The holidays are upon us and many families are digging deep to find the cash for gifts and travel costs. According to a recent survey, the average U.S. household plans to spend an average of $683 on holiday related shopping, a slight drop from last year.1 With unemployment close to 10%, and many more families unsure about their financial future for 2010, finding ways of enjoying the season without busting the budget are more important than ever.2
Primerica presents three easy ways to make your money go farther this Christmas.
- Shop Smart. Both traditional retailers and online merchants often run sales or offer incentives like free shipping to encourage consumers to buy. Just shopping around a bit could help you save big.
- Stick to Your Budget. Decide ahead of time how much you want to spend on each person or gift and stick to it.
- Try a “Stay” Cation. Airfare for a family can really stress a budget – especially when the economy is slow. Even gas and other travel expenses could be a big strain on a family’s finances. Consider staying close to home this year. Start a new family tradition like watching a special holiday movie together, going caroling in your neighborhood or taking cookies and homemade crafts to a local senior center.
A few small changes can make a big difference and if you’re smart about your spending, you can still satisfy those wish lists – without breaking the bank!
Tags: budget, holiday spending, staycation, unemployment
Posted in Primerica, Tips |
Today you’ve got more reasons than ever to free yourself from the burden of credit card debt. Here are a few:
- Compound interest works against you. When you allow debt to “sit” on your credit cards accumulating interest, one of the most powerful forces in the world – compound interest – is actually working against you to keep you in debt bondage.
- No end in sight. Most credit card debt is considered revolving. Because of the way interest is calculated, it can be difficult to tell how long it will take to pay off revolving credit card debt. It can feel like you’re on a debt treadmill from which you can’t escape.
- You’re not in control. Your lender is. Your credit card issuer determines your interest rate, credit limit, fees and charges based on your credit history. You don’t get to select your own credit terms.
- Great balance transfer deals are almost non existent. They used to pour out of your mailbox, but now those zero or low APR balance transfer deals with low or no fees are practically gone – and you’re stuck with the balance.
If you’re stuck on the revolving debt treadmill, you may be putting your financial health at risk. But help is available!
That’s where Primerica’s newest product, Primerica DebtWatchers™ comes in. This exciting new product allows you to create and monitor your own personalized path to debt freedom. With this product you can:
- Take control of your debt situation by using the information in your Equifax Credit Report™ to create a simple to understand plan for paying off your debt
- Monitor your Equifax credit report for key changes
- Track your progress toward debt freedom
- Set goals and monitor actual balances reported by your creditors
- Get up to $25,000 in Identity Theft Insurance with no deductible*
- Access your information any time, online
You’ll even be notified via email or text message of key changes to your Equifax Credit Report – all for a low monthly fee.
Becoming debt free is a good goal to have – and Primerica DebtWatchers can help you get there. Talk to your Primerica representative today to find out how to get started!
Tags: credit, credit score, debt, debt freedom, equifax, FICO, Primerica, Primerica DebtWatchers
Posted in Company, Primerica |
Primerica is always looking for ways to make their representatives’ business lives easier, and that kind of innovative thinking usually leads to better technology. Since creating the award-winning TurboApps technology for representatives to send client apps into the Home Office for processing, Primerica’s IT team has continued to look for ways to make it easier and faster for representatives to grow their businesses.
Since the summer of 2009, Primerica representatives have been making the switch from their old platform in favor of the new Windows Mobile platform. With this new platform, representatives will be able to:
• Adapt quickly to Microsoft Windows and learn how to use it faster since it’s similar to what they’ve been using already.
• Process larger, more complex TurboApps applications.
• Call, email or text a client with a tap of the screen.*
• Run multiple software applications simultaneously.
• Use Office Mobile, a suite of mobile versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint Mobile, all of which are compatible with desktop versions of the Office Suite.
• Truly be mobile, because future wireless enhancements will include “over-the-air” upload of product applications, software updates and Primerica WebMail.
“This new technology is really going to enable our representatives to take their business to the next level,” says EVP of Technology, Tom Swift. “This new platform will help them help clients more quickly and efficiently, which will in turn help representatives grow their businesses even faster.”
Tags: applications, IT, Microsoft, Office Mobile, Primerica, software, technology, TurboApps, Windows, Windows Mobile
Posted in Primerica |
