In early 1994 Tony and Shelly Narain owned a real estate brokerage in the Stratford, CT, area. “Things were running along pretty well back then,” remembers Tony, “or at least we thought so. But then my brother came up to me one day and said, ‘Listen, I’ve heard about this company with a great opportunity. Let’s go check them out.’”
“I was really excited about what I saw,” says Tony. “I could see how we could help a lot more people and have a real residual business – something we would never have with real estate. Shelly and I weren’t scared about going out on our own because we had been doing that for years. What we were attracted to was the freedom.”
Tony and Shelly kept attending Primerica functions to find out more about the business. “That’s the part we got right immediately,” says Shelly. “We stayed plugged in – even if we were still concentrating on the real estate. We never missed a training meeting. In fact, we went to as many as six a week because we wanted to condense the time it took us to figure out the business and become successful. The beauty of Primerica is you have to put the time in to get your business going but you can do it at your own pace. We just chose to go as fast as we could.”
Tony and Shelly hit the ground running. “Things seemed slow to us at first,” says Tony “but the pace started to pick up.” By June of 1995, Tony and Shelly were ready to open their first Primerica office. “It was a stretch,” remembers Tony. “ But we went from $3,000 our first year with Primerica to $26,000 and three years later we were at $500,000.1 Since then, the Narains have continued to build and are now Senior National Sales Directors with the company. They have an entire organization which they started and grew – and which they own.2 “We have our own business within a business,” says Tony.
“You know, there’s one thing I want to say about Primerica that really changed our lives,” says Shelly. “Before we ever started making money, we were already learning how to manage our money. Before, even though we were earning what we thought was good money in real estate, we never had any money in the bank. We spent as fast as we made it. Primerica helped us learn how to pay ourselves first – and Tony and I haven’t argued about money since. We see eye-to-eye on finances.”
“Even after the money came rolling in,” says Tony, “we were careful about stepping up the lifestyle. And we brought up our four daughters in the same way. They have never had to worry about a thing – and today our family has a life we couldn’t have even dreamed up in 1994, but the kids appreciate where all of it came from. Hard work.”
Tony and Shelly are proud of their family and thrilled two daughters, Betty and Mary, are active in Primerica. “We’re building a family business that we can pass down from generation to generation,” says Tony.2
“It’s been a wonderful ride and we can’t wait for the future,” says Shelly.
The cash flows stated are not intended to demonstrate the earnings of typical RVPs/representatives. Rather, the cash flows that have been cited reflect the potential that comes with building your business, and there is no guarantee that you will achieve any specific cash flow level. Most RVPs/representatives do not achieve the levels illustrated. In the 12‑month period ending in December 2010, Primerica paid a total of $503,115,928 in compensation to the sales force at an average of $5,296 per licensed representative. Average RVP earnings are typically higher. Actual gross cash flow is, among other factors, dependent upon the size and scale of a representative’s organization, the number of sales and the override spread on each sale, and the ability and efforts of you and your downlines. Having said this, Primerica provides a tremendous opportunity for individuals who work hard and who desire to develop a business with strong income potential.
Ownership is available only upon meeting all qualification and eligibility requirements, and remaining in compliance with all terms and conditions, as set forth in the Ownership Program Document and various operating policies and procedures issued by Primerica from time to time.
Jatinder & Sadhana Bajaj
Upland, CA Former Occupation: Real Estate Agent
Growing up in New Delhi, India, Jatinder Bajaj, now of Upland, CA, says he has always been very goal driven. “My parents were very prosperous, but it was very important to me to achieve my dreams on my own, without their financial help,” reflects Jatinder. “When I left home to pursue a masters degree in business in Canada, I only had $100 in my pocket.”
It wasn’t easy working three jobs and going to school full time, but his dreams were important to him so he pushed through until he finally graduated. For several years, Jatinder says he worked various jobs, in several different locations, to support his wife, Sadhana, and their growing family. But whatever small successes he found, he knew he could do better – he just didn’t know how.
When he heard about Primerica, he was working as a very successful real estate agent and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle with his family in California. But something was missing. “I was one of the top producers in the company and I was making a good income,” recalls Jatinder. “But I never felt like I was living up to my potential. When I heard about Primerica, it immediately impressed me as a place where we could achieve our goals and dreams without limits. There is unlimited room for growth here – we’re never restricted by a territory or by an employer.”
He continues, “But it wasn’t just the incredible business opportunity that brought us to this company. It was the opportunity to share with others the financial strategies that we’d already been applying to our own lives. The things Primerica stands for – ‘Buy Term and invest the difference,’ the Rule of 72, etc. – are principles we’d been practicing for years. We loved the idea of building a business around helping others to understand those concepts.”
Today, Jatinder and Sadhana are continuing to build a thriving Primerica business as they change lives in their community. “Because of Primerica, we are totally debt free,” enthuses Jatinder. “We live in our ‘dream home’ and have been proud to send each of our three children to the colleges they wanted. We’ve been able to support numerous charities through the years and we intend next to create a charitable foundation in India for the nation’s most needy.”
Jatinder says they’ve built their business and their lives around reaching for big goals – and they plan to continue stretching themselves toward greatness. “There is great power in writing down your goals, reading them daily and working hard to achieve them,” smiles Jatinder. “Sadhana and I prove every day to ourselves and our teammates that if you stay focused on your dreams – and work toward them – you can create something special!”
Stephanie & Henry Lincoln
Atlanta, GA Former Occupation: Corporate Trainer
A few years ago, Stephanie Lincoln, of Atlanta, GA, was working as a corporate trainer for a brokerage firm. She was working hard to earn a living but, like so many people, didn’t know much about how money works. When her sister, René Turner told her about the Primerica business she was building, Stephanie took notice.
“I saw how committed my sister was to her business and how hard she was working to be successful,” recalls Stephanie. “I went to an opportunity meeting and what I saw there totally hooked me! The financial concepts they talked about really struck me. I knew other people needed to know what I’d just learned and I wanted to be a part of an organization that told them.”
Besides the financial education, one of the other things that drew Stephanie to Primerica was the opportunity to work together with family to build a business. “Family and Primerica go hand in hand,” explains Stephanie. “It’s not just me and my sister – my husband, Henry, who I met in this business, also came from a Primerica family. He joined originally with his parents in Northern California!”
Building a Primerica family business isn’t just about creating a better life right now. It’s about laying a strong foundation for future generations to build on. “Henry and I, along with René and her husband, Mel, have a vision for our families,” says Stephanie. “We’re building financial independence together – the kind of continued success that can be passed from generation to generation. Having those kind of collective goals makes you work harder to create a business that has value beyond the present.”
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.
Texans Daina and Bill Sarafin first heard about Primerica years ago from a Primerica representative who was just beginning his business.
Daina remembers, “I was managing a store and doing executive training and he (Bill) was a supervisor at a chemical plant. And, here, this young man was just out of college and he sat us down and told us … we really needed more to put our finances together.”
The Sarafins had life insurance, 401(k)s and pensions through their workplaces. “But we needed to have our own program in place,” says Daina, remembering that day with the young man at the kitchen table. “To have our own life insurance – so we would have control over our own retirement savings outside of that. Quit saving our money in CDs. Start using mutual funds. Get out of debt. Pay off our credit cards.
“And he put us on a program,” smiles Daina, “and that program led us to be financially independent.”
Fast forward several years and the Sarafins’ daughter, Alisa, met her husband, Todd Greer, while both were in the Air Force. As their tour of duty ended, Todd began looking for a career and was interested in Primerica.
“We were all in favor of it,” say Daina. “We thought they would really be able to help them not only with their finances but also be able to help him with a great career. We knew it was a great company. … We knew some people who were working with Primerica who were making a great living.”
Daina and Bill both wanted Todd and Alisa to move to Houston to so they could build a Primerica business with together. “I kept telling him. I’ll work with you if you come to Houston,” remembers Daina. “Bill was all excited about working with him…” says Daina.
“People were shocked that I left a six-figure income, company car, stock options – but I knew I had to do something different with my life. So I started working with Primerica. I wanted freedom and I was tired of being controlled. I was approaching 50 at that point and I thought when am I going to control my life? When am I going to control my time? If not now, when?”
Life Can Change In an Instant
Bill and Daina’s plan was for her to run the couple’s Primerica Business until Bill retired in September 2010 at the age of 55 when he would take over. Daina would then spend the majority of her time taking care of the grandchildren.
But that was not to be. On January 16, 2010, Daina received a phone call. Bill had collapsed at work and Daina was instructed to get to the hospital right away. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she wouldn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to her husband of more three decades.
When Daina arrived at the hospital, the doctors told her that Bill had died of a massive heart attack. Daina couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“He had all these plans,” sobs Diane. “We had been together for over 35 years – ever since we were teenagers and thought we were going to be together forever.
“I was very blessed to have our finances in order and my Primerica career and didn’t have to worry about money. But there are so many families out there that don’t have anything other than what they have at work and they don’t understand the importance. And they never think it can happen to them.
“Life can change in an instant,” says Daina. “I know my life got totally turned upside down with a phone call.
“And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Bill. I miss him every day. But thank God for Primerica. You know, I don’t have to worry about the financial end of it. I can remember him for being the great man that he was. You know, taking care of our family — taking care of our finances. We can celebrate his life and not have to go through a financial crisis that we would have gone through had it not been for Primerica.”
Note: Todd and Alisa have progressed to the Senior Vice President level with Primerica with an extensive business. Daina is a Regional Vice President and has her own team and a highly successful business as well.
