(Editor’s Note: It has been seven months ago now, but it still seems like yesterday. As we close in on the end of the year and look ahead to 2011, it is worth reflecting proudly on what happened that magical Spring day, April 1… The Re-Founding of Primerica.)
NEW YORK – “This is one of those days,” Primerica Co-CEO John Addison said, “when you look back and say, ‘you’re not going to have many of these. This was a good day.’ This is special.”
John was en route to the NYSE where he had started the day with the company’s IPO. After the opening bell, John was interviewed live on television by everybody from CNBC to Fox Business News to Bloomberg. Now he was headed back to Wall Street to ring the closing bell with Co-CEO Rick Williams and the company’s top executives and field leaders.
From Day One, the IPO had created a buzz on Wall Street not often seen in these turbulent times. Even the most stoic of traders on the NYSE floor were caught up in the excitement of the day, referring to it as “old school.” Letter after letter rolled in from different corners of the financial services world, all congratulating the company on its incredible achievement. Jim Cramer later called it “the best performing IPO of the year” on Mad Money and the success of the IPO received international press coverage.
For John and Rick, it was the culmination of a nearly four-year journey, one that defied all odds – especially during such a challenging economic climate. “It was a long and winding road,” John said, “but we had a goal. We had a mission.”
Primerica has long been called “a company of destiny,” forged from a legacy of greatness, built on the rock solid foundation of doing what’s right for the consumer. There was only one thing missing from the equation: freedom.
“You don’t know what this means,” John later told the capacity crowd at the world famous Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom, where the meeting was broadcast live to the entire company and attended by more than 1,000 Primerica reps from around the U.S. and Canada. “I’ve never been prouder. Today, we rang the bell of freedom. It’s a new day, it’s a new moment. It’s morning in Primerica.
“Freedom lives here.”
This SlideShowPro photo gallery requires the Flash Player plugin and a web browser with JavaScript enabled.
To see more pictures from Primerica’s IPO day, visit Flickr.
Primerica Home Office employees have generously adopted 100 Angels from the Salvation Army Angel Tree this year, committing to provide toys and clothing to children in need during the holiday season. The gifts will be delivered to children in the Gwinnett County area.
It’s holiday time, and for many families struggling through economic hardships, the season doesn’t hold the promise that it does for so many of us. Some parents need a helping hand in order to “make the season bright.” That’s why the Primerica Home Office has made the Salvation Army Angels program part of its regular calendar.
This year, the response was extraordinary. All 100 Angels were quickly adopted, and several extra items were donated! At least five bicycles and a crib were among the items contributed beyond the Angel list for whomever may need them.
This SlideShowPro photo gallery requires the Flash Player plugin and a web browser with JavaScript enabled.
The Home Office family has proven once again this year that, even during rough economic times, helping families is a Primerica way of life.
The average U.S. household will spend less on gifts this holiday season than it has for the last quarter of a century, The Globe and Mail reported recently.
The Conference Board said households are expected to spend an average of $384, the worst inflation-adjusted figure in the 25-year history of the survey.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t make this a memorable year for you and your family.
Here are Primerica’s Top 10 Tips for the holiday season:
Review your finances and determine a budget that makes sense for you.
Set your budget, and, most importantly, stick to it.
Re-evaluate your approach this year, and use all possible resources to help make the most of the season – and make it fun.
Write down your gift list, then prioritize it. Remember, if you and your family are facing financial challenges right now, you are not alone. Chances are, most of your friends and relatives have their own challenges and might need to make cutbacks themselves.
Make a point to spend time with people around the holidays. That’s always more important than the exchange of gifts. The old adage is still true, there are some things money can’t buy.
Manage expectations for your children and other family members.
Shop online, use coupons, look for rebates, watch for sales and compare prices between stores to get the best bargains possible. This is an opportunity for you to use the retail-slowdown to your advantage.
Whenever possible, pay cash (or use debit cards) for all gifts. That said, there are some purchases you should make on your credit card. But always make sure you can pay them off in full when the bill arrives. Spending money you don’t have on credit cards is the gift that keeps on giving.
Personal gifts that require more of your time and effort, and usually a lot less money, are the ones that mean the most – and the ones your friends and family members will cherish for a lifetime.
Start a new family tradition by volunteering together for a worthwhile cause. Even if you don’t have money to make a donation, you can give your time – and that can prove to be a much more worthwhile contribution.
Happy holidays from Primerica, where we still help make dreams come true 365 days a year.
At a time when so many families have been forced to change their way of life, Primerica offers new hope for people to start dreaming again.
“The nation’s financial crisis is altering Americans’ way of life from the home and the workplace to the highway and the altar, according to the 2009 Census data,” The USA Today reported recently.
The impact has been felt throughout our society:
Median household income fell 2.9% in 2009, the second consecutive annual drop as the cost of living continues to rise.
One of eight housing units was vacant in 2009, a sign of the soaring foreclosure rate.
The share of women 18 and older who are married slipped below 50% for the first time ever, “an adaptive response to response to the lack of jobs and economic uncertainty,” according to a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau.
Primerica offers people the opportunity to start a business – with the freedom to build the way they decide, with no restrictions on the earnings potential. Many choose to simply earn a little extra money part-time, while others begin a new full-time career.
“Our business does real good during good times,” Primerica Senior National Sales Director Jim Meyer said. “Our business does great during poor economic times.”
The time is now, and people need a game plan and a financial education like never before.
Source: Recession’s impact on us, USA Today, September 29, 2010
