“Family” is a great way to describe what Primerica is all about. For more than 30 years, we’ve focused on helping families to change their lives through our financial products, services and education. But, more than that, the business leaders out in their communities making a difference, have the chance to take a simple entrepreneurial opportunity and to turn it into a living legacy for themselves and their own family.
Blake and Lindsey Whittle, of Baton Rouge, LA, know first hand the power of building a “family” business. Blake’s parents, Bill and Leslie Whittle, also of Baton Rouge, LA, joined Primerica in 1980 and have developed their business into one of the company’s most successful. Blake grew up seeing the kind of lifestyle that can be achieved through Primerica and witnessing the power of what we do for families.
Blake says he always knew he wanted to be a Primerica entrepreneur. “I always intended to play professional basketball first and then build a Primerica business,” says Blake. “But when it came to decision time after college, Lindsey and I both knew the timing was right to become entrepreneurs.”
He continues, “We are so lucky that we made that choice because these last few years in business have been the most rewarding years of our lives – and we believe it’s only going to get better.”
Lindsey agrees, “From day one, everyone I ever met in Primerica has been so welcoming, positive and supportive. I’ve never seen anything like it at any other company. There’s such a huge difference between the people I’ve met here and people from the corporate world that I know.”
Since Blake’s parents are Primerica legends, he knew he had big shoes to fill with his own business – but he and Lindsey were up to the challenge. “The only difference in my life now compared to when I was growing up, is that I get to experience the joy of having my own team, building relationships with them and contributing to what my parents have built the last 30 years,” explains Blake.
He adds, “Making money is nice, but for us, the best part about being a part of a family business are the friendships we’ve made and the lives we’ve changed!”
Blake and Lindsey are doing something special for themselves and their family – and getting to work with Bill and Leslie at the same time. “There’s no way we could have built the kind of successful business we’ve built so far if it weren’t for a strong partnership, our family’s support and a great team of new leaders!” enthuses Blake.
Fiori & Teresa Pagliuso
Toronto, Ontario
Former Occupation: Factory Worker
Before they joined Primerica, Fiori & Teresa Pagliuso, of Toronto, Ontario, had “dead end” jobs that left them with nothing to show for their hard work. “I was a cookie maker and Teresa worked in retail sales,” recalls Fiori. “We had zero savings, very low income, creditors chasing us and no idea how to make a change.”
They were desperate to get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle so when they heard about Primerica, they knew they had to give it a shot. “Working 9 to 5 wasn’t fun for us,” explains Fiori. “We are very driven and we thrive on competition and recognition – which, of course, you don’t get out in the corporate world. When we joined Primerica, we hit the ground running and have been building steadily to get to where we are now.”
Today, the Pagliusos are building a strong business and are fully enjoying their Primerica career. “We never focused on the income,” says Fiori. “We only focused on growth. Building a team, developing independent leaders and teaching others to build their own businesses is how you can reach any goal – and build a lasting business.”
He adds, “When we started in this business, we just wanted to make enough to pay the bills. Now that we’ve experienced success, our goals are to get our teammates to advance to the next level and to help our people become successful as well.”
Because of their career with Primerica, Fiori and Teresa’s life is worlds away from where they started. “Primerica changed our financial future forever,” Fiori says. “We live in a beautiful home, we’re saving money for the future and we are debt free. We also love the fact that because of our Primerica income, we can give back to our family and improve their quality of life.”
Together with their team, this power building duo is headed for even bigger success. “This business allows us to give people hope for their future,” smiles Fiori. “We’re changing lives every day and that feels good!”
Primerica, Inc. recently joined the broad-market Russell 3000 as well as the small capitalization Russell 2000 Index. This prestigious inclusion comes on the heels of Primerica’s Initial Public Offering and marks a significant milestone for the newly re-founded company.
“Primerica completed our Initial Public Offering on April 1, 2010 and today we are excited to be included in the prestigious Russell Indexes,” said John A. Addison, Jr., Co-CEO of Primerica.
D. Richard Williams, Chairman of the Board and Co-CEO of Primerica, said, “This is an important milestone for our company. Inclusion in the Russell Indexes provides outstanding exposure for our company.”
What is the Russell Index? Russell U.S. Indexes allow investors to track current and historical market performance by specific market segment (large cap/small cap) or investment style (growth/value).
The Russell 3000 Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 companies in the United States, representing approximately 99% of the U.S. equity market.
The Russell 2000 Index is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index and measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the market.
About Russell Investments Russell Investments is a global investment company with $179 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2010. Russell serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries and provides investment solutions, including mutual funds, retirement investments, institutional asset management, implementation services and global stock market indexes.
Kevin & Tammy Olsen
Santa Ana, CA Former Occupation: Aerospace Industry
When Kevin & Tammy Olsen, of Santa Ana, CA, joined Primerica, their biggest goal was to simply pay off a $10,000 credit card debt. But, like so many other great Primerica leaders, that short term goal turned into something completely unexpected: an incredible Primerica career. “We initially joined because a high school friend told us we could make some extra money,” recalls Kevin. “Today, our ‘why’ is to be a great example for our three children. Our goal is to prove to them that hard work pays off.”
He continues, “We want our kids to have high standards as they make life choices – whether that be choosing a college, a career or a spouse. Our thinking has changed because of Primerica and we want to instill that same winning attitude in our kids.”
But the Olsens aren’t just setting a good example for the next generation. They’re also focused on pushing up their teammates to success. “Right now, we have teammates who, we believe, have the potential to become the greatest Primerica’s ever seen,” Kevin enthuses. “We’re fully committed to helping our teammates advance to the next level.”
Kevin and Tammy believe right now is the perfect time to be building a Primerica business – and they plan to capitalize on it. “People out there are really hurting and we have the answer,” says Kevin. “In this economy, we’re finding that more and more people are finding that their job isn’t as stable as they thought it was and they’re looking for a good entrepreneurial opportunity. We believe Primerica is it!”
Together, these power builders are on track for even more success. “Our hierarchy is up almost 100% over the last year,” says Kevin. “We are so excited to see how the rest of 2010 turns out. This is going to be our greatest year and we are definitely all in!”
You’ve probably seen commercials advertising ways to obtain your credit report. While the commercials might be catchy, they typically don’t really have much to do with credit scores or even tell you how important they really are. Do you know what your credit score is and how it can impact you? It pays to know!
A good credit score can determine a lot of things today:
Whether you will be approved for credit
What interest rate you will get on loans
The cost of your homeowner’s and car insurance
Whether you are approved to rent a home or apartment
In some cases, whether you get a job offer or type of license
One little number can affect some pretty serious stuff right?
In this lagging economy, more people than ever are struggling to stay out of debt, stay on top of their credit and keep their scores up. Anything from a late payment on a credit card to a high debt-to-income ratio can damage a person’s credit score and it can takes years to get back a credit score that you feel proud of.
According to a recent article in USA Today, “The credit scores of millions more Americans are sinking to new lows… Recent figures show what 25.5% of consumers – nearly 43.4 million people – now have a credit score of 599 or below.” (USA Today, July 12, 2010)
In today’s economic climate of tighter lending standards, many Americans are finding it harder than ever to obtain loans and sinking credit scores aren’t helping the picture. According to a recent article, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said it intends to require borrowers to have a credit score of at least 500 to qualify for FHA-insured loans. The agency has not required a minimum score before. (CNNMoney.com, July 16, 2010)
Not only that, a late payment, foreclosure or other credit blemish could prevent you from getting a job! “According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 60% of employers are using credit checks when filling at least some of their openings.” (CNNMoney.com, July 22, 2010)
Credit scores can have a huge impact on your life. So where do you begin to get on top of your personal debt situation? The first step is to be informed. How can you even begin to get out of debt if you don’t know where to start?
Fortunately, Primerica can help. With the Primerica DebtWatchers™ product, you can get your credit score and see where you stand. Primerica DebtWatchers can help you be in the know and in control. It pays to be informed. Do you know what YOUR credit score is? One little number can play a huge impact in your financial life!
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. Product not available for purchase by residents of Washington D.C.
When he was in college, John Bandy had authority issues. He was rebellious and considered himself “anti-military.” But, as he put it, time can change your perspective. And, so it was that seven years ago, Bandy became a soldier. A peacekeeper. A member of the U.S. Naval Reserve. When that commitment took him into a war zone, he became a patriot.
There was no one thing that made this Primerica Operations Support Manager join the Reserves, but his decision was tempered by familial influences and tragedy. His father worked for global security company Lockheed Martin. He had family in both the Army and the Air Force. His brother-in-law was on active duty in the Army. And then there was 9/11. The terror that befell New York on September 11, 2001, made Bandy – like so many other Americans – take a second look at what he could do to help his country.
Married and the father of three children, Bandy knew when he enlisted that there was a possibility that he’d be deployed. They all knew. But when political tensions escalated in Afghanistan, the possibility became a matter of when – not if. “When you’re in intelligence, like I am,” Bandy said, “you’re going to get deployed.” So, in 2006, when he received his orders, the first thing he did was call his wife.
Over There
Bandy began training in November 2006, and by March 2007 he was assigned to Kandahar, the second largest city in Afghanistan. He was only there for a week before he experienced his first rocket attack. Other than a short leave after seven months, he lived in Kandahar until he came home in March of 2008.
As oppressive as the weather, the language barriers and what Bandy calls “typical combat stuff” were, being away from his family during the holidays was just as bad. He spent Thanksgivings in Afghanistan and missed the birthdays of each of his children. “We went to another base for Christmas lunch,” he remembers, “but the rest of the day was like any other. You just worked through the holidays, because the war doesn’t stop.”
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Coming Home
Bandy’s bags were packed a full month ahead of time to go home. “I remember looking out that airplane window and thinking, I’ll never miss this place.” He muses, “Getting back home was the best thing! I landed in Baltimore and took a flight to Jacksonville, FL, and back to Atlanta. You can’t imagine what it feels like knowing your family is at the end of that escalator.”
What’s Changed?
His deployment gave him an intense appreciation of his co-workers back home, too. “One of my highlights was receiving a care package from my Primerica family. It included a calendar, a DVD greeting from my co-workers and snack food, including beef jerky – which was always a big hit over there! It meant a lot to me to see those familiar faces and know that they cared enough to create it for me and that they were rooting for me all along.”
His time there also gave him a very low tolerance for complaining. “When people complain about the weather, I think put on 60 pounds of gear, go out in 100 degree weather and stand for eight hours on a medical mission. If they complain of being hungry, I think, go out and survive on MREs (meals ready to eat). I know the complainers didn’t share my experience, but having lived it changed my tolerance for people who complain about the simple things.”
He says his war zone experience taught him a lesson he uses every day now: “When your life depends on someone else, and theirs on you, you learn a lot about yourself. People put artificial limits on themselves. When you push yourself to your limits, you realize you can go further than you ever thought.”
Bandy’s enlistment is up in March of 2011, and this intelligence specialist will become U.S. Naval Reserve Petty Officer, First Class (ret.) John Bandy. Until then, he will continue to drill one weekend a month and two weeks a year with his joint intelligence command. They continue to prepare for the next mission that may or may not come. Either way, they’ll be ready to keep the peace and protect the freedoms that make this country the United States of America.
If you’re like many people, trimming your budget is a necessity in this tough economy. Making cuts in everyday spending is a good place to start, but did you know you could be shelling out a lot more cash than you need to each month to protect one of your largest assets?
If you have a car, you must have auto insurance. Primerica, the largest independent financial services marketing organization in North America, offers three tips to trim auto insurance expenses and help you make the most of your hard earned dollars!
Tip #1: Downsize Coverage
Raising your deductible can save you money, just make sure you can cover the increased deductible out of pocket. If your car is at least five years old, dropping collision and comprehensive coverage could reduce your premium by 25-40%.1 (If you still owe money on the car, the lender may require you to keep this coverage.)
Tip #2: Bargain Hunt
Most common is the multiple policy discount, which can lower your rate 10-20%.1 Other discounts include safe driver, good student and cars with anti-theft devices. If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year, you could qualify for a low mileage discount.
Tip #3: Shop Around
Auto insurance is a highly competitive business and it’s to your benefit to shop around every six months. Simply comparing quotes could save you hundreds of dollars a year.2 Through Primerica Secure™, Primerica’s auto and homeowner’s insurance referral program, the average client saves as much as $478 annually!3 Primerica Secure does the shopping for you, and presents you with multiple options so you can make the best choice for your needs and budget.
To get started, or for more information, contact your local Primerica representative!
1 Kiplinger’s, September 2009
2 The Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2009
3 The average savings amount is based on a survey of insurance premium information provided by 567 purchasers of insurance from Answer Financial between January 1, 2009, and March 31, 2009.
The Primerica Home Office wrapped up its summer Stamp Out Hunger food drive, benefiting the Lilburn Cooperative with a total of 4,500 items collected.
Field Technology gathered the most items by far – bringing in 1,914, or 44 items per person.
Stamp Out Hunger is a nationwide effort to provide food to local food banks, which experience challenges during the summer months due to lower donations. If you want to help those in need right now in Gwinnett County, Lilburn, Stone Mountain and parts of Tucker, the Lilburn coop is a great community resource.
If you would like to support a food bank in another area, visit http://feedingamerica.org for US food banks and http://foodbankscanada.ca/main.cfm for those in Canada.
Atlanta city leaders, reporters from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) and top Primerica, Inc. executives met on June 17, to celebrate the return of Atlanta’s largest corporate meeting: the biannual Primerica Convention.
Primerica announced the return of our Convention to Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) and Georgia Dome, which will be held June 15-18, 2011. The Primerica Convention boasts more than 50,000 attendees and is expected to impact the local economy by generating more than $57.8 million.
“Signing for our 2011 Convention signifies a triumphant return as a Georgia-based public company,” enthused John A. Addison, chairman of Primerica Distribution, and co-CEO and Director of Primerica, to the gathered crowd. “Primerica’s representatives from all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico value this Convention as an investment in their businesses, and we are thrilled to be back and able to provide this opportunity for professional development.” Added chairman of the board and co-CEO D. Richard Williams, “By holding the event locally … we also support our hometown.”
ACVB President and CEO, William Pate, also expressed his excitement. “The conventions industry is an insurance policy for the city and the Primerica Convention plays a big role in Atlanta’s success.”
Primerica began holding its Convention in Atlanta in 1993. The event is so large it utilizes three wings of the GWCC, encompassing 1.4 million square feet of exhibition space. General sessions are hosted in the Georgia Dome in effort to accommodate Primerica’s thousands of attendees.
