Archive for 2011
Finding out that you have breast cancer is a sobering moment for anyone, and for Lisa Hoggard, of London, Ontario, her 2008 diagnosis was no different. But what she and husband, Rob, did next is a testament to the power of positive thinking – a trait they’ve developed over their 25-year career with Primerica.
“Nothing can properly prepare you when coming face to face with your own mortality,” Rob reflects. “But Primerica has guided us to always look for the good in everything. We strive to be an example for others to follow in both our business and personal lives.”
The Hoggards threw themselves into addressing Lisa’s cancer in the same way that they built their Primerica business. “Building our Primerica business has taught us to never give up, no matter what the challenge,” Lisa explains. “So even through the surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy and hospitalizations, Rob and I have stayed positive. I’ve exercised daily and focused on taking one day at a time.”
Rob adds, “Because of our Primerica business, Lisa has been able to use whatever time and resources she’s needed to fight and overcome the challenges that having this disease brings. We appreciate the freedom we have through our Primerica business even more now that we’ve gone through what we have. You can’t put a price on that.”
Today, Lisa is cancer free, doing well and fired up about sharing her story and helping others. “I started a Primerica team to participate in the CIBC Run for the Cure, which is Canada’s largest single-day, volunteer-led fund raising event for breast cancer research,” says Lisa. “So far, we’ve raised more than $40,000!”
Rob concludes, “In business and in life, you have to focus on the solution, not the problem. You have to tirelessly fight until you win. We feel very blessed to be guided by the principles that Primerica teaches.”
11PFS592
Tags: breast cancer, business opportunity, canada, cancer, entrepreneur, fund raising, hoggard, Lisa Hoggard, Primerica, Primerica Canada, primerica opportunity, Rob Hoggard, Run for the Cure, survivor
Posted in Opportunity, Primerica, Representatives |
The end of the year is approaching fast. Do you need a financial tune-up? Here are a few areas to consider as you reflect and review:
Review your credit cards. Do you have a stellar credit score? With industry competition fierce for your business, you may be able to ask for – and receive – a lower Annual Percentage Rate (APR). While the average variable APR for credit cards is 14.46%, those with super-high credit scores can actually cut that in half (see chart below). If you’re among that elite crowd – and aren’t happy with your current rate or terms – try contacting customer service. You could negotiate your way to a better rate, or persuade them to waive the annual charge.
What’s your get-out-of-debt plan? Are you worried about your debt? If you’ve ever thought about making a dent in your debt (or changing your credit habits), now’s the time! Approximately 63% of Americans who are in debt say they worry about money one to three hours a day, and 22% worry four-plus hours a day. If you’re among them, ask your Primerica Representative how Primerica Debtwatchers™ can show you how to create a plan to gain control of your credit for good.
Check your emergency savings. Do you have three to six months’ salary stashed? If not, you’re not alone – a majority of Americans say they don’t have enough cash on hand to cover a $1,000 emergency expense.[1] To find extra cash for your emergency fund, get creative: take on extra work (ask your Primerica Representative how you can earn extra money part-time by helping families with their finances) or trim some of the “extras” from your monthly bills (think entertainment costs like dining out and cable/satellite service).
Review your life insurance coverage. If you have had a change in your life – such as the birth of a baby – this is crucial. Financial experts generally recommend about six to 10 times your annual salary. Nearly a third of all U.S. households have no life insurance, the highest percentage in more than four decades.[2] Among households with children younger than 18, 40% said they would immediately have trouble keeping up with living expenses if a wage earner passed away.[3] Don’t let a troubled economy put your family’s financial future at risk: Talk to your Primerica representative to make sure you’re (still) properly protected.
Re-shop your auto insurance. If you haven’t comparison-shopped your rates lately, give it a try! For an identical six-month policy, costs can vary as much as $500 across carriers – yet only 20% of consumers actually take the time to shop around![4] Too busy to shop? Ask your Primerica representative about Primerica Secure®, a referral program that shops multiple carriers for you!
Do you have a will? Two-thirds of Americans do not, according to a 2010 survey.[5] You can pay a lawyer anywhere from $100 to $1,000 to crate a will,[6] or ask your Primerica representative about the Primerica Legal Protection Program (PLPP), which includes free will preparation among its many benefits.
- Money, July 2011
- USA Today, January 7-9, 2011
- Primerica, representatives of Primerica, Equifax and Primerica DebtWatchers™ will not act as an intermediary between Primerica DebtWatchers customers and their creditors and do not imply, promise or guarantee that credit files or credit scores will or may be improved, repaired, boosted, enhanced, corrected or increased by use of the Primerica DebtWatchers product. Primerica DebtWatchers™ is a trademark of Primerica, Inc. Primerica DebtWatchers is not available for purchase.
- CNNMoney.com, August 10, 2011
- Wall Street Journal, August 29, 2010
- Ibid
Tags: credit, credit card, credit score, debt, equifax, Primerica
Posted in Primerica, Tips |
Are you one of the lucky ones? One that has a job? A job in your field? If you answered yes, kudos to you! Of course, having a job doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy and fulfilled. Are you? Happy, fulfilled and making the kind of money you want to make? If not, the bad news is you’re not alone. But the good news is … it doesn’t have to be that way.
The bad news: You’re working even harder for the money.
“53% of workers reported taking on new roles, typically without extra pay.”1
The good news: With Primerica, your hard work pays off.
Our compensation system is one of the best in the industry, so when you work hard, you reap the rewards. There is no limit to how much you can make.
The bad news: Job security is an urban legend.
“About 40% of the employees say they have been working harder in the past 12 months, and 25% said they feel even less secure in their jobs this year than they did a year ago.”2
The good news: Primerica is stable and always looking to add people to the roster.
Primerica has been in business for almost 35 years. We’re always looking for ambitious people who want to start a business. There’s plenty of room at the top!
The bad news: Most people aren’t happy with their jobs.
“Fewer than half of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs and workers younger than 25 years were most unhappy in their jobs.”3
The good news: Primerica is a company that allows you to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself.
Wouldn’t you be happier if you were your own boss and in charge of how much money you can earn? Yeah, we think so, too. That’s why Primerica offers representatives a huge support system to help them build a business. We want you to succeed and have the life — and lifestyle — you’ve always dreamed about.
The bad news: Equal pay for equal work is a rarity.
“Though women are more educated and better represented than ever in the workplace, they only earn about 75% of what their male counterparts make.”4
The good news: At Primerica, everyone has the same opportunity to be extraordinary.
Male or female, whatever your ethnic background or educational background — you have an opportunity to start a Primerica business. There are no compensation disparities. You do the work; you earn the money. No matter who you are, where you come from or what you’ve jobs you’ve had in the past.
The BEST News
If you’re looking for a way to have it all: flexibility, money, lifestyle and success — you’ve come to the right place. Going into business for yourself can give you everything you want and more. Check out the Primerica Opportunity and get started on your new life today!
- Money, August 2011
- LifeandHealthInsuranceNews.com, viewed on October 12, 2011
- CNNMoney.com, viewed on July 28, 2011
- portfolio.com, March 1, 2011
- Success, July 2011
Tags: business opportunity, entrepreneur, freedom, job, lifestyle, money, opportunity, Primerica, primerica opportunity, security
Posted in Opportunity, Primerica |
Life insurance can be confusing. Most people know they need it but procrastinate because they don’t know what kind they need or how much. Primerica was founded on the conviction that term life insurance is the best type of coverage for the vast majority of people.
Back in 1977, Primerica revolutionized the life insurance industry by showing families how they could get the coverage they needed at a price they could afford with term life insurance.
What Do the Experts Say?
Personal finance gurus and consumer advocates are almost universal in their praise for term life insurance.
“Buy enough term coverage to fill your needs. Life insurance is no place to skimp, especially with rates at historic lows.”
CNNmoney.com, Viewed July 21, 2011
“Term insurance is pure protection, like fire insurance or auto insurance. Its sole function is to support your family if you die. You can buy large amounts of coverage for modest amounts of money – and big policies are what your spouse and children need. Most breadwinners are seriously underinsured, partly because they’re wasting their limited budget on cash-value coverage. Only with term will you be able to protect your family well.”
Making the Most of Your Money Now, Jane Bryant Quinn, 2009
“For most families, term life insurance is the simplest and cheapest way to go.”
Insurancenewsnet.com, December 3, 2010
“For most people, term life still offers the best combination of coverage and cost.”
WSJ.com, May 28, 2011
Term Costs Less than Cash Value Insurance
Term insurance is the most affordable type of life insurance for healthy young and middle-aged people. Most families can afford the generally recommended seven to 10 times annual income of coverage. (CNNMoney.com, July 29, 2010)
Term Separates Your Insurance from Your Savings
At Primerica, we believe in the “Buy Term and Invest the Difference.” This simply means that you protect your loved ones’ financial welfare with our affordable term coverage and regularly invest the savings.
BTID especially works well when investing for the long term, such as for retirement or education. The average annual rate of return of the stock market over the 30 years from December 31, 1980 to December 31, 2010 was 10.71%. (Morningstar)[1]
Term and the Theory of Decreasing Responsibility
Long term investing, such as with BTID, goes hand in hand with the Theory of Decreasing Responsibility. Basically, the Theory states that most people’s greatest need for insurance coincides with early adulthood and early middle age when many are supporting young families.
When you are younger, you may have young children to support, a new mortgage payment and many other obligations. And you have all this at a time when you haven’t had the time to accumulate much money. The death of a breadwinner would be financially devastating for your family at this time. It is at this time that you need life insurance coverage the most.
When you are older, you usually have fewer dependents and fewer financial responsibilities. Children are grown, the mortgage is paid or much reduced, and many routine payments have disappeared. Moreover, you’ve had years to accumulate wealth through savings and investments.
Primerica Term Life Insurance – the Answer for Main Street Families
The reasons are simple and compelling for families to protect themselves with term life insurance offered through Primerica.
- Term is the simplest, most straightforward type of insurance available
- Term insurance is, by far, the most affordable for families
- Term insurance does not have an investment component built in, so you’re able to manage your long-term investing separately
Tags: Primerica term life insurance, underinsured, uninsured
Posted in Company, Primerica, Tips |
(Part Three in the Duane Morrow Series)
Duane Morrow had to travel a little farther than usual for his most recent race – 6,862 miles, in fact. He was nervous about this competition – it had been less than a year since he’d undergone additional neck surgery, and he was unsure of his ability to race well. He contemplated what kind of pain he’d be in during and after the Oita International Wheelchair Half Marathon. He wondered if it would be worth it.
As he stretched, he found himself surveying the other racers, determining who would be the top competitors. He figured out who he’d need to keep pace with and who he’d need to beat in order to bring his team (The Shepherd Center Spinners) to victory. He looked up at the rainy Oita, Japan, sky and around at all the other athletes. He knew he’d have to do his best – be his best – to win. So, in true Duane Morrow fashion, he was his best. And he won.
(To learn more about Duane’s amazing story of survival and recovery, read “The Adventure Continues.”)
Prepping for the Race
Primerica EVP and world-class athlete, Duane Morrow was the only American competing in the T52 Quad Division. The 44-year-old quadriplegic athlete crossed the finish line first, beating his personal best for the 13.1-mile tear at just 1:06:31. He gives some of the credit for his top showing to his racer – a real Georgia-made machine that sports the distinct University of Georgia “G” and the red and black that are so dear to his heart. The chair weighs about 23 lbs. and is composed of titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber components, much like top-end bicycles.
Even with a boss chair and rigorous training, Duane was surprised to win the largest and best-organized race of its kind in the world. (He dismissed his training schedule as just three to four days a week in a wheelchair doing some type of extreme exercise. “You know, rugby, racing or hand cycling,” he added, nonchalantly.)
When he crossed the finish line, he was just thankful to have run a good race, he recalled. “My GPS showed me that I’d beat my personal best and had done enough to beat the 2010 winner’s time, but it wasn’t until a reporter approached me for an interview that I knew I’d won first place,” he remembered. He was even happier to learn that Kevin Scott Stokes, also from a Shepherd Center team, did a personal best of 1:30:46 and placed first in the T51 Quad Division. (Kevin will be in England in 2012 representing the United States in the track and field events.)
With his personal translator and assistant, Duane braved the interview circuit, receiving accolades from the Oita mayor and high-ranking military officials and sharing his story of perseverance. Then he quietly and quickly made himself scarce. He had another important event to attend less than 24 hours later. Duane woke at 4 o’clock the next morning, took two buses, two planes and a car ride to make it back to Georgia just in time to drive the tractor pulling the Morrow “Fab Five” (his five children) and their friends around the neighborhood for trick-or-treating.
If you think something can’t be done, just ask Duane Morrow. If it’s worth it, he’d say, your doubt is the only thing standing in your way.
Tags: Duane Morrow, Japan, marathon, Oita, Oita International Wheelchair Half Marathon, Primerica, Shepherd Center, Shepherd Center Spinners, Shepherd Spinal Center, wheel chair
Posted in Primerica |
