Ex-Raider Phillip Buchanon shares lessons learned

The unwritten rules come with the new money. Every young pro knows them, and when the Raiders drafted Phillip Buchanon from Miami in 2002, he knew that the first is to buy your mother a house.

“My mom demanded a $1 million house,” Buchanon said. “And it’s not that I wouldn’t buy her one. It’s the expectation — the demand — of it that you don’t know about until you’re there. What could I do? She’s my mom. I bought a house.”

The second unwritten rule is to make it sprinkle, if not fully rain money on extended family, too. Those people expect it. Siblings. Cousins. Aunts …

“An uncle who was my father figure — he taught me how to hit in baseball; he was the first person I hit in pads (in football) — he said if I didn’t give him $10,000, he was going to rob that much from me,” Buchanon said.

And childhood friends? They’re the third unwritten rule. You’re expected to bring one or two into the good life with you. And choose wisely. Because if you don’t, you might be invaded at 3 a.m. by four or five men wearing ski masks, made to strip naked and have a gun stuck in your mouth if you don’t hand over $20,000.

Like Buchanon said he was.

“It was like a movie scene,” Buchanon recalled. “I thought, ‘Am I going to be executed right here?’ These were people who knew me, I’m sure. I didn’t have $20,000 on me. I’m not that kind of person, running around with that kind of money.”

This is what the 10-year pro talked about recently at an NFL rookie symposium. It’s the cautionary lesson behind his book, “New Money: Staying Rich.” It’s why a half-dozen teams have discussed bringing in the retired cornerback to talk with players. He talks about ideas he wishes someone mentioned to him as a young pro.

“Who do you trust?” he said. “That’s a good place to start. My message is very clear: When you come into new money, you will have a lot of headaches.”

NFL players make an average $3.2 million, and one in six declares bankruptcy within 12 years after retiring, according to research by the National Bureau of Economic Study.

Buchanon, however, offers lessons from an insider. He grew up the housing projects of Fort Myers, Fla. He was raised by his mother in a single-parent home. And his life changed in the time it took for his name to scroll across the TV as Oakland’s first-round pick in 2002.

“I knew something was wrong from Day 1. But as an athlete, you’re taught to have people take care of you all through high school and college. They kind of cripple you by doing that. Now you’ve got to make all these decisions you’re not ready to make.”

Bank Buchanon, he called himself early in his pro career. He’d spend $6,000 with friends — “fun friends” he called them, as opposed to “life friends” — in a day shopping and partying.

Mom was on a weekly allowance, then wanted at least $10,000 more for Christmas shopping. Siblings said they deserved to live like he did. A friend said they had a childhood pact to give the other $1 million if one made it.

“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you where you’re headed,” Buchanon said. “That’s something I tell the young players. It took me a couple of years to figure things out.”

Phillip Buchanon warns rookies not to let their families exploit them

As a first-round pick in the 2002 NFL draft, Phillip Buchanon signed a multimillion-dollar contract. And his mom decided that his payday should be her payday, too.

Buchanon has written a book detailing the mistakes he made as a young man whose mom demanded $1 million, which she said was payback for raising him. Now Buchanon has also agreed to speak at the annual NFL rookie symposium, where he’s encouraging rookies not to let their families exploit them, the way he did.

“When I got to the NFL, I was all dollars and no sense,” Buchanon writes on his blog. “I am here at the NFL Rookie Symposium to make sure that these NFL rookies don’t make the same mistakes that I did. I wish I had better mentors and I wish I had the right people around me. That would have impacted my career early on, no doubt.”

Buchanon says he’s encouraging rookies to invest their NFL money wisely so that it lasts the rest of their lives.

“I want them to make sure it’s permanent money. I don’t want them to blow it all, and next thing you know, it’s gone. Determine the difference between wants and needs for yourself and wants and needs from your family,” Buchanon writes.

The sad truth is, some of the rookies Buchanon is addressing at the symposium will make millions of dollars in the NFL and blow it all, often with large gifts to family members. But perhaps some will listen to Buchanon’s warning and save the money they make in their 20s so it will last until they’re in their 80s.

Ex-NFL player explains how he ended up blowing a chunk of his $20 million

Former NFL player Phillip Buchanon has been using his experience to help teach young NFL players how to handle their money.

Buchanon released his book, "New Money: Staying Rich," earlier this year, and he has been active in promoting the book and helping future players avoid financial strains and bankruptcy.

Buchanon, who made over $20 million in his career, has stressed the importance of managing money when it comes to family members. He has often told the story of his mother, who he says demanded $1 million from him after he was drafted as a price for raising him.

On his personal blog, Buchanon explained that he felt "obligated" to just give his money away:

"When I talk about this, people sometimes ask what kind of bad financial decisions I made. I’d say blowing $1.5 million in one business deal was pretty bad. I would say giving a lot of money away — $50,000 here, $20,000 there — was not a smart move. When you are a young player with new money, you feel obligated to just give your money away because of the pressure that you feel, especially from your own family."

In the same blog, he wrote about the three tips he tells young players:

"First, when they come into getting a lot of money, I want them to make sure it’s permanent money. I don’t want them to blow it all, and next thing you know, it’s gone. Determine the difference between wants and needs for yourself and wants and needs from your family. The second is making sure that they have people that they trust and talk to on a daily basis who can actually help them to be successful financially. And third, find mentors. If you have the right mentor(s), you’ll have a lot more success and a lot less headaches … trust me!"

Buchanon recently spoke at the NFL Rookies Symposium to advise players on how to adjust to their newfound wealth.

In an excerpt of his book that he provided to Fox Sports, Buchanon says he didn't give his mother the $1 million, but he did buy her a new house, which began the financial strain:

I bought my mother a house. I also advised her to sell the old one I grew up in when I put a new roof over her head, but my mother had other plans. Instead of selling my childhood home, she decided to rent it to my aunt. So I had to finance my mother, the budding landlord. Only this wasn't an investment. It was an encumbrance, because I didn't share in my mother's profit-making scheme. For the next seven years, I continued to make mortgage and maintenance payments on both homes.

I learned from this expensive lesson that big-ticket purchases for family members, such as houses and cars, should be evaluated with the following questions in mind: If you were unable to make payments for these purchases, would that particular family member be able to make the payments? Twenty years from now, who will be paying the upkeep on the house? You or your family member?

Buchanon also said that he often found family members asking him for money so they could fix things. He wrote in his book, "So I'd write them a check; of course, the problem never got fixed. The check, however, always got cashed."

On an appearance on MSNBC, he said he hasn't spoken with his mother since his book came out.

Money Lessons From Former NFL Player Phillip Buchanon

Young football players make many of the same mistakes as other 20-somethings, but more money is on the line.

Former NFL cornerback Phillip Buchanon​ reading his recently published personal finance book, “New Money: Staying Rich.”

When it comes to money, NFL players have famously fumbled. Former wide receiver Terrell Owens, who made around $80 million over his pro career, filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino reportedly lost close to $14 million after a bad investment in 2012. And former quarterback Vince Young, who spent six seasons in the NFL, made headlines in 2013 for defaulting on a $1.9 million ​loan.

The problem is widespread: Research published in April from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that 16 percent of players drafted by NFL teams between 1996 to 2003 filed for bankruptcy within 12 years​​ of leaving the NFL. Baseball players, celebrities and anyone else who comes into fast cash is similarly at risk.

That’s why former NFL cornerback Phillip Buchanon​ wrote his recently published book, “New Money: Staying Rich.” Buchanon, who is 34 and lives in Miami after spending almost a decade in the NFL​, says he wanted to show athletes and others who suddenly find themselves with money how to handle it. “I thought it was important to share my story so I can shed light on the issue and show family members what it’s like, so they can stop putting so much pressure on [athletes],” he says.

Buchanon says he was never comfortable with money, and he learned many financial lessons the hard way, like when his mom told him that he had to give her $1 million for everything she had done for him. He did not give her the money, but he did buy her a house – a decision that ended up causing significant financial strain.

Buchanon says the experience taught him an important lesson about setting boundaries when family members make requests. Now when a family member approaches him about needing money for something like a home repair, he offers to pay the handyman or other service provider directly, instead of handing over cash.

In the book, he also shares some of his overspending and business mistakes. “I messed up a lot,” he says. In the introduction, he writes, “My hope is that nobody will have to go through what I went through. My mistakes were hurtful and expensive, and they don’t have to happen to you.”  

In recognition of those challenges, the NFL’s Player Engagement Department runs a series of boot camps, including a finance camp, for players. The NFL Players Association, the union that represents professional football players, also makes an effort to educate athletes about finances. “One of the things we recognize is that players receive a significant amount of wealth in a very short period of time, so unlike most professionals, they have a very limited opportunity to become acclimated to it,” says Dana Hammonds,​ director of player affairs and development for the NFL Players Association. According to Forbes, the average salary for the 2013 NFL season was $2 million. ​Hammonds points out that the average NFL player likely makes the same mistakes that a typical 20-something might make, but because they have more wealth, those mistakes are costlier.

To help players manage their wealth, the NFL Players Association partners with Financial Finesse, a financial education provider, to provide an online learning center with financial assessments, videos, games, tutorials and more. Through the website, players can track their​ ​money goals and devise an action plan. The NFL Players Association also provides a ​financial help line, seminars and a director of financial advisors with experience working with NFL players.

​But money management doesn't have to be as challenging as scoring a touchdown. Here are some money lessons Buchanon wants fellow players – and other recent entrants to the millionaire's club – to take away from his book:

1. Draw a line between wants and needs.  

“Understand that you can only do certain things,” Buchanon cautions, and that lesson applies to family members, too. Just because you are suddenly earning a big paycheck or attending parties with Jay-Z (as Buchanon was) doesn’t mean you can necessarily act as though you have unlimited income forever. To make it last, Buchanon says, you have to set limits.

2. Watch out for takers.

​“Once you get a lot of money, you automatically become a giver, and everyone else is a taker. You have to have a limit, because takers don’t have limits. They’ll keep asking you because they think you’ve got it,” Buchanon says. He urges others, especially anyone who comes into a lot of money, to set boundaries quickly, before anyone takes advantage of you. 

3. Surround yourself with real friends and mentors. 

Some friends are just “fun” friends, Buchanon says, and want to be around you for the entertainment (and cash) that you can provide. But real friends help you make better decisions about your life, he says, and mentors, who have gone through what you are experiencing, can help guide you when it comes to relationships, business, money and life. “People who’ve already been there can help you find your blind spot,” he says, adding that he has found several who have guided him to where he is today.

4. Ask questions when getting financial advice.

When Buchanon started working with a financial advisor, he suggested that Buchanon buy an insurance policy that would pay out in the case of a catastrophic injury. While the insurance itself might have made sense, Buchanon later found out that the financial advisor received a payout for making the sale. Buchanon felt betrayed to discover the conflict of interest and soon stopped working with him.That's why Buchanon recommends making sure you fully understand an advisor's recommendations – and motivations – before agreeing to follow any tips.

5. Build your post-NFL career.

When players retire from the NFL, it can be hard to figure out what to do next. Chances are, any subsequent careers won’t garner as big a paycheck as the years on the field did. But they can be fulfilling, both professionally and financially. In addition to writing his personal finance book, Buchanon is working on a companion board game and app, as well as writing novels and a movie script. “It’s a longtime dream of mine,” he says of the script.

Another dream is helping anyone coming into new money to avoid some of the mistakes he made. Instead of it quickly disappearing, “I want [their money] to become permanent money,” he says.

Hyde: Phillip Buchanon uses his experience to warn athletes about 'financial molesters'

The unwritten rules come with the new money. Every young pro knows them. The first is to buy mom a house.

"My mom demanded a $1 million house," Phillip Buchanon said. "And it's not that I wouldn't buy her one. It's the expectation — the demand — of it that you don't know about until you're there. What could I do? She's my mom. I bought a house."

The second unwritten rule is to make it sprinkle, if not fully rain money on extended family, too. They expect it. Siblings. Cousins. Aunts …

"An uncle who was my father figure — he taught me how to hit in baseball; he was the first person I hit in pads [in football] — he said if I didn't give him $10,000 he was going to rob that much from me,'' Buchanon said.

And childhood friends? They're the third unwritten rule. You're expected to bring one or two into the good life with you. And choose wisely. Because if you don't you might be invaded at 3 a.m. by four or five men wearing ski masks, made to strip naked and have a gun stuck in your mouth if you don't hand over $20,000. Like Buchanon said he was.

"It was like a movie scene,'' Buchanon recalled . "I thought, 'Am I going to be executed right here?' These were people who knew me, I'm sure. I didn't have $20,000 on me. I'm not that kind of person, running around with that kind of money.

Buchanon stops and says, "Everyone imagines having money that comes with being a pro athlete, but no one imagines what comes with that money."

This is what the former Hurricane and 10-year pro talked about recently at an NFL rookie symposium. It's the cautionary lesson behind his book, "New Money: Staying Rich."

It's why a half-dozen teams, including the Dolphins, have discussed bringing in the retired cornerback to talk with players. He discusses what everyone inside his pro locker rooms went through. He talks about ideas he wishes someone talked with about with him as a young pro.

"Who do you trust?" he said. "That's a good place to start. My message is very clear. When you come into new money, you will have a lot of headaches. I know I did."

The story of money and athletes has been trod over for a while. NFL players make an average $3.2 million, and one in six declare bankruptcy within 12 years after retiring, according to research by the National Bureau of Economic Study.

Buchanon, however, offers lessons from an insider. He grew up the housing projects of Fort Myers. He was raised by his mother in a single-parent home. And his life changed in the time it took for his name to scroll across the TV as Oakland's first-round pick in 2002.

"The financial molesters came around,'' he said. "All these financial advisors are with the NFLPA, because they pay some money. But what's that mean? We're young. I had no training for finances in middle school, high school or college and now these guys show up — the brokers who make you broker.

"I knew something was wrong from Day One. But as an athlete you're taught to have people take care of you all through high school and college. They kind of cripple you by doing that. Now you've got to make all these decisions you're not ready to make."

Bank Buchanon, he called himself early in his pro career. He'd spend $6,000 with friends — "fun friends" he called them, as opposed to "life friends" — in a day shopping and partying.

Mom was on a weekly allowance, then wanted at least $10,000 more for Christmas shopping. Siblings said they deserved to live like he did. A friend said they had a childhood pact to give the other $1 million if one made it.

"Show me your friends, and I'll show you where you're headed,'' Buchanon said. "That's something I tell the young players. It took me a couple of years to figure things out."

That gun in his mouth? He can still taste it. No one was arrested from that night. But that taste of new money is something he passes on to today's rookies.