families dropped off school supplies, toiletries, entertainment, household and other items that they had collected for the Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC). This school-wide collection displays the spirit of giving that students and families demonstrate year-round.

MSAC chose to collect items for the CYDC becausethey care for young people who are victims of physical and sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment. The CYDC also provides resources and support to area families at risk of having their children removed from their home. The CYDC offers programs that reach over 1,200 local children and youth. Of the 1,200 children served, the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program provides caring adult role models to 182 local children from single-parent families. Sherman Financial Group is also a donor to the CYDC, helping to sponsor the organization’s annual fundraising gala.
MSAC students do not only give back during the holiday season. MSAC students demonstrate empathy, gratitude and citizenship throughout the entire year. MSAC teachers and staff place emphasis on these character traits as part of MSS’s Path to Success curriculum. By teaching Path to Success, children gain the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in the classroom and in life. 

Recently, MSAC students and families coordinated a “pay it forward” project to raise money to install an observation beehive at another Charleston County School. In order to “pay it forward” and provide another school with a beehive, MSAC students sold donated bottled honey (courtesy of the Savannah Bee Company) to their families, friends and Sherman Financial Group employees. All the proceeds from the honey sales fund the purchase of a hive for another school. MSAC’s observation hive was donated from another area school a couple years earlier. Observation beehives, developed by the Bee Cause Project, allow students to learn more about the positive impact that bees have on our ecosystem and truly nurture the educational experience for students in schools.

Teaching fundamental core values shared by Sherman Financial Group and MSS to the children at MSAC and fostering their interest in helping otherswill have a lasting impact on the fabric of our local community. 

 

For More About Sherman Financial Group Visit

https://www.pinterest.com/ShermanGiving/

SFG and CYDC

Sherman Financial Group, based in Charleston, SC, is leading a corporate trend of community involvement. Sherman Financial Group Founder and CEO, Ben Navarro, founded Meeting Street Schools (MSS), a network of schools that serve under-resourced families in Charleston and Spartanburg. Navarro, along with help from other likeminded community members, developed MSS based on the belief that a child’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education. Meeting Street Academy Charleston (MSAC), flagship school for MSS, was founded in 2008. Since the school opened its doors, there have been many things to celebrate.Two cohorts of graduated fifth grade classesnow attend top quality middle schools in the Charleston area. The 2016 graduating class alone earned over 1.2 million in scholarships for the area’s top schools.

MSAC students and families never cease to show gratitude by giving back to their community. This year, on Friday, December 16th during morning carpool, MSAC students and families dropped off school supplies, toiletries, entertainment, household and other items that they had collected for the Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC). This school-wide collection displays the spirit of giving that students and families demonstrate year-round.

MSAC chose to collect items for the CYDC becausethey care for young people who are victims of physical and sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment. The CYDC also provides resources and support to area families at risk of having their children removed from their home. The CYDC offers programs that reach over 1,200 local children and youth. Of the 1,200 children served, the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program provides caring adult role models to 182 local children from single-parent families. Sherman Financial Group is also a donor to the CYDC, helping to sponsor the organization’s annual fundraising gala.
MSAC students do not only give back during the holiday season. MSAC students demonstrate empathy, gratitude and citizenship throughout the entire year. MSAC teachers and staff place emphasis on these character traits as part of MSS’s Path to Success curriculum. By teaching Path to Success, children gain the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in the classroom and in life. 

Recently, MSAC students and families coordinated a “pay it forward” project to raise money to install an observation beehive at another Charleston County School. In order to “pay it forward” and provide another school with a beehive, MSAC students sold donated bottled honey (courtesy of the Savannah Bee Company) to their families, friends and Sherman Financial Group employees. All the proceeds from the honey sales fund the purchase of a hive for another school. MSAC’s observation hive was donated from another area school a couple years earlier. Observation beehives, developed by the Bee Cause Project, allow students to learn more about the positive impact that bees have on our ecosystem and truly nurture the educational experience for students in schools.

Teaching fundamental core values shared by Sherman Financial Group and MSS to the children at MSAC and fostering their interest in helping otherswill have a lasting impact on the fabric of our local community.

Ben Navarro Bio

Benjamin Navarro is the Founder (in 1997) and Chief Executive Officer of Sherman Financial Group, the market leader in purchasing and servicing distressedconsumer debt, with over $2 Billion in revenue expected in 2016. Sherman Financial Group employs over 1,500 people in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Sherman Financial Group’s business strategy is leveraging operational depth, financial resources and intellectual capital to meet the needs of the many consumers who are often underserved by typical financial institutions.

Mr. Navarro was formerly the Co-Head of Mortgage Sales and
Trading for Citicorp, with responsibility for the firm’s purchases, securitizations and sales of residential mortgages to institutional clients. During his tenure atCiticorp, Mr. Navarro was the top-producing mortgage and fixed income salesperson for seven straight years, and he was consistently one of the top
Sales people on Wall Street in credit-sensitive fixed income assets. Prior to joining Citicorp in 1988, Mr. Navarro was with Goldman Sachs for three years,where he worked on both the Whole Loan and Agency MBS desks. Mr. Navarro started his career at Chemical Bank, where he completed the credit-trainingprogram and spent two years making loans to mortgage banks and thrifts.

He has a B.S. in Finance from the University of Rhode Island (1984). Additionally,Mr. Navarro is the co-founder of The Compass Fund, a Connecticut based voucher program providing school choice for over 60 children. Mr. Navarro alsofounded Meeting Street Schools, a network of schools, which provides quality education to under-resourced children and families. The flagship school, Meeting Street Academy, is a demanding college preparatory school based in Charleston, SC for children from low income families.Mr.Navarro believes that all children, regardless of where they live, deserve the opportunity to attend a great school.

Additionally, Mr. Navarro set up a scholarship fund to help students at the University of Rhode Island. The Frank Navarro Scholarship Fund, named in honor of his father, provides half of the tuition for two incoming freshman. Scholarship recipients come from Westerly and Chariho, where Mr. Navarro grew up.

One of eight children, he worked his way through college by starting his own business. He created a student VIP discount card, which he sold to businesses in the area. As a result of this experience, Mr. Navarro learned that he could do something entrepreneurial and enjoys inspiring others to do the same. He spoke at his alma mater’s annual Career Day event in November of 2016 to share his story and encourage university students to, “come up with the biggest dream you can think of, then start down that path and see where it takes you”.

Sherman Financial Group bio

Sherman Financial Group LLC (“Sherman”) is a highly experienced and active global investment company with a 15-year track record of unparalleled success during a period of vast market fluctuation.  Sherman Financial Group specializes in the development of innovative solutions that optimize long term value.  Sherman’s track record of successful diversification, risk management, growth and performance has earned it the confidence of regulators, lenders and investors.  Sherman defines the standard for the consumer finance industry and endeavors to exceed the expectations of its stakeholders.

The collective infrastructure of the Sherman Financial Group portfolio companies provides the unique advantage of being a strong operating partner with the ability to transact in all consumer finance, corporate and real estate asset classes.  The combination of Sherman’s operational expertise and specialized servicing platforms has made it a one-stop choice for companies seeking an investor for traditionally hard to service deep value assets.  This unique organizational structure has provided Sherman Financial Group with a solid foundation for consistent investment success.

Sherman, through its affiliated companies, has invested $7B to date and arranged in excess of $3B in financing for portfolio companies. As a privately-held company, Sherman employs a streamlined decision making process and is not constrained by investment timelines and structural restrictions faced by traditional investment funds.  While the ability to act quickly can often be crucial to successful investing, Sherman believes that patience and careful due diligence is an even more important element to success.

Sherman Financial Group subsidiaries and affiliates originate, purchase and service all types of consumer and commercial debt in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.   Sherman’s business strategy is to leverage its intellectual capacity, operational depth and financial resources to originate and service accounts for consumers who are underserved by traditional financial institutions and, at the same time, create value for its stakeholders. Sherman additionally seeks out overlooked, complex and illiquid assets and platforms at the end of their fund life or held by otherwise constrained financial institutions.

Sherman’s affiliates and subsidiaries are engaged in the following business lines:
Direct origination of  credit cards and consumer loans (US, MX, & UK), Servicing of all types of consumer assets (US, MX, CAN & UK), Investment in performing and non-performing consumer debt originated by financial institutions, credit card companies, retailers and others (US, MX, & CAN), in real estate, corporate debt and structured asset purchases (US).

Additionally, Sherman’s strong foundation in consumer and specialty finance has enabled it to regularly evaluate and invest in transaction opportunities outside of its traditional sphere of investing – distressed ABS/MBS, FDIC assisted bank acquisitions, real estate development and bank capitalizations.

Our investment history has included:Portfolio purchases, De novo start-ups, Whole company acquisitions, Joint ventures, Minority equity investments, Real estate portfolio acquisitions, Senior and subordinated debt acquisition. 
Sherman Financial Group is actively seeking new opportunities and partners that will either complement or expand its current investment portfolio.