Built by an IT guy. Made for borrowers.
StraightSum isn't a faceless corporation. It's a project built and managed by me, Robert Pokladow, an IT contractor. I focus on the technical infrastructure, support, and development of the resource, periodically bringing in independent financial experts to verify content, state rules, and calculator formulas.
Robert Pokladow
IT Contractor & Founder
I manage the technical side of StraightSum. My focus is on user privacy, PWA architecture, and building tools that actually solve problems. To ensure financial accuracy, I periodically contract independent financial experts to review our calculators, state rules, and educational content. We are not a lender, broker, or loan servicer—we are an educational and referral platform.
The honest story.
No corporate fluff. Just the reality of building a site that got hit by Google, and what we did to fix it.
2019
The Lead-Gen Start
StraightSum started like many sites in the consumer finance space: as a pure lead-generation project focused entirely on SEO rankings and lender referrals. It worked, but it wasn't building real trust.
2022
The Algorithm Reality Check
Google's Helpful Content Update (HCU) and core algorithm changes hit the site hard. Traffic plummeted. It was a clear signal that the 'SEO-first, user-second' approach was no longer viable.
2023–2024
The Pivot & Redesigns
I made the decision to abandon aggressive SEO strategies. We rebuilt the site multiple times from scratch. The core mission shifted: build something genuinely useful for people first, and let monetization be a byproduct of that value.
2026
A Tool for Borrowers
Launched the new PWA. No more walls of text. We built interactive calculators, a private dashboard to track debt, and transparent guides. The goal is now simple: help you understand the math before you borrow.
Content before compensation.
Our guides and calculators are written before partner compensation enters the picture. When the cheapest option for a reader is a credit union PAL or an employer advance, we say that—even though those options don't pay us a referral fee.
We do not accept payment for positive reviews or editorial placement. Compensation from partners doesn't buy preferred ranking in our comparisons.