Sep
24.09
The quarterly Primerica Home Office blood drive was held on Wednesday, August 12, and collected 56 pints of blood for distribution by the Red Cross. That’s enough blood to benefit up to 168 recipients.
Tags: blood donation, blood donors, Georgia Aquarium, Primerica, red cross, volunteeerism, Volunteers
Sep
17.09
Did you know, the average household “owes 20 percent more than it makes each year?”1 With the current financial crisis, that percentage may even increase as families go deeper into debt just to maintain their lifestyles.
Primerica recognizes that education is the first step toward helping families learn to develop a healthier financial life. We believe a good understanding of how money works is key to long‑term success. These three tips can help you get started.
1. Avoid the revolving consumer debt trap.
Most credit card debt is revolving debt. Because of the way interest is calculated on revolving debt, it’s hard for you to know exactly how long it will take to pay off your balance. All that interest can add up to big bucks along the way!
With fixed debt, you make payments over a set span of time. It’s easy to tell when the principal will be paid off and – even with the same interest rate and monthly payments – the pay off date is usually much sooner than with revolving debt. Consolidating revolving debt into one fixed rate loan can potentially eliminate those debts sooner and reduce your monthly payment.
2. Understand compound interest.
With a revolving debt account, compound interest can eat away at your financial health. But when you use compound interest in your favor, it can really help savings grow. The more you save, the more interest you can potentially earn on that money.
3. Make a lifestyle change.
When it comes to reducing debt, little changes can make a big difference. By separating “wants” from “needs,” and making the “needs” the priority in spending, you can begin saving toward your future.
It’s a good idea to have periodic checkups with a financial services professional to make sure you stay on track for your goals. Primerica offers a FREE Financial Needs Analysis that is designed to highlight problem areas and present strategies to deal with them.
1 Newsweek, February 1, 2008
Important Disclosure
Tags: credit cards, finance, free, home mortgage, newsweek, Primerica, Tips
Posted in Primerica |
Sep
09.09
In today’s economy, many families are worried about layoffs, foreclosures and mounting debt. They’re looking for ways to cut costs, save more and make smarter money choices for their future.
Primerica, believes one of the first steps toward getting on track for a bright financial future is to create better spending and saving habits. To help you get into the mindset of making better money choices, Primerica presents three easy ways to curb spending.
1. Track purchases. Little purchases made every day can add up to big money at the end of the month. Keep track of expenditures by either writing them down in a notebook or purchasing budgeting software. You might be surprised at just how much you didn’t realize you were spending.
2. Minimize ATM visits. ATM withdrawals can add up quickly if you aren’t tracking them. It’s easy to keep pressing that withdrawal button and even taking out the minimum $20 at a time can add up quickly. The best plan is to set a limit on withdrawals per week and stick to it.
3. Cut spending by small amounts first. Breaking the over‑spending habit isn’t likely to happen overnight. Start small, say reducing spending by 10%. Once you get used to that adjustment, you can work your way up to a more aggressive cost‑cutting strategy.
Discretionary spending (e.g. eating out, entertainment, movie rentals, etc.) isn’t a bad thing, but over‑spending – particularly in times of economic upheaval – can put you into a precarious position if debt becomes too high or if you are laid off.
As you learn to budget better and spend less, the next step is to start socking away all that extra un‑spent cash. Primerica’s free Financial Needs Analysis offers a comprehensive snapshot of your finances and presents clear strategies for getting out of debt, becoming properly protected, saving more and getting on track for a great future.
Tags: ATM, curb spending, economy, finance, financial needs analysis, FNA, personal finance, Primerica, Tips
Posted in Primerica |
Sep
02.09
He’s a competitive racer ranking fastest in the U.S. – second in the world. He plays rugby, golf and tennis. He even water skis, snow skis and dives for fun. And, by the way, he’s quadriplegic.
Duane Morrow, Primerica’s Executive Vice President of Field Marketing, was living and working in England when he broke his neck during a rugby game in 2004. He was paralyzed from the chest down, but, for this tenacious athlete, life didn’t end. It simply changed … and he adapted.
Life 2.0
After surgery and months of inpatient rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Morrow was ready for more. He had been told that there was a 99% chance he’d never walk again, but he rebuked those odds. He asked his nurses to wake him up at 5 a.m. so he could be at the gym at 6 a.m. when it opened. He worked out for hours, trying to retrain his body to walk.
Morrow saw how the therapy was helping him over time. He met with Shepherd Center officials to try to establish an extreme therapy program for other athletes who wanted to go beyond traditional treatments. While the center was not equipped for the program at the time, only four months later, Morrow got a call from Gary Ulicny, president of the Shepherd Center. He wanted to try it out. Beyond Therapy was born. Now, two years later, the program has doubled in size. Plus, there’s a 100-person waiting list … and Morrow is the spokesperson. His Primerica family is not surprised. Morrow’s excitement and determination have become a banner – an example of what it means to be a Primerica rep.
That drive, a “saint” for a wife, hard work and top-notch technology – like robotic treadmills – helped him to begin standing with assistance, Morrow says. But he gives the real credit where he says credit is due: “Doctors don’t know everything. God’s pretty cool.” Today he has renewed use of his arms and hands, and even walks with the use of a cane.
While he’s no longer an inpatient at the Shepherd Center, Morrow still receives physical therapy there. When he’s not traveling the country on Primerica business, he routinely walks seven flights of stairs. He throws medicine balls and he runs in the pool. He’s hardcore. “You can adapt, or you can go into a cave and give up,” Morrow says. “The technology exists. You can figure it out.”
Now Morrow is helping other people “find their new normal.” He visits Shepherd’s patients often – even those he’s never met before. He explains that people who once took 15-20 minutes to get ready in the morning are now taking 1-2 hours. Their lives have changed dramatically on all levels and, according to him, there are certain things that are better learned from someone who’s figured out how to live this new life. So, why has he taken on this personal mission? “Everyone wants to live a life of significance,” he says. “That’s real wealth.”
It Ain’t Over
He’s convinced (and convincing!) that people with physical disabilities can lead extreme lives. For the past four years, he’s participated in an Adventure Skills Workshop sponsored by the Shepherd Center – two years as a patient, two as a volunteer counselor. People with all degrees of ability attend these workshops to participate in rugby, rock wall climbing, tubing, fishing, water skiing, zip lining and more! Morrow says the real advantage is that they get to be with 200 other people who are looking for their new normal, too. Many of them find it there, too. One man at a recent camp says he thought he would never hunt again. But, with the help of harnesses and assistance, he was able to find a new way to do something he always loved.
Making It Work
For Morrow, this whole experience has been a lesson in perseverance. It’s a lesson that he believes able-bodied people can learn, too. He tells how people can begin learning from the disabled: First, he says, don’t let little inadequacies embarrass you. Work through them. Second, introduce children to people with disabilities. That way, it’s not uncomfortable to them when they are in close quarters with someone in a wheelchair. Plus, they’ll learn that setbacks don’t have to mean the end of the world. Finally, ask before helping a disabled person, and don’t be offended if he or she says, “no.” They don’t need as much help as we think, he says. Besides, some disabled people, like Morrow himself, can be more “able” than the rest of us!
Tags: Adventure Skills Workshop, disabled, Duane Morrow, handicapped, quadriplegic, rugby, Shepherd Spinal Center, wheelchair
Posted in Primerica |