Over on my consumer awareness site, Pink Truth, I have put together a few articles about Primerica Financial Services.
Like Mary Kay, Usana, and Mannatech, Primerica is a multi-level marketing company (MLM). The big difference, however, is that these other companies have a tangible product for sale, and many of the abuses come from loading participants with inventory they won’t ever be able to sell.
Primerica sells insurance (mostly life insurance), mutual funds, mortgages, and debt consolidation services. It appears that “debt consolidation” is the cash cow for the company, and it’s questionable whether consumers are really better off with the Primerica products than without. (i.e. The representatives are incentivized to push these products, even if it may actually cost the consumer more money!)
Primerica is a subsidiary of Citigroup, so many think this gives them instant credibility. Not for me. All it means is that Citigroup executives figured out how lucrative MLM is for the owners of the scam.
Here’s where Primerica enters the territory of being a scam:
- Overpriced products pushed to low- and middle-income people who probably have little to no experience with these financial services. They won’t realize the products are overpriced.
- Most of the sales are made by unlicensed representatives, meaning they aren’t well-trained about the things they’re selling.
- The representatives are generally paid lower commissions than at other companies. This is because Primerica is paying up to six levels of people about the salesperson. This is a hallmark of multi-level marketing. The seller gets a small payday so that many in the upline can get paid too.
You can find more information about Primerica on Pink Truth.
I am a Primerica Representative and I take offense to what you say, because I know it’s not true. I know people who are millionaires because of this company and we do not prey on low income families. We educate people on how to get out of debt and save money for retirement. We teach them the truth about how money works! Maybe if you want to slam a company, you better find out the truth before you speak!
Primerica took money from my wife and never issues a policy! Yes they are a scam! Then they wouldn’t refund anything and we got nothing for the money! On top of that the agent says we have to call the main company to cancel the policy we never got! Calling the company a recording says we have to cancel it in writing!!! We didn’t hear anything for two months after they took the money. When my wife called they said they needed medical records. No mention of that at any point previously. At that point she told them she didn’t want a policy with Primerica. My wife’s doctors office called this week some three months after this began and said Primerica has been trying to access her medical records! On top of that the doctors office says they have signed releases with my wife’s signature?!!!! Yeah, she has never seen any documents regarding any of this and has signed nothing! It is apparent that they have forged her signature. We are waiting now on copies of these forges medical releases. So yeah, Primerica is a scam to the highest degree all the way around!
Hi Linda, thanks for responding. The only “millionaires” are a couple of people at the top of the pyramid. And almost all the people below them have lost thousands of hours of their time and plenty of money… with nothing to show for it.
Tracey congratulations on the negativity you enforce to defer people from their goals and drams. Yes they may work in corporate(pyramid) or the government(pyramid) but they will see a glass ceiling one day. Some of your accusations are extremely inaccurate because its against the law. i.e. non licensed reps selling insurance. Also be sure to remember this world is always brainwashing however that is called teaching. Music teaches, TV teaches, People teach, Books teach etc. if catch my drift. You actually sound like a loser who’s been through a MLM company and couldn’t grow their mindset. Anyways good luck and be blessed my sibling.
Those who have goals and dreams should stay far away from Primerica and other MLMs. Nearly everyone loses money in MLMs. I’m glad you think I’m a loser. Surely the successful business I’ve run for 13+ years is proof of what a loser I am. 🙂
State investigators raided an insurance agency in Bountiful today. By the time they were done, the company’s regional vice president had confessed to fraud, and an ambulance had to be called.
We saw investigators going through files and business documents inside Primerica. They say after their interview with the regional vice president, he was taken to the hospital with some kind of medical problem. But that wasn’t before he reportedly confessed to insurance fraud.
One employee we talked to didn’t say much as investigators raided his workplace. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, honestly,” he said.
He’s been working at this insurance agency in Bountiful for six months. “We help people with their mortgages, their investments, things like that,” he explained.
But the Utah Insurance Fraud Division is investigating Primerica for insurance fraud. Investigators brought out boxes of evidence for their case. They tell us employees would give false information on applications to qualify people for insurance or to get them a better rate.
An undercover agent, whom we can’t identify, told us some of the workers may not have been licensed. “And in some cases, they’re individuals with criminal histories or some other issues that prohibit them from obtaining licensing, but yet they continue to sell products,” he said.
The agent says insurance fraud is a growing crime in Utah, and the public pays for it. “It costs consumers a great deal of money, and it erodes the confidence they have in their insurance product,” he said.
The division will present the case to the attorney general’s office. Investigators say you should always check business licenses with the state.
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Hello,
Why is it that all people belonging to MLM/Pyramid-Scheme networks always respond in the same brainwashed-like manner?
Oh – I feel offended…
Oh – I take offense to what you say…
Oh – I know it’s not true…
Oh – It works for many people…
Oh – You don’t know what you are talking about…
Oh – you better find out the truth before you speak!
I sense a pattern.
Linda, I would suggest you to place the words “primerica pyramid” in your google search bar. Maybe you can find out by yourself about what goes around…
Best Regards
Here’s the Primerica office story. This is probably an isolated event. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3008453
The RVP is in deep stuff. Not to mention other agents if they were doing the same things.
Im just curious what the training fees are? Do reps of Premerica constantly have to pay for expensive training like tapes,functions,magazines etc
No they don’t.
Dear Colin,
There are no training fees. No one has to buy anything for their training at Primerica. Ever.
If someone wants to become a representative in the financial services industry (for any company) they need to earn their license(s). License fees are assessed on a state and federal level. Primerica will pay most of the fees for the life insurance license for qualified applicants. I receive invitations, on a daily basis, from well-known financial services companies to come work for them. The licenses I earned and maintain are vary valuable in the financial services industry.
Our company takes compliance rules very seriously. Anyone doing business without a license is doing so illegally on company, state and federal levels. Joe is correct that the story Mark referenced is about one Regional Vice President and how he ran his office.
Isn’t it interesting how some people gloat over a case like this?
I am curious to know where Tracy did the research for her article.
Our products are with solid companies such as Genworth, CitiTrustBank and MetLife, they are well priced and they are designed to benefit middle-income families. Our commission structure is fair – based on general agency such as an insurance or real estate company. Our relationship with clients is educational and needs based. We strive to do what is best for the client one-hundred percent of the time. Licensing and training must be completed before doing business. There are consequences for not following company guidelines as in the case above.
There are 57 Primerica representatives cash flowing over $1 million in a 12 month period. If you count their partner spouses, add another 48.
State investigators raided an insurance agency in Bountiful today. By the time they were done, the company’s regional vice president had confessed to fraud, and an ambulance had to be called.
We saw investigators going through files and business documents inside Primerica. They say after their interview with the regional vice president, he was taken to the hospital with some kind of medical problem. But that wasn’t before he reportedly confessed to insurance fraud.
One employee we talked to didn’t say much as investigators raided his workplace. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, honestly,” he said.
He’s been working at this insurance agency in Bountiful for six months. “We help people with their mortgages, their investments, things like that,” he explained.
But the Utah Insurance Fraud Division is investigating Primerica for insurance fraud. Investigators brought out boxes of evidence for their case. They tell us employees would give false information on applications to qualify people for insurance or to get them a better rate.
An undercover agent, whom we can’t identify, told us some of the workers may not have been licensed. “And in some cases, they’re individuals with criminal histories or some other issues that prohibit them from obtaining licensing, but yet they continue to sell products,” he said.
Your commission structure is NOT fair. It does not reward selling. It rewards recruiting. The person who actually sells a product makes far less than if the worked for a legitimate financial services company, because so many levels of the pyramid must be paid out.
“Cash flowing” more than $1 million a year is not something to be proud of here. Why? Because the only way to do it in Primerica is to build a pyramid and get rich off the recruiting of others. Almost no one can do it because of the way the numbers work in MLM schemes.
Tracy, you wrote: “The only “millionaires” are a couple of people at the top of the pyramid. And almost all the people below them have lost thousands of hours of their time and plenty of money… with nothing to show for it.”
When presented with the fact that there are 58 representatives cash-flowing over $1 million in a 12 month period you responded “that the only way do it in Primerica is to build a pyramid and get rich off the recruiting of others.”
In your organization, do you have researchers, assistants, secretaries, account executives or any other employees or interns? If so, do you pay them the same wage as yourself? Is that fair? If you promote someone, do you simply say “great job” and give them more responsibility, yet pay them the same wage?
At home, do you employ a house cleaner, nanny, cook or personal assistant? Do you hire an accountant, tax preparer or plumber? Do you pay everyone the same wage? Do you pay yourself the same wage too?
Do you think that a corporation structure is better for workers than an opportunity to build their own business? What does a CEO, COO, CFO, Director and company President get paid generally? What do the Vice Presidents get paid? What about the Supervisors and Managers? What about the people they supervise and manage? What about the secretaries, clerks and executive assistants? Do they get paid the same wage as the CEO and President? Is that fair? Don’t they all work hard?
In a corporation how many people are at the CEO, Director and Presidential level? How many people are Vice Presidents? How many employees are Supervisors or Managers? How many employees are supervised or managed? How many are clerks and secretaries? How many at the top and how many at the bottom? How many in between? What shape does that bring to mind?
As in any business, representatives in Primerica are paid commissions for the level they have achieved. That includes, licensing and training. It goes without saying, but I will say it here to make my point clear, there are a lot of people in between newly licensed representative and those with million dollar incomes. There are thousands of representatives in Primerica making $100,000 to $900,000 who would have never made that kind of money otherwise. Certainly not in the corporate world and not in an MLM. There are millions of clients who have benefitted from the education and services brought to them by their Primerica representative.
An estimated 80 percent of the American population is considered middle-income. Do you think they deserve individual personal financial education? Do think they deserve to understand how money works and how the financial services industry functions? Do you think that with truthful education they are empowered to make better financial decisions for themselves? I think that IS what you think you are trying to do here. I am going to go one step further, and side-step my doubts about your agenda and say that you are trying to save people from making bad decisions about the companies they do business with.
That is my intention too, Tracy.
Unfortunately, the analogy to a company with a CEO and other management is a false one. MLMs try to use it all the time to make these “opportunities” sound legitimate.
Here’s the real deal: Anyone who wants to “help” middle income people with financial issues can go to work for a real company… a real insurance agency or a real investment broker. They don’t need to do it through a pyramid scheme like Primerica that pays them little and rewards them mostly for recruiting.
Your lie that “thousands” make $100k to $900k in Primerica is completely unsubstantiated (hence why it’s a lie). You have no documentation to prove that. It’s just another thing that your cult leaders have asked you to repeat.
Misrepresentations of income are dangerous.
My cousin recently became a representative. He knew nothing about Primerica. He started calling all of our family members trying to recruit them, until I told them to STEER CLEAR! He ended up quitting after I gave him some information on it.
I’ve had friends in the past that have thought they could make millions doing this.. and pestered and annoyed me until I was sick and tired of them and avoided their calls. I met up with a lot of them later and all of them had given up their pursuit of being a Primerica Millionaire. I have yet to meet one.
Oh wait I did!! The guy that started these scheme years ago. Not one of his little lemmings had a mansion or drove a car like his.
SAY NO TO PRIMERICA!
What is false about my description of a corporation? I asked you what you thought the pay structure was and if is was fair. I asked you if you pay your assistants the same wage as yourself and you have not answered that.
If someone is in training is it fair to pay them the same wage as someone who has had several years of training and studied for and earned several licenses?
Every year Primerica publishes a book with representatives cash flowing $100,000 or more in a 12 month period. The current book has over 2,300 representatives listed. It also lists their previous income and career.
Tracy, I know you are going to try to make that a lie – so here is the back up to that. This is based on what was paid out and reported as income on the 1099s to the federal government.
Tracy, you said “Most of the sales are made by unlicensed representatives, meaning they aren’t well-trained about the things they’re selling.” Our company does not allow representatives to do business without a license and training. If an individual attempts to do so, there are severe consequences at a company, state and federal level. Anywhere from being ousted from the company to going to prison. This is true with any financial services company.
Tracy, you removed the web site links to the [snip] Why is that?
REd, sorry about what happened to your cousin. I hope your family is proud of itself.
If you want to have more fuel – read “Coach” by Art Williams. You will find out the truth of why this company was started. If you have the courage…
Ann – I don’t provide links to MLM propaganda on this site. It’s just not something I want to do. I don’t have any assistants, so that’s why I don’t have an answer to your question.
A corporate structure in which employees are receiving wages is different than an MLM or pyramid scheme. So it’s not a valid comparison. It’s apples to oranges, but made to seem as if it’s apples to apples to give the MLMs an air of legitimacy.
Regarding licensing: I will research that one, as I don’t remember what made me conclude that most members of Primerica were licensed.
I’ll concede the point on your book of people with gross incomes of $100k. I’ll also say that this doesn’t include business expenses which can really change the picture. And I will also say that I’d love for Primerica to publish a book listing all the people who make poverty level earnings.
Trac – our business is designed for people to start part-time with training and schooling so they do not need to quit their current jobs and leave those incomes behind. No one has to go full-time until they feel they are ready.
The exception is someone promoting to the Regional Vice President level. They are required to become full-time. No one has to promote to that level, however, until they feel ready. We are encouraged to become financially secure and debt-free before taking on that responsibility.
You know, I’m not sure how many representatives are in the training and licensing stage compared to those who are licensed. But I do know that until they are licensed, they are not allowed to sell insurance or offer financial investments.
Have you figured out how to run a business with no overhead? I would love to hear your tips on that.
Tracy – I take my business very seriously, you have probably gathered that. Not everyone can do what I do. And, yes, there are days I just want to give up. But it is worth every headache, every book I have to read, every lecture I have to attend, and every test I have to study for, because I know in my heart that what I am doing is good for my clients. I know the positive difference I have made in their lives and there is nothing anyone can say or do to change what I have accomplished.
Tracy has problems with her self image. Obviously she has no idea about who and what Primerica is nor does she have the guts to actually admit she doesn’t know. She will work corporate america for the rest of her life and she will never know how good it feels to own your own business!
LOL – Take a little time to look at the page you commented on. I’ve owned my own successful business (yes, a real business… not a pretend business like MLM) for more than 13 years.
Anne –
Don’t waste any more energy typing responses to these guys. Go build a business and become financially independent and let these guys talk to themselves. We both know that PFS is one of the greatest opportunities in the world – and has been for over 30 years.
Get what you want, by helping others get what they want…. & Never give up!
Joe
I don’t know if you are interested in third party opinions, but you might want to check out a book called “ABCs of Making Money”. Two business consultants (not Primerica agents) wrote this book for budding entrepeneurs. In it, they list 15 characteristics of a good business opportunity. They then go on to say that of the thousands of businesses they have reviewed, only Primerica meets all 15 characteristics. They also have a web site http://www.abcsofmakingmoney.com, so you can check them out if you wish.
As a second note, you do not have to build a team to make money at Primerica. There are plenty of people in the Leaders book previously mentioned (the ones making over $100,000 per year) whose team is small to nothing. The problem is that next year, you have to do it again. Just like all the other companies. The difference is that when you build a team, you don’t have to do it again.
If that does not work for you, fine. I’m not interested in recruiting people who are not looking for a change. But that doesn’t mean it is a scam or a ripoff. It means that it is an opportunity available to anyone, but of interest to only some. So be it.
Here’s the problem with authors like this “recommending” a MLM… Book publishers know that MLM flunkies are a huge market. If you offer a book to them that appears to give them the key to success in their MLM, they’ll buy it. These guys have obviously decided it’s lucrative for them to pitch their ideas in conjunction with Primerica. I doubt that their opinions are unbiased.
And while some may say I’m biased against, MLMs, that’s only true to the extent that I’ve yet to see an MLM with something less than 98% or 99% of participants losing money. MLM is a structure in which almost everyone loses, and for that reason, I’m generally against MLMs. But I make no money from anyone or anything in holding this opinion. I blog about it for free.
Just one quick question, I’ve studied alot of fortune 500 companies, MLM’s, and so for. Every one of them is set up the same exact way. The guy at the top makes the most money. Anne was getting to it earlier. I’ll take Wal-Mart as and example. You have many many store clerks who do the most work and make the least amount of money. Those store clerks have supervisors in each area who make more than the clerk(there are fewer supervisors). The department supervisors report to the assistant managers(which again make more money per hour and there are fewer assistant managers). Then you have the store managers who make more money per hour than the assistants and there may be 4 per store. Those 4 managers of the store answer to a district manager who might oversee the whole state. Those district managers of each state answer to regional managers. The 6 regional managers report to the CEO who makes the most amount of money in the company. So, now draw lines around that structure, if i’ve made my point clear, WAL-MART IS A PYRAMID AND YOU NEED TO QUIT YOUR JOB RIGHT NOW AND STOP SHOPPING THERE. Now there is nothing wrong with a pyramid, all corporations are made up and look like a pyramid because we all know the CEO who is making the most money isn’t running around helping people who walk through the door at wal-mart. There is only 1 CEO and hundreds of thousands of store clerks who don’t make anywhere clost to what the CEO makes on a yearly basis. Now this structure is awesome because that CEO makes the most amount of money, but also has the most amount of responsibility also. But, what is the chance of that store clerk to ever make it to the top and be the CEO(NEVER). So, ARE PYRAMIDS REALLY ILLEGAL UM NO.
Now is what people think about when they hear about a pyramid is called a ponzi-scheme. Which in a ponzi-scheme the only way to make money is recruit people and charge them a fee, BUT THERE IS NO PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT CHANGES HANDS, HENCE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE AND ILLEGAL.
With an MLM, people have to buy the product(make-up, soap, juice) and mark it up(higher price than what they bought it for) and try and sell it to other people for a profit.
Now with Primerica, the agent doesn’t buy the product then mark it up and sell it to a consumer to make money now do they. There is a product and service that changes hands when money is exchanged. They are called products to protect your income, help get rid of debt, save for retirement, and ultimately a business opportunity. There is also a chance that the AGENT WILL MAKE IT TO THE TOP. There is a GUARANTEE in Primerica, BUT THE AGENT IS THE GUARANTOR. The system is in place and if you follow the system there is 100% success rate, but if you don’t follow the system there is failure. Just like in every other business there is a business model or system that all employees/independent contractors should follow if they want to excel in what they do. But, when people fail, they blame and look at everything else except the biggest problem, THEMSELVES!!!!!!!
You believe what you want to believe, but if you do the RIGHT research Primerica is not a bad company, IT’S AN AMAZING COMPANY. Read the magazine Success from Home(they did a whole magazine on Primerica), Premier Business magazine(another magazine that did a whole magazine on Primerica). Another place to do your research, go find a author named Bruce Sankin and read WHAT ALL STOCK AND MUTUAL FUND INVESTORS SHOULD KNOW. He’s the main ARBITRATOR for the National Association of Security Dealers(NASD now known as FINRA). In his 30 years of arbitrating he has never had to settle a dispute between a client and Primerica.
Some people take advice from the BROKE person sitting next to them who borrowed $20 from them yesterday and now they are telling you how to use your money. They go looking for the wrong information from uncredible sources. Like i said, make your decision, but before you do look at credible 3rd party Financial publications and you will find the truth on Primerica and it’s business system.
All businesses rise and fall on one thing and that is people. Just like every other business, if you want to be successful you have to have great people and unfortunately you are always going to have them bad apples in the bunch.
Sean – Sadly the “every company looks like a pyramid” doesn’t really work. Why? Because the companies you refer to are legitimate companies, with legitimate jobs, that provide real paychecks to people. They are NOT endless chain recruitment schemes like Primerica and other MLMs. That’s the difference.
The legitimate companies also don’t rely on propaganda to give them credibility. They don’t need to. They’re not saying, “but we’re on the NYSE” or “we’ve never had an arbitration case” or “Mr. XYZ owns a MLM so it must be good” or other nonsense.
OK so now i’m half-literate. I guess that’s what i am and the person i’m going to be and i can live with that. I don’t know how you can say Primerica is not a real company, i do believe Primerica’s Home Office takes up 5 city blocks in Duluth GA. REAL PEOPLE DO WORK THERE. One other thing, the checks that the field force get are fake. We pay our bills with fake money is really what your saying. ALL MY CHECKS HAVE CASHED AND PAYS MY BILLS. BUT, IT’S FAKE MONEY ACCORDING TO YOU. I HAVE NOT RECRUITED A PERSON IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS, I’VE ONLY BEEN IN THE BUSINESS 8 MONTHS. LAST MONTH I STILL MADE $9,000. NOW ALL THAT FAKE CASH IS SITTING IN MY BANK ACCOUNT. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, DO THE RIGHT RESEARCH BEFORE MAKING A DECISION BASED ON HEARSAY FROM THE BROKE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU. Now i’m not saying Primerica is the best company out there, but to some people it’s their only shot at bettering themselves and their families.
You can call the magazines what ever you want, but they are legitimate 3rd party material outlining what the company does for families. You can say what you want Tracy. But the real truth lies in REAL RESEARCH, instead of reading blogs from other people who blame the company and not their failures within themselves.
Awwww, Sean. I’m sorry you don’t know the difference between a marketing piece in a magazine and real research. Those marketing pieces aren’t “legitimate” when it comes to telling the whole story about multi-level marketing companies.
It would be a sad sad day if Primerica was someone’s “only shot at bettering themselves.” To think that deceptive, predatory companies are one’s only chance at success would be sad.
Tracy, how much income did you earn last year, and how many hours did you work for it?
Why would I tell you how much money I make? And what does it matter to you? I’m not trying to recruit you into any sort of scheme.
What’s so deceptive and predatory about Primerica? I would like you to educate me on that question. Also, let me know what real research is, Please? Where or what kind of research on Primerica did you do?
Wow,
This is a very interesting blog. Tracy, I completely agree with you. I can’t understand why people don’t see (or maybe they just don’t WANT to see) why an MLM business cannot work for the majority of people who join! And NO, an MLM business is not the same thing as a legitimate business. The “chain recruitment” scheme has to end somewhere… and if that’s the MAJOR way to make your income… you’re in trouble!
The real question is: Is Primerica really an MLM business? Sean just said he made $9,000 last month alone without recruiting anyone. If not through recruitment, how do frontline Primerica employees make money?? I’m asking this for real.. I don’t know.. so if anyone knows, please tell me.
My cousin joined Primerica last year and we can’t get him to stop talking about Primerica on our family website. Every other post is asking us to attend some info meeting or to help him with his business by giving him just one hour of our time. I must say, it is getting rather irritating. We all are nice to him about it and usually politely decline his offers; but many have talked with him. Out of our family, I think only his mom took advantage of his “services” and HE said that she is a lot better off now.. whatever that means??
I feel his intentions are genuine and good (to help our family be debt free, financially secure, etc.), but I feel like he is not completely informed. When an uncle of mine posted on our family website how certain other companies offer better rates than primerica.. my cousin flipped out on him and got really offended. He took it way personal.. which seems to be a common thing with other Primerica employees.
Just today my cousin boasted how Primerica has been the #1 company on Fortune 500 for seven consecutive years. Is this true? I can’t find anything to back that up. Citigroup isn’t even #1 and even it it was.. that’s a large leap to say that Primerica is as well by association, right? Does anyone else have any information about this “Fortune 500” claim??
I think most Primerica employees are good people with good intentions. But, I’m concerned that they are either just naive and not fully informed or that I’m missing out on the “opportunity of a lifetime.” The jury’s still out on this one for me.
Well, that’s my two cents anyway.
Sean,
Research means examining facts. Using critical thinking skills.
Travis – People pushing MLMs will use anything and everything they can to make their “opportunities” sound legitimate. The Fortune 500 thing? Fiction. But it sounds good, right?
Here are a couple problems with what Sean said: 1. We have no proof of his earnings, and MLMers are notorious for exaggerating these types of things on a regular basis. 2. Even if he did make that last month, I’d like to see what he made the other 7 months. 3. MLMers are quick to throw out a number but not show anything else about the business.. not expenses, not what it took to get that number, etc.
You and your family are experiencing exactly what MLMs, including Primerica, are all about. “Just come listen.” Blah blah blah. It’s all about trying to recruit others in so that you can get a piece of the action if they recruit too. If the products are so good, why does he have to hound the same people over and over? Why isn’t he selling to legitimate customers that he gets like any normal business owner?
And finally.. as to whether Primerica is an MLM, the answer is yes. You can make money in Primerica without recruiting. But if that’s the way someone wants to go, they should go to a regular insurance agency where they will get a normal commission. In Primerica, your commission is much smaller than a real agency because they end up dividing the commission between people on all these levels of the pyramid.
You should also know that Primerica DETESTS being referred to as an MLM. Their reps will do whatever they can to get you to believe that it’s not. Bottom line: It’s got a recruiting scheme, it pays commissions to multiple levels, and the person making the sale doesn’t even get the bulk of the commission. That’s classic MLM.
The “compensation plan” is next to impossible to find on the internet. Why do you suppose that is? Is it because they’re proud of it and want to show it off?
Tracy,
Thanks for the info. So is there ANYTHING good about primerica as far as their services or products are concerned? Have you looked into that at all? Are all their services overpriced and just unnoticed by the customers who don’t really understand what’s going on? Or do they provide useful help to people and it’s just their marketing you don’t like? I can see how people might just sign up based on his or her family member who doesn’t even completely understand the business. I just feel bad about my cousin being so caught up in Primerica.
As for me.. I’m ashamed to say that I already learned the hard way about MLM’s through another family member and a different company (Pre Paid Legal, do you know much about them?). This family member signed up me and a few of my other gullible cousins.. promised to help us build our “legs” as he called it…. he made a few bucks off of us joining.. and then it went nowhere. Luckily, I didn’t lose much money and didn’t ruin my reputation by trapping anyone else. But it was an important lesson learned as well as a necessary increase in my criticism of “easy money/get rich quick” schemes.
I’m really completely fine missing out on all of these MLM “opportunities of a lifetime.” I’ve got years and years to learn about how all this financial stuff goes. I’m young and still in college. I guess I’ll just have to continue on with my boring, stable, future of practicing medicine after graduation.
Which reminds me… I think its sad how no one in these MLM’s seems to care about the “long term.” They like to boast how many of their millionaires never went to college. Many even seem to belittle and laugh at people getting an education and having a career where people work 5 days a week. When in reality.. the MLM way of life only works for so very few at the top. I think it’s sad that they make themselves out to be the BEST THING EVER.. when they, in the end, are really potentially hurting a lot of people.
Travis – The insurance products sold by Primerica are legitimate, but everything I’ve read about them indicates they’re overpriced. Premerica reps are taught to target people of middle income or lower. Many of their customers have little financial knowledge and don’t realize they’re overpaying. The sales pitch is a hard sell and they’re told they’re buying the best thing since sliced bread. And they pitch themselves as the only ones willing to help middle and lower income people.. isn’t that benevolent?
Prepaid Legal??? http://www.prepaidillegal.com
This is a very interesting blog and discussion, indeed.
We (my boyfriend and I) are considered a part of “middle-income America.” We decided that it was time for us to get life insurance, so we met with a Primerica agent a couple of months ago for a Financial Needs Analysis. We were already familiar with debt-stacking so we didn’t need the FNA to show us how to effectively pay off our debt. We were more curious to see what kind of policy coverage and premimum payment they would come back with afterwards
When we sat down with the results of the FNA, we were very pleased with the policy and the monthly premium payment. It had excellent coverage and the payment was incredibly affordable. However, before diving in and declaring them “the best thing since sliced bread,” we spoke with a representative of Select Quote, a popular independent term life buying service that many Americans use, and on the couple quotes on life insurance policies they gave us, the premium payment was between $4-$37 more than what Primerica gave us. And it was only A+ rated, not A++ rated like Primerica’s is.
Needless to say, we decided to go with Primerica, and we have not second-guessed our decision since.
Primerica and the services they offer are not for everyone, but you can’t deny that they ARE good for a lot of people. Not everyone who gets involved with Primerica, either as a client or as an agent, is an imbecile or ignorant or misinformed.
I actually CAN deny that. Primerica is a good deal for VERY FEW people. You seem to be one of the lucky few.
Tracy,
Why don’t you look it at PFS this way? Let’s say a person signed up with PFS and didn’t make a lot of money. In the process, he/she got licensed (all reps must have a license), learned various types of insurance, loans, mutual funds, met new people. It’s valuable education.
Some of your points might make sense now that Internet is available. However, it only happened recently not when the company started and not everyone is willing to spend time on Internet but would prefer to buy term insurance from PFS not expensive policies from traditional insurance agencies that only care about generating commissions.
Now THAT was a stupid statement. Primerica reps are out for commissions just as much as any regular insurance agency. The difference? A regular agency actually pays a decent rate. In Primerica you have to recruit and hope they sell to supplement your small commission from actual sales.
Seriously. Anyone who is really interested in selling insurance should go to a traditional agency.
See, here’s the thing: I’ve known a lot of insurance agents and personal financial planners. I know a lot of realtors too for that matter, it’s an occupational hazard. The real ones are focused on getting my business. The nitwits from Primerica that I’ve met have only been concerned with recruiting me. None of them have ever broached the subject of insurance policies or PFP portfolios; it’s always been about recruitment. So the arguments to the contrary from the sockpuppets above don’t really hold water.
I’ve said it before: real insurance agents and financial planners dont troll shopping malls looking for new insurance agents and financial planners. Legitimate companies have HR departments that take care of that.
I’m all in favor of selling on commission. I’m also all in favor of being self-employed. Both of those are grand things, and I encourage anyone who wants to do that to go for it. But being an expendable crewmember in an MLM is not self-employment, no matter how often you recite it to yourself in front of the mirror.
Primerica formerly A.L Williams has been around for years. Where are all the financially independent people they have helped? They once had a sales force of ovr 200,000 agents, how is it they boast of a bit over 100,000 agents? Only about 2-3% of Term Life policies ever make it to claim.
You Primerica agents are defending a company you arn’t even a employee of. Your independent agents. I fail to see what the problem is if you can get better products for your clients and a better contract yourself elsewhere. why not consider it. Your not full-time employees. In most cases people are part-time making extra income.
Hey Kool-Aid,,Hey Kool-Aid,,,You go out and find clients/recruits. You bring in business maybe train the person and who owns the client/recruit? Keep
doing what your doing, your just licensing reps. for others. It seems like nobody is saying anything about the possible pending sale of Primerica. How would that effect you as an agent? What about your current contracts?
As for the people making big money at Primerica yes it’s from building up reps.
Let me ask the agents this, how much of your training is industry training? Why do you offer savings on Auto/Home by comparing different companies, but not with Life or LTC products? Who earns renewals on a LTC sale? Why do Prepaid Legal associates earn renewals from their produicts sold and you don’t on your Legal protection Program. So you see you guys are missing out on money you may not even see. That’s lost money you could use for your FAMILY..Do you remember the rule of 72?
Stay where you are..Hey kool-Aid,,,Hey Kool-Aid..Primerica isn’t a bad company, they have their way of doing business and they are out to make a profit, it’s just too bad many agents there don’t look at it that way when looking at what best for their business interest. Yet many people just don’t know what they don’t know and when they find out we try to educate others, but as with the cycle many of us have been on we don’t want to hear it..Hey Kool-Aid,,Hey Kool-Aid..Yes I know the flavor. i used to drink it myself..
Dear fans & opponents of Primerica:
I have to say that it was a lot fun to go to the Primerica “interview” today. I had posted my resume on careerbuilder a few weeks back and just a few days ago, I had received a call from a recruiter saying that PRIMERICA is expanding and is opening offices throughout Denver metro and that he was interested in meeting with me to discuss the opportunity. I figured it was perhaps a commissioned sales job or something like that, but it didn’t bother me. As long as it is a good opportunity, I am willing to do it.
I get to the meeting and low and behold there were 30 people already seated in the room awaiting the first speaker. I thought to myself, well this is a hell of way to have a personal interview to discuss a business opportunity.
Well, I figured, I’m here and I’ll stay and hear the spiel to see if I’m still interested.
The speech ran on with the first speaker for several minutes explaining to the group how many people are in debt, have no life insurance, hate their jobs, the economy sucks, aliens are attacking, the Broncos won’t win the Super Bowl, etc etc etc. The second speaker came on and spoke endlessly about how PRIMERICA can solve middle-class America’s problems with their debt, lack of life insurance, global warming and general constipation.
The thing that I don’t understand is their approach to the financial solution
for middle-class America and how they can provide a “business opportunity”
to the audience class that mostly, except me, sat like cattle nodding and exclaiming “That’s Right!” and “That’s so true!.”
Their model showed a mortage refinance and separate savings from that re-fi to pay out 8-12 % return for a period of 20-25 years. PRIMERICA reps please answer me: What financial instrument or institution would guarantee that
rate over that long of a period? BANKS LEND/ SELL MONEY at those rates, they don’t buy money at those rates. That’s why the Federal Reserve was created. I’m not talking either of compound interest, which they arrogantly explained to me as if I had no clue about math. No bank at current market prices pays that in any instrument and no fixed asset instrument or institution will guarantee this either.
So the model that they use to engage a potential rep or customer is flawed right off the bat. If you use real interest rates or rates of return in that model, you might as well just keep your money or mortgage or debt instruments with your current bank.
At the end of “personal interview,” I was about to ask a question on how do you generate sales leads but the speaker ran off to many other engaged fans sitting in the audience. My question is: If PRIMERICA is part of CITIGROUP, why have I NEVER EVER SEEN A COMMERCIAL ON TV or Radio about it. CITIGROUP indeed is one of, if not the, largest corporations in the world and it can’t spend 1 penny, peso, shekel or drachma on advertising its retarded sister company? Are sales leads from cold-calling, hanging out at the 7-11 asking strangers about their insurance needs or jus beg your family members?
I have done cold-calling in my business for many years and it can generate GREAT business but you need to know what you’re doing and not for an untrained rep with a new product.
Low and behold again, I was given a flyer to fill out at the end of speech,
where I was asked to fill out all my information, including home ownership,
how many children, where I am from Haiti or not, how many parakeets I own,
etc etc a lot of personal questions AND IF I AM INTERESTED IN A
COMPLIMENTARY FNA. This did it for me! I knew exactly what they are
doing. This is how PRIMERICA generates sales leads, They call people
offering them an opportunity and then try to sell them their freaking products.
It’s not illegal but I think it’s pretty pathetic.
If they do plan to open up 10 different offices in the Denver Metro area,
then they can advertise when a job is available. Don’t try to con people into
thinking their interviewing for a job and then try to sell them your stupid
inconsistently and possibly criminally inaccurate products.
I welcome all comments or questions that I may address.
Cheers
George
I am pretty confused about all of this scam that is being talked about. I had never heard of Primerica Financial Services. I am currently looking for a job and I had posted my resume online. I received a phone call on tuesday asking me to come in for an interview today at 1:30pm. I went to my interview and it was a one on one. The lady seemed interested in me and asked me to come for a second interview in which they will thoroughly explain what the company is about and how much can I make, salary wise. She talked about a speaker that would explain all of this but I had no idea that it was one of these type of scam jobs. I was really looking forward to it but now I am pretty confused and upset because I am trying to find a real, good job. They said they are trying to open up new locations in the Atlanta area so I thought it would be a good opportunity but now I am completely lost with all this scam talk. Am I really going to be one of their next victims, is this a scam? I NEED A REAL JOB!!!
Mary-Anne Primerica isn’t a scam or a job. It is a business opportunity.
As an independent contractor you will have the opportunity to sell
insurance and investment products if you get the required licenses.
It’s not a job. (W-2).. Keep looking for a job and still consider Financial services on a part-time basis. Primerica is a good place to get licensed (wink, wink). I think they have a training program for $99.00 that pays for licensing. If later on you wished to go to another agancy and enven work as a CSR rep., you can just take your license and leave.
Let me just say again that Primerica is not a scam company. They also do not offer jobs. (unless you work at corporate) You would be a independent rep. 1099 not W-2…
I hope this answers your question.
It’s a really, really, really BAD opportunity. But an opportunity nonetheless. You will have the opportunity to earn much lower commissions than you would at a legitimate insurance company. Unless you want to recruit. Build the pyramid and you might make money if you’re in the fraction of 1% that actually earns a living.
I am a student at University of Toronto, and I have some knowledge and insights to “business” from the courses that I have taken in earlier years. I am currently taking summer courses and working at the same time.
I have been introduced to Primerica by a friend of mine a few weeks ago and in training right now. Before I decided to associate with Primerica, I did do vast background research on the company to make sure I wasn’t getting into something that was a scam or what not. The internet seemed to show more negative claims on Primerica then positive ones. However, I noticed that most of the negative entries were personal thoughts and opinions of what they thought of the company. I doubted that they were only practice of prejudice and outcome of emotional breakout or something. I have not yet once came over a legit investigation or properly done study on the company that had negative claims to convince me that it was really that BAD. One of the solid investigation that i read about was this one from ripoffreport.com. I thought they were credible as they always take customer’s and not the company’s side.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/229/ripoff0229393.htm
So from the internet, I concluded that the company is not a) scam, b)good, c) but not perfect.
At the company level, so far, what I have learned from the “training” was beneficial to me at a personal level, discovering and learning how money flows or works. Like the author of one of the best selling business books “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Rober Kiyosaki said finance is not taught in school. And it was true, things that I have learned about finance (not just about the products Primerica promotes but how finance works in general) were applicable to my-self and my family, with or without Primerica’s products. I believe Primerica’s products are legit though. I think the work of Primerica’s agent is to educate the families not “sell.” Because we teach them about finance, so they can make better decisinos for themselves, perhaps in future they’ll make better investment with another company.
I keep hearing that Primerica’s products are overpriced, i don’t think this is true, but they never make the families pay any more than what they are currently paying. And plus, even if Primerica’s products may not be the “best priced” in the market, the representitives have helped the familes already by having them save significant amount of money. Maybe an agent from a different might visit the same family and offer a better product with better price, which by all means is great for the family, great!
Oh when I was at Primerica’s office, there was this new guy that just started to work and got a $20,000 pay check from helping a family with a “big house.” Sigh, with that kind of money I can pay off my tuition fees. Stats at the company shows that a starter earns about $400 per clusure, so if you help one family a week, thats $1600. That kind of income for me as a part time soudned great. If you calculated the income per hours work, its roughly $70/hour.
In my point of view, after doing number of case studies on families that were literally ripped off by real big insurance companies and financial institutions, Primerica was like a protagonist in some way, kicking in in the middle, and help families save money rather than sell products. Hence making the “evil” “annonymous” insurance companies and financial institutions to make “less money” and giving little of this as comissions of the agents and most of it back to the families.
For me, Primerica has provided me with vast knowledge in finance and I think it’ll be a great part time job apart from school and another part time job. Certainly a better part time than at McDonalds.
……..that was just me.
Have a great week everyone…God bless.
If you have sales skills and knowledge of insurance and mortgages, you’re better off working with a normal company that does these things. You’d make far more money.
But Primerica has sold you a bill of goods, and they’ve helped you completely discount the “negative” things you’ve found on the internet. Those “negative” people are just jealous losers, right? I’m sure that’s what you’ve been told.
You are textbook… exactly what they look for. Someone drawn in by their flimsy claims and willing to preach to others about the scam.
you are all so silly. anyone who sits down with a primerica representative will be educated on the real scams that are out there, including the ARMs, Balloon payment loans, Cash Value life insurance and Banks as an institution. if you guys really need a job… try and put those companies out of business and leave primerica alone. for the love of all that is good and holy… primerica is what we do. it works and it has never hurt anyone that worked in it or was a client. i have never told you all that i think your business as a doctor, a contractor, a businessman/ woman…. was or is a scam. even though primerica has the same structure as any business in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! a contractor has to boss people around and will get paid on the quality of work done by his employees…. what a scam. a doctor get paid off of all of those poor people that have to get treated by him. it is just unrighteous for that individual to ask for money for the chairity he should be doing. it’s sick… right? WRONG! and a business man/ woman wouldn’t even contend the amazing opportunity found in PFS. they might even join in. 😛 so, to all you lazy butts that never did anything in Primerica and are here now leaving your comments every day because you are unemployed, and essentially, a failure… just buck-up, shut up and get up off your rear and come join the elite in a company that DOES have credibility… haha, at least more credibility than this silly site that everyone is treating like the fountain of all truth. haha, shameful. see ya’ll.
Aaron – No one is complaining that people earn money from selling products and services. The complaints about Primerica are:
1. It’s primarily a recruiting scheme. The name of the game is recruiting a big downline. Find people who will recruit more to recruit more to recruit more. The business is about building the pyramid.
2. The actual seller of a product in Primerica gets lower compensation than at a normal company because all the tiers of the pyramid need to be paid.
3. The products and services sold by Primerica are generally overpriced.
Would you guys go to http://www.term4sale.com and run some rates?
Do you have a clue how important it isas a business person it is to know who owns a client? Do you know the what impact a noncompet clause can have on your business? Do you know what other products you can sell with the same licenses you currently have? You bash against Cash value policies. Well have you ever heard of Life settlements?..Your loyalty to a company and RVP is possibly costing you money…
You say you are out to help families. Well considering PFS doesn’t offer a disability policy, why not go out and contract witha company and offer it? Did you know with some companies in some states, you can send in the application along with an agent contracting paperwork?
For Disability, you can contract with Illinois Mutual by faxing in the paperwork and be able to offer their products in a few days. Oh I forgot your an captive independent agent. If you send your clients to me for disability coverage I might replace your term and you’ll get a chargeback..I guess it’s best you not mention disability to your clients…Why is that??? No i’m not talking about waiver of premium.. You guys don’t know what you don’t know…
I wasn’t told by anybody to do or say anything. What i said were my mere opinions and no i havn’t spent a single dime in training and learning all these new things. Also, i will not spend a semester studdying at Senca in order to earn a credit so i can get a licence, but rather “i will take the adventage” of the Primereica sponsored program and benefit from it. All this economics/finance isn’t my field of study nor my prime interest. I am a lfie sci student and i will be working in science fields anyway. I think it has been a great benefit and opportunity for me since day 1 and I’m glad. Let’s all be happy together for once.
Primerica offers disability insurance, its optional. We tell families about it.
Well get the license and just keep your options open. many PFS agents just don’t know what other products pay. With a life/Health license you can also sell Fixed and Indexed Annuities, Life settlements, Critical. Illiness, health insurance, med supplements, and other products.
As always as an independent contractor you have the right to run your business as you see fit. Working within the Financial services industry can mean that you retire when you wish and the book of business you develop has a market value. The decisions you make today can determine your income tomorrow. Considering you say your still in your University you are in the beginning of the baby boomer trend. your coming into the industry at the right time. You will have a window of about 10-15 years of a massive wave.
The trend today is preservation and distribution. The big days of buy term And Invest The Difference is a thing of the past. Today there is a shift of going toward active money managers. Times are changing, and PFS isn’t willing to change. There’s no need for a part-time agent to be captive.
Personally I like the term insurance invest the difference.
The reason I, a Primerica recruit, am having a hard time seeing where people think Primerica is a scam is this:
All of the classes and training I’ve had, so far: FREE
The money I paid for my licensing exam: WENT TO THE STATE, not Primerica. (and I believe it was discounted because Primerica paid most of the fee.)
The money I paid Primerica went to a background check (not Primerica) and a study book (that I -wanted- because it was cheaper than the books I saw at the corporate bookstore in my city.)
I haven’t given Primerica any money. I have a real, State insurance license that I can use with any insurance company. I plan to work on getting my securities license and a real estate license, by the end of this year.
I’ve always wanted to be a realtor, and Primerica is helping me achieve that dream, whether I work hard enough to become a $100,000 earner, or not.
Everyone I’ve talked to has been very up-front with the fact that I’ll be working for a commission, that I don’t have to recruit people, if I don’t want to, that I can expect my earnings to be a couple of extra hundreds a month, if that much, and that I’m not supposed to sell a client ANYTHING they can’t afford or can’t use.
They encourage us to work hard, do more, and actually strive for six-digit earnings, but they NEVER lead you to believe that -everybody- does it.
I don’t understand how a person can call it a scam. I’m an incredibly pessimistic person. I didn’t work for make-up companies or knife companies, because I would have to -buy product- in order to sell product. Whether I succeed, or not, those “tangible product” companies get their money. With Primerica, if -I- don’t get paid, they don’t get paid. It’s in Primerica’s (as a business) best interest to support and encourage their representatives.
Primerica doesn’t make me do anything but get licensed, which, whether I was working with Primerica, or another company: I would still have to do, in order to sell insurance.
I’m not trying to change your mind. I just want anyone else that sees your ill-informed post to read about my experience.
* Products are priced competitively. I’ve, personally, done research on this. Also, Primerica does not charge application fees, so, people can take a good look at THE EXACT policy they would be purchasing or loan they would be agreeing to, before spending out any money. Also, Primerica is about clearing people’s debt in enough -time- for them to enjoy their lives. If I can pay a low rate to be in debt for the rest of my life or pay a higher rate to start saving and enjoying my life… I’m going to go for the higher rate if it fits into my budget. That is what we offer people!
* We MUST be state licensed in order to work for Primerica. Primerica doesn’t even -pay- unlicensed individuals, so… what would be the point of someone without a license trying to make a sell?
* Primerica pays commissions that -I- have agreed to. If I wanted to work for another company, I would. I’ve done my research, and I don’t want to work for anyone but Primerica. A few of my friends have been working for Primerica since we started college. They, as -college students- are making thousands of extra dollars, every month and have been for two years. Everyone won’t get the same results, but I know three girls that are doing it. These are hard-working girls that have gotten licenses in neighboring states, and car-pool to other cities to talk with families. ALL of them started donating to the American Heart Association after I had heart surgery, last year. How many college students do you know with enough extra income to financially support a cause they believe in?
I appreciate what Primerica has done of them and can do for me. We’re all International Business majors that plan to expand with Primerica and be a force for good, in this world.
My old roommate is in the process of getting roped into this crap. She called me a little over a week ago, told me she was in the process of getting a new job (although she has a great management position [department position], for a big well known store) That they recuited her from her posting her resume online -within 2 days of posting she has two responses from two similair companies. She is planning on doing this on full time, quitting her secure job and paycheck. She asked if she could come practice her sales pitch on me and my bf. I told her that would be no problem. She shows up for for our ‘appointment’ at my home, earlier than planned with two people (trainers as she said) who she never told me she was bringing.
They then sat down with us, asked us WAY too personal questions, including how much we make a year, how much I’m selling my livestock for (horses), what my health, dental, vision, life, AD & D, and disability insurances are costing me. Which we weren’t comfortable telling complete my old roommate…let alone complete strangers. They wanted to know about the mortgage, when we explained we were selling the house, and moving into another. He said we weren’t good candidtates. Unless we were interested in working for them. And when we get financing for the other house then we should consider them. (What we didn’t tell them, is that the other house is inherited, and we won’t need a mortgage.) He also said to ask plenty of questions, so my old roommate can learn from them.
The one question he couldn’t answer was what could this company do for me, since I have no credit card debt, my car loan is 2.9% financing, and aside from everyday bills that I don’t have much in the way debt. That’s when he said I wasn’t a good candidate. That the ideal candidate is: 25+, married, loads of debt, and children. 25+ is the only one that applies to me. But he did try hard recuit us to work for them. The very end of their pitch he explained how the payout works….how they’d all benefit if we would have signed up for something. The higher up making the most of course.
My old roommate thinks she will be doing a great deed, helping people, but I know she has no experience working in finances, and has no business giving any financial adivse to people. She is a perfect recruit for them though, easily brainwashed, naive, and she is one of those people who is constantly is comparing what her and her husband have to the people around her. She wants to be better than everyone, and thinks money is the way to do it….
And lastly, they said she is on the ‘fast track’ to becoming a higher up, and she plans on having her own office in 3 years, and being like the man who is her bosses boss, who they claim is making $80K and month…thats $960K a year….While visions of riches dance in her head, all of our mutual friends that she has been trying to make appointments with are advoiding her….
For anyone wishing to better understand how an MLM really works:
Primerica, Quixtar, Amway, and any other MLM organization out there all share the same characteristics. In the interests of the MLM fiscal goals, the internal structure and business plan are superb. Lets break down the business plan piece by piece.
1. First of all, advertising of services comes at almost no cost. MLM organizations recruit agents to promote services. Not only do average MLM agents make little or no money, but they have to pay for a “license” to promote the MLM products. This is an ingenious plan. The agents assumes the costs to promote. In reality, the agent is paying to work for the MLM.
2. Second, Risk. MLM’s assume almost no risk. If agents wish to open regional offices, the costs must be assumed soley by the agent. In the instance of financial distress, the MLM is free from litigation arising from financial ruin, any legal costs arising, etc. MLM organizations encourage reps to open satelite offices because dissemination of goods and advertising will increase with no cost or risk attached.
3. Turnover. Since the majority of money is made in the sign-up fees, conference attendance, and motivational tools sold, the business model does not depend on educated, hard-working individuals to drive the MLM to success. MLM’s will thrive on new recruits with little or no experience simply “attempting” to succeed. No real interest or value is vested in MLM agents since turnover nears 100 percent annually.
These are my three reasons why MLM organizations thrive. MLM agents; however, nearly always fail. My father was correct when he said, “Son…people will do things for money they ordinarilly wouldn’t do.” Spot on Dad, Spot on!
I think Tracy is working for one of those insurance companies that scam people, and is just scared Primerica is ruining her business.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/229/ripoff0229393.htm
Oh, I forgot….
Insert your personal attack on the dotted line
…………………………………………………………
No one is saying Primerica is a scam or bad company. They do business the way they do. The issues are Primerica agents thinking they are the savior of the Financial services Industry when many/most of their agents don’t have a clue about other products or agent contracts within the industry.
Compare the PFS agent agreement/compensation and products against other marketing organizations. Compare the PFS legal plan/compensation against
working with another organization and having a direct contract with Prepaid Legal. Side by side PFS can be beat all day everyday by an independent. Be it for the business or for the recruit.
Primerica has a 100,000 plus agents. They are the big dog on the block. That’s changing. The word is getting out.
I had an interesting conversation with a human relations person. I asked the right questions (about recruitment needed to advance, about A.L. Williams, the founder, up front costs, about the many complaints about the company and its product, both from former employees and former customers (many of them old friends). My final conclusion: They run a thinly veiled Pyramid MLM, in which the last people who get recruited usually get it in the shorts.
I remember this same stuff from back in 1977 when it first appeared. My friends who got involved were convinced that they were trying to help people, a cause which they believed in completely, that they were completely dedicated to helping other friends and friends of friends help people (while accumulating wealth, of course) and boy, did they try to get me on board. I saw then what it was they were selling to new “employees” . It was a pretty bad deal then and it appears things have not changed that much.
I have no problem with those who think this is a great way to help others while becoming wealthy at the same time. As for me, I want no part of it.
AMEN, BROTHER!
Does anyone know does this company have anything to do with the new Genistar company now operating newly in the UK? Sounds very familiar….
I am sorry for you Tracy, You don’t have the chance to do something different in your life and someone’s else’s. How much $ are you making a year? are you working for a company or for yourself? Do you have the posibility to be financialy independent? I am Mexican and I have work hard as other immigrants, didn’t speak english (now I learned), didn’t know no one in this country. But I have a Degree: “Bachelors in Business Administration with major in Accounting”. and no one gave me a chance. Everybody I know told me to work hard (and I did it for 11 years) they are broke. Then everybody told me to get more education and I did finished my University, but nobody cares. I took any job and they never told me I can make $100,000.00 dollars a year if I work hard (with overhead expenses). That is the Primeca Opportunity! Now you talk bad about the MLM?, and Pyramids, What’s a Pyramid? like Egipt or Teotihuacan in Mexico? I think you are just bore with your life and everything around you. I am writing this because you are taking the opportunity to other people to become something that everybody wants, the american dream. Financial Independence. And no matter what you say Mary kay still makes millions of dollars, Avon, Amway, Primerica, etc. I am gonna recommend a book, the one that Ray Krock, Walt Disney, and any other millionare that drop off of school and got succes wrote. thats Primerica. And this words come from the Mexican Top of the Class with an Average of 10 (A) in the Universty. Pretty Smart Guy with a Vision! Best Regards! P.S. Also I recommend Fast Food Nation Book read it its an awesome way to learn about corporate america.
I’ll have to agree with you Adrian: Those companies are making millions of dollars. How? By scamming hard working people out of their money. If you want to become rich, open a MLM. It is one of the most lucrative forms of business for the owners of the companies (unless you’re Len Clements and keep failing at it). It is a crime-in-progress that our government refuses to stop. How beautiful for the owners of those companies. Check out the millions of dollars the executives of Usana have made through stock options. Brilliant, indeed!
Thanks for your response, that was fast! Let me apologize for my errors in my writting. Also, just to let you know I am a Regional Leader with PRIMERICA, the company that gives me all the tools to become a Financial Professional. I am License for Insurace, Mortgages, and Investments and other Financial Products. So every person it is responsible for their own Licenses and for their own acts (like the guy that is mention in the investigation). What I do for people is to approach them to the companies that they can be dealing with by their own, but they are to busy to do it. So, without the platform that was created for me by Primerica, I am not be able to do it . Now I have the support of great and wonderful investment companies like Van Kampen, Legg Mason, Fidelity, AIM, etc. And the back up of a corporation like Citigroup. I am not here to convince you but I don’t think that there is other company helping the average guy to enter the financial world to become a Professional and get the money they deserve and help fellow Americans. And also, Do you want to do it for all your life? no! that is the reason you can invite to work WITH YOU more people and show them how to do it so they can get the same Professional Life as you. So don’t be so hard with you and other people, give yourself and other people the experience of something new, exicting, because life is short. If you feel Primerica is not for you, what do you have to loose? you can still go back to your old same and boring job working for somebody else and make them rich while your life is vanishing. Thanks for everything and hopefuly I will meet you one day, when I sign my RVP contract for ownership. p.s. the DryDude above whetever he sounds like and old person, he remembers 1977? Well Dude, you lost! you could be Rich by now!…I’m sorry, have to go back to help more people and make money!
There is a difference between MLM and Pyramid scheme. Participating in a pyramid scheme is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada, punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment. MLM companies are always vulnerable to negative claims because of the recruitment involved. However, that is just a new system that has proven to be effective. I think Primerica is legit, not perfect, but fulfilling its mission (helping mid/low income families) by bringing the Bay street financial services to the Main street.
I couldn’t disagree with you more on your last sentence. One of the marketing tactics Primerica uses is the claim that they help low and middle income people who otherwise wouldn’t have these services (insurance, investments).
It’s simply not true that those people don’t have access to them. I know PLENTY of insurance agents and investment advisors who would be HAPPY to work with low and middle income people, and educate them about financial matters.
Adrian I have 3 letters for you. HBW… Check them out http://www.hbwinc.com
You can be independent and offer many other products and services to your clients. Not to mention better compensation. Forget the PFS rah, rah, look at it as a business decision. If you can get a better contract and more products to offer why not take a look. You always have the option to go back to PFS.
Of course I understand your loyalty it to your upline and Primerica.
I think what the “Unemployed” meant was based on the fact that major banks in Canda don’t bother to help mid/low income families with investment unless they have huge assets. For example, TD Canada don’t consider consulting with a client unless they have $100,000 in their portfolio just to offer them specialist mutual funds. Instead, what is provided to mid/low income familes in reality are GIC (rate of return at 3~4%) and for those who are more ambitious mutual funds (5~6%). Primerica allows clients to open up an account with less than $100 to benefit from specialist mutual funds(up to 10~12%). Another point is, life insurance agents gets paid 10 times more comissions than the Primerican agents by selling whole life insurance. With this kind of comissinoal benefit, there is almost no doubt that they will be selling whole life insurance. Hear this out though, according to Personal finance for dummies written by the Canadian government, term life insurance is the way to go for average incomers. Becuase most families do not need insurance after their retirement, and term life insurances are much cheaper. I believe for these reasons the company has specialy targetted mid/low incmoe familes and helped them financially.
But are major banks the only places to get insurance and investments in Canada? I can’t believe they are. We have a company called Edward Jones, for example, that does investments for people with all incomes/asset levels… but is especially good w/ lower to middle income. Don’t you have some companies like that in Canada?
LOL @ Jack.
Yeah, right. Go from one crappy MLM to another crappy MLM. What don’t people understand about these MLMs? They’re recruiting schemes. If you want to sell insurance and/or investments, get hooked up with a regular company! You’ll make a lot more money for selling!
Truth is that very few families are financially knowledgeable, and probably the only fincnial firm they will deal with are with major banks becuase their big names provide them with sesnse of security. But more realistically, how many families would go to bank to pay bills, ask questions about finance, or get info about investments ? and how many banks would introduce anoter company? Sad reality.
Will your bank show you how to save money on your insurance? Will your investment company show you how to reduce your debt? Will your insurance
company show you how to calculate the amount of money you will need for retirement? We show people how to balance everything out.
We are not trying to be everything for everyone.
Also I’m getting tired of all this blog about MLM and captive agents and limited number of products. This is my example. Two years ago I bought a new car. I go to my favorite dealer because they don’t try to pressure anyone but they will find a car that fits a persons situation. The dealer sells Chryslers and Jeeps and recently added Toyotas. This is what I learned. The Chrysler Jeep salesperson cannot cross over to the other building and sell a Toyota. The Toyota person cannot sell a Chrysler or Jeep. If the salesperson sells enough cars, he gets promoted to sales manager. Guess how he gets paid. He collects a commission on every car sold by one of his salespeople. He has the
ability to hire people to sell or drop the people that don’t sell. The salesperson makes a commission, the sales manager makes a commission, the dealership owner makes a commission, the car manufacturer makes a commission. This is a the granddaddy of all the pyramid schemes that I hve ever seen.
Note to Mike:
Car dealership = legitimate business in which the purpose is to sell cars
MLM = recruiting scram carried out by lying about earnings and the product
@Mike: “Two years ago I bought a new car. I go to my favorite dealer because they don’t try to pressure anyone but they will find a car that fits a persons situation.”
If you could do the same thing for your clients why wouldn’t you? As most people at Primerica are part-time and are out to make extra money why if given the choice be captive?
Hey Tracy, I am back! Car dealership Legitimate business? Yes, they legitimate rob and rip off people. Why they don’t show the price of the car anymore in the comercials?. for only 99.99 you can take this car home! oh, you cannot afford it? can you get a co-signer? they do this to everybody, how much can you pay a month? 100, 200, 300? they don’t say thinks like:”This is gonna be a simple interest loan and you’ll pay it off in the middle of the time at the middle of the cost” Edward Jones Investments is very great company and if they are helping people with 100 bucks is because they are loosing market and they found out that PRIMERICA is the only one doing it. well, that’s it! I see a couple adds in this webpage aren’t you Tracy receiving any money everytime someone clicks in this page and makes a comment? because if you are looking for scams, the Internet has the biggest! And I do not have any loyalty to my Upline, actually I do not even like him, I am loyal to my self and my work.
great talking to you guys, and the last thing is that everyone has fears, we fear loosing money, getting cheat, we fear the IRS and Immigration, the day we overcome our fears is the day we can open our eyes and decide what to do with our lives and the best way is to help others and make money doing it! Thanks!
Yes, car dealerships are legitimate businesses selling legitimate products. They are not recruiting schemes like MLMs are. Thanks for your insightful comments.
Loyal to yourself? Loyal to your work? Noncompete. Who owns clients and downline? What is your commission schedule? Can you earn renewals? Do you have to give up legs to be promoted? Can you sell other products your company doesn’t offer? To me it looks like the power is leaning toward the company.. It’s not personal… For some people Primerica is the company for them, but in many cases some don’t know there are alternatives.
Well Tracy what is your Business what is your occupation? Do you have a legitimate Bussiness? oh yes!, at the top of the page you are selling a legitimate book! great Bussiness! and Jack do you have a legitimate bussiness also? and this is the last time I write, bye bye!
for Tracy and Jack, yes we do help people sort things out. Yes we are a legitimate business. We sell investments from Franklin, Van Kampen, Legg Mason, Oppenheimer and other legitimate companies. Everyone does not need all of our products. Yes we do find out what fits each persons situation.
I have never seen any of our reps high pressure anyone. No one is lying about their income. Our products are not over-priced. I have seen some of my clients get turned down for loans because they did not qualify. Isn’t that better than a loan company that will qualify anyone so they can charge outrageous
rates, rip-off someone that cannot afford the loan and foreclose on them? We tell some people you can’t do it at this time but let’s work on it and in the future we’ll try it again.
You people who think that all MLM’s are scams are the same people that judge someone because of race, religion, ethnic background, etc. Why don’t you go pick on Mary Kay, or Avon, or Shaklee?
Even better yet, go to a Primerica office and get your free computerized analysis. Ameriprise charges around $400 for theirs and they don’t even have
the debt ratio program. Now who is over-priced? Find out what we really do
instead of bashing us on rumors and other’s opinions. Derogatory remarks about us were started when other companies found out they could not compete with our products. All you are doing is going along with the other sheep.
Mike – I do pick on other MLMs as well. MLM is a fraudulent business scheme that our government allows to operate. Primerica is a typical recruiting scheme, where there is far more emphasis on recruiting new marks than selling anything. If people want to sell investments, there are far better companies to do it for. If people want to buy investments or insurance, again, there are far better companies to buy from. MLMs cause billions of dollars of losses to consumers each year. That’s criminal, in my opinion.
P.S. You couldn’t pay me enough to even walk into a Primerica office.
Tracey I do beg to differ. Primerica recruits to sell. They don’t make any money from ” signing people up”. They are legit in what they do, but….the agents in my opinion don’t know much about the industry. They only concentrate on what Primerica tells them.
Yes Mike I know quite a bit about Primerica, because I used to be an agent. With the products I have access to I can beat you guys all day everyday. It’s nothing personal, it’s just a business fact. You can go to http://www.term4sale.com and do some quotes. I can have accesss to most of the companies you will see. As for investments as you know getting a 6,63 is just finding a broker dealer, but to go to another level, I can get a series 65 (RIA) and go that route if I so choose.
You see Primerica is staying in the past. This is the distribution phase. Yes there is still a market for Buy term And invest The difference, but that market (babyboomers) have gotten older and now they are looking for protection and distribution….So stay at PFS and hope they change. For the company there’s no need to consider it, but as an individual agent it may be something you consider…Nothing against Primerica, but when I was there I had no clue about the industry and the different opportunities. One day you’ll see the light. On that day you will have to make a decision. Do what’s right for the company or do what’s right for the client…
I have been where you are.
I sold Acuras for a long time. A guy comes into the dealership one day and talks me into going to one of the Primerica meetings. I see and hear from the people and who did well and then they bring out the top gun and his wife who are making all of then money. I did not sign up.
A while later I am sitting with this couple in the Acura dealership who is currently telling me how bad their financial situation is. I keep thinking to myself, I have seen theses people before. As it turns out it was the big shot and his wife from Primercia.
That is my experience.
Any advise from anyone on how my old roommate who is now Primerica salesperson to understand the word ‘no’? I keep getting calls and e-mails from her saying she’s ran my ‘info’ (which I’ve never given her any information) and she can get me a great deal on life insurance.
Why do they ask their salespeople (or maybe it’s just her) to push their products on friends and family? What happens when they tap out their resources? Are stuck making cold calls? That would be awful!
New agents entering the company will come in with their network. Trainers use new warm market list of the new agent during the course of their field training.
Tracy, I don’t understand why you’re still going on and on. Don’t you have better things to do? If you have valuable information that will be welcome. But it seems like you are just whining and bashing Primerica and other MLM companies, which you don’t have much knowledge about. How much do you know about business and different business models? How much do you know about the economy? How much do you know about society and the job and income situation of the middle income America? I am not a Primerica rep but I know that their concept and the business model are excellent. Nor am I a distributor of any MLM company. I have been a business man all my life and I own three businesses and I have researched MLM and I think it is a legitimate and excellent business model. One day, in a late night talk show, Donald Trump was asked if he lost everything what would he do. And Donald replied that he would join an MLM company. Hearing this the audience laughed, and Donald said, “Why are you laughing? That’s why I am sitting here and you are sitting there.” So Tracy, stop whining from the sideline. Do your due diligence and if you have valuable information to share it will be much appreciated.
Wow, Tracy, you are determined in your views. As a newly enlightened Primerica representative, I am beginning to see your point. I believed in the Primerica crusade mantra and joined the group about 10 months ago. Since then I was told that I had to have a minimum of ten face to face appointments with my trainer conducting the appointment and any sales made would go to her. I was also told I needed to be recruiting as many people as possible to build my business. At this same time I was attending class and going toward getting my life insurance and securities license. I generated several loans, life insurance, annuities sales, but I have never seen a penny for my efforts. Now l0 months later, I have been informed that my business is restricted to only life insurance sales because the home office just woke up and reviewed my application and realized that I am a licensed real estate broker and that they consider that a conflict of interest. My issue is not with their decision (although it is not illegal to have duplicate licenses), but that they waited so long to inform me that I would be restricted. I believe that if a company would treat me that shabbily they would do it to anyone and at any time in their career new rules might be thrown in. I say “good-bye” Primerica!!!!
If anyone is listening, I recommend you to steer clear from this company.
Jack, I just visited you HBW website. How is it any different than Primerica?????
Chad – I don’t think a business structure in which 99% of people lose money is a good thing. Sorry if you don’t agree with that.
http://pyramidschemealert.org/PSAMain/news/MythofIncomeReport.html
You should also know that the Donald Trump thing that you’re quoting is an urban legend. That rumor gives no credibility to MLM whatsoever.
I will continue to inform consumers about the pitfalls of MLMs, regardless of your opinions on how I should spend my time. If you don’t like it, don’t read this blog.
Marie:
Look at the products that can be offered.
There’s no recruiting requirements.
There’s no noncompete in the agent agreement.
Look at the compensation schedule.
Immediate ownership of clients and downline if the agent wish to build one.
Agents can advance from personal production if they so choose. It’s called total freedom.
The prices HBW quotes are the same prices people can get out in the market be it from TV, Internet, radio or whatever.
There are no restrictions on outside activities as long as what a person is doing is legal and compliant.
Dare to compare:
http://www.hbwinc.com/build/compare.shtml
HBW is a Financial Services Marketing company so they are not tied to any one company. They have their own Broker Dealer and they support series 6,63,26 and 65 (RIA). HBW agents have the ability to pick and choose any market they wish to target. yes even wealthy clients.
To me immediate ownership and the noncompete are two great points.
You say this company Primerica is a fraud, well how many “pyramids” or MLM’s require state and federal licences to market their products? How many are required to submit annual compliance reports? How many can offer you a LEGAL document that says you are the owner of this business, something that you can leave to your family, or sell it back to the company and get 10-fold what your organization is worth? There’s a lot of things out there that say you can “own your own business”, but they are nothing more than “money-making opportunities”, not business-owning opportunities. And as for Tracy who wrote back on 7/11/08 that she can’t be paid enought to walk into a Primerica office, let’s hope your not one of these people out here who are still working in their 70’s because all you see is a company that is nothing more than a MLM, instead of seeing us helping people become debt-free and financially independent.
Tracy – I would be interested to know what credentials you have that make you expert about PFS.Where do get your facts & statistics? Have you talked to someone @ PFS headquaters in Duluth? It seems like you just pull thing out of thin air! If you are going yo make statements that influence peoples lives it would seem like you would do real reserch & not just make random boilerplate comments. When ripoff went to PFS headquarters & got real facts they changed their opinion. I would suggest you do the same it may help with your credibility. As a PFS REP. for 20 years I find your comments not very intelligent & poorly reserched.
John – I don’t have to go to Duluth to know that Primerica is a company that agents and customers should stay away from!
My sister was just recently visited by a Primerica Agent and was offered the services (products) after filing her application for mortage, according to the Primerica agent my sister did not qualify for refinancing. However the primerica agent told my sister about becoming an agent my sister mention her language barrier being that my sister’s first on only language is spanish she’s very well educated but does not speak english, so anyways the primerica agent insisted this was not a problem and sold my sister two memberships for 90.00 usd ea. i just went with my sister yesterday to what primerica agents call ”Up night” kind of like a motivational conference where current agents are asked to bring a gest or two i guess in an effort to recruit more agents? well one thing that discourage my sister is that all the meetings and training was in english only and she felt left out. I ofcourse did not join, however my sister already paid for the 90.00usd and she is not sure. Can some real ex primerica agents that had bad experiences with this company give me some advice or on the contrary if there is nothing wrong with this company and there is training in spanish available im also open for those comments, i just want to be in the safe side thank you!
I used to be a Primerica agent. Primerica is not a scam. They just target a certain market and go after that market. At one time Primerica was the only company in town who signed people up on a part-time basis and sole term life insurance and a side investment for the Buy Term And Invest the difference concept. well today that has changed.
As far as ownership, the question is what does a person have to do to qualify for ownership? As I said Primerica is not a scam company, but agents today can do have more products to offer and get better contracts outside of Primerica. at least that’s my opinion.
To compare term products go to http://www.term4sale.com i’m sure you will notice a difference in premiums. Also take a look at this site.
http://www.christianpf.com/primerica-pros-and-cons/ They seem to have a debate going on, but the problem for primerica agents who post is they are posting to former PFS agents who are now independent. It’s kind of hard to debate people who have been in the company and are now outside the company. They know both sides while the Primerica agents basically only know what Primerica tells them..
Let me say it again, Primerica is not a scam, but they are a captive company. Which means they only allow their agents to sell what they allow them to sell.
For the person who wish to get their money back from Primerica you should call the company, because there may be a time limit…Also as a side note me myself, if you paid already, I would get the Life and Health license and never give it up..There’s no requirement that you have to sell anything..at lest from what I know..
Traci-
It’s sad to read your negative opinions. How horrible. That’s exactly what they are, YOUR OPINION.. Sounds like you’re a bitter person with nothing better to do. Please take all that time and energy you have and help those in need instead of bashing a company like Primerica. When you bash it’s a sure sign of a bitterness whether you admit it or not. There is so much negativity in this world and people don’t need it. Do some soul searching and ask for forgiveness because what you’re doing is a sin. I never engage in anything online because a lot of it is garbage. Those of you that are Primericans, don’t give Traci the pleasure by responding anymore and move forward with what you do. All this negativity is not worth your time nor mine. God Bless!!!
Do some of you Primericans forget what you say about agents or companies that sell cash value products? It seems like you can’t take it when something is thrown back at you. Tracey can have her opinion.
Well today the heat is on Primerica. Is it justified, maybe or maybe not. I can see a name change in the future after your sold. I’m sure you guys get tired of being on the defensive all the time.
I have had the unfortunate experience of watching a friend become a Primerica representative, at first he tried to push me to buy a life insurance policy, then 2 weeks later to recruit me to a meeting, I said no! I dont want to work in finances, he continues to badger me to go to these meetings – this is actually putting an end to our friendship, I truly feel he is being utterly brainwashed by going to his primerica meetings, he has less money now than he ever had – but has this hope that he can live the american dream with this company.
I personally feel that primerica makes a huge percentage of cash of the $200 they want from everyone who attends the meetings – and I feel its all fake – I mean AIG sells similar insurance policys, that are cheaper and you only pay once per month!
Come on guys, it is a CULT and nothing more, tapping into the vulnerable minds of people who genuinely want to make money, study and work hard.
I am watching my friend become absolutely brainwashed about Primerica and talk of nothing else……………sad, very sad indeed…..
Lisa
I’m going through the exact same thing, watching my old roommate get sucked into this group. First she came and did her ‘practice pitch’ bring two guests that she never told me she was bringing. When they found out that we were not in enough debt to be good candidates, they tried to recruit us to work for them. A few days later she put in her two weeks at her real job, and is now trying to do this full time…..and now she is hitting me up to buy life insurance. And all of our mutual friends are advoiding her, and she calls me wondering why they won’t return her calls! She seems to think she is helping the world in some way by working for this group, and that her job is a very Christian job to have. It’s SO sad to watch!!
Down with the MLM scams, Wal-Marts time is coming too, “Vengance is mine, Saith the Lord”. As all the Subprime Mortgage Banks are going broke. 300 banks to close in next couple of years. All because of Corporate Greed. Judgement to come here in America, Revelation 17-18, The Great Harlot sitting on many waters , (Statue of Liberty). Seek Jesus before its too late.
TRACY,
THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION, I HAD A CALL FROM SOMONE I KNOW TRYING TO SELL ME THIS BS, I SAID FINE, COME OVER, BUT RIGHT BEFORE THEY CAME I FOUND YOUR SITE AND CANCELED ON THEM!!!
IF IT SMELLS FISHY.. ITS FISHY
IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOO TO BE TRUE, IT IS.
Funny how there are so many primerica agents here!!
Has anyone heard anything about the sale of Primerica yet? Do the agents tell perspective recruits that the company may be sold in the near future?
Curios, not argumentive, a skeptic but a debator.
Ok guys, I was just introduced to this company over the last week, by a very nice couple. On the Skeptic side naturaully I am looking for the scam. If it’s too good to be true, it is, concept.
From experience though just because it looks and smells like a fish doesn’t actually mean it is a fish, most likey a fish, but not 100%. After what is a dolphin?
I am not looking at this company to do business but to go to work for. Don’t get me wrong I understand the argument of this company, but what scamming proof does any one actually have. You see, I understand the concept of the man on top makes the most money, and he goes going to make more money than me, honestly that’s common sense. How do you think Bill Gates got where he is. Every company and business you ever go into is a pyramid of some form, that’s just the way it is. We pay a crap load of money to the oil companies who go home and sit in their fancy mansions, while the store clerk who is doing all the selling is making minimum wage. Is that a scam well it depends on the aspect. Even in the military you have a pyramid. The president is rich while the lowest man on the totem pole working his but off and riosking his life walks away with an extremely small portion of that. The low man also gets bonuses for recruitment and only see a small portion of the over all money made. And to top it all off these people are quit literally singing their lives away. So in that aspect that you all made here, are you telling me the military too is a scam????
Look I am honestly not here to argue; however, I will debate common logic. Where is the proof? From what was explained to me and I am still doing my research, you are required state and federal licensing which you do pay a small protion of, but that’s anywhere. Then you go into these peoples home and you give them a game plan FOR FREE. Now yes that is the part that made me stop mid interview and go ok, esplain! That’s because if 95% of your customers are no going to except this game plan and you do it for free where is the money coming from???? I thought that was a reasonable question. The response is simple here guys. Per referral you will spend three to five hours trying to sell, everything you are trying to sell is actually laid out before these people giving them every opportunity to question, back track, and review. If it doesn’t make sense ask. I come from a low income family but yet I don’t tend to get screwed because I simply do what I am doing know, you ask around, find people who do. This game plan is not a one time offer, take to people you know and get opions, if you don’t take the time to check it out and you feel screwed guess whose fault it is. Anyways, you spend maybe 3-5hrs per referral selliong a game plan, and you will probably go through about ten people before you make a “sell” (and that’s if your good). Now a sell like this you will profit up to $1,100 give or take. Now in a finacially tight spot I look at it like this.thats approximately 50 hrs for $1,100. Now where I come from that is really descent money. I currently work a full time job and barely make that in an 80hr period. And if you are good at this job you can easily double that money. Does it sound scammish of course, we live in a society that believes that if it sounds good it must be bad!
I bring you the simple facts as I know and believe them to be, but I beg of you please, as a skeptic, I too am looking for the scam. If you have any actual proof please send it my way.
I am one of ‘those poor saps’ that Primerica helped; not by recruiting me, but by helping me with my finances. In order to get the ‘Financial Needs Analysis’ that they offer FOR FREE, you need to list a certain number of contacts that might need their service. That was 4 years ago. I wasn’t forced to work for them, to attain their services, I simply had to provide them with a few friends that might need the help that I needed.
I don’t care if they’re MLM. They provide a great service to people that might not know much about insurance, debt consolidation, or the hundreds of different ways to build savings. Sure, it may be possible to get less expensive insurance. But, the premium I’m paying on my family’s life insurance is worth the knowledge that I’m “adequately” insured, instead of “abundantly” insured.
So many people waste hundreds of dollars a year, in order to insure themselves for way more than they need. Most insurance agents are going to jump at the chance to sell that policy. My Primerica agent actually talked me OUT of getting more insurance than I needed, and investing the difference in an investment tool instead of wasting it on additional insurance premiums.
Not only did he help me reduce my debt, but I have a much better savings outlook than I would have if he didn’t knock on my door.
I tried to become a Primerica representative earlier this year, but it didn’t work out for me. I don’t have the time to invest in studying for the many certifications. When I decided to go for it, I didn’t make that decision because I wanted to become an overnight millionaire by scamming other people into the business. I did it because I wanted to help my friends, as my representative helped me! I chose Primerica over other financial investment service companies because they don’t charge people for the service, only for the products. How much more ethical is it to charge someone that needs financial assistance $500-$1000 or more just to look at their financial statements, and tell them that they need to reduce their debt and save money? We all know that. But most of us just don’t know how. The vast majority of financial companies give their reps bonuses for selling products as well. They just charge the customer BEFORE AND AFTER the sale…not just AFTER, like Primerica.
When I attended the first course (on life insurance), the teacher stressed SEVERAL times that Primerica representatives absolutely cannot sell insurance (or any other of their products/services) without a license. It is both illegal, and unethical. In fact, it wouldn’t do us any good anyway, because their pay structure is set up not to pay anyone that is unlicensed. As a trainee, you have a mentor that does most of the talking, and is also reponsible for all financial ‘advice’.
I know my Primerica representative was ethical, and he deserved every dime he made from my insurance and financial investment purchases. If my schedule changes, and I find I have time to complete the courses, I will be a proud representative of Primerica, and will go to bed each night knowing that I’m HELPING families to get out of debt, while maintaining the proper amount of insurance and gaining knowledge on building their own savings.
Primerica isn’t scaming anyone. Just because they explain the rule of 72 and show you the difference between cash value and term does not mean you have to do business with them or becoem an agent. Compare products and fees being paid and then make a educated decision that’s in your families best interest. As for the agents. Ownership and noncompete. Those two words should raise a red flag..
Their products = Usually a bad deal for customers but not a scam per se
Their recruitment = A scam, otherwise known as endless chain recruitment
Charity, it is NOT true that a company or the military is a pyramid. When you go to work as a clerk or enlist and become a private, you do not “recruit” to skim more money off of the recruit. You still make your minimum wage or your pay or stipend.
Most importantly, your commision structure. When I worked for AL Williams, Inc – Primereica, I received 200-250 depending upon the age of the policyholder and what he bought. You don’t make “1100 on the tenth try”. If you make 200-250, that means your upline is taking at least 1500-2500 and you receive the crumbs off the table.
Further, if you will look in the yellow pages, there will be one to two agents per zip code. With Primerica, you can have thousands of agents because it is a pyramid boiler room scheme. With all pyramids, the fraud only holds up if you get more and more suckers. Do the very simple math. They, like Amway, the most notorious of pyramid schemers, will tell you that you can get six or more recruits. Start with only six. They get six. After ONLY 12 levels, you have more people than could ever afford an insurance policy. At 13 levels, you have MORE THAN DOUBLE the entire world populace population!!!
Did ya’ll see this?
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/08/26/ripoff-report-itself-seems-to-be-the-real-ripoff/
You can believe what you think is right, one of the products Primerica offers gets mortgages paid up in full in less time ( in terms of years ) than your best mortgage bankers can can get you. Talk about financial freedom, make the choice : A) Keep 30 yrs on your mortgage and pay twice the value of your home in interest payments or
B) Call a Primerica Rep and learn how to save your money and reduce your time in debt.
Its called Common Sense people.. .. .. .. .. .. . .
NO NEED TO CALL A PRIMERICA REP. After all, who wants to get hounded to death with the MLM “opportunity”???
I’ll tell you how to pay off your mortgage early without Primerica and FOR FREE:
Pay extra money toward the principal each months.
You’re welcome.
Awesome site Tracy, and this discussion page has been highly informative, I’d dare-say that the rabid MLMers actually help to show Primerica’s true colors with they’re dogmatic regurgitations of press packages and propaganda.
I’m a university student who keeps running up against these types of MLM schemes, so I already know the type of people it attracts and maintains within its hierarchy. Just recently I was working at my part-time job when I was approached by a Primerica rep, and I’ll admit after listening to him for about 15 minutes I nearly fell into the trap of half-believing this junk.
After reading this page feel sorry for him now because the company is so appealing to him (and others like him, struggling or in low/middle-income jobs) by offering what is essentially false hope and promises. Primerica and its MLM ilk all propose to have “the Answer” when in fact it’s just blatant lies parroted about with language that makes them sound half-true.
Nobody(the fractionally small few) ‘rises’ with this stuff, it just helps to keep you in that feeling of constantly “getting there”, sitting on the cusp of success for the rest of your life, One step away from financial freedom forever…
I’ll admit its a vindictively smart idea, it saddens me though how very little people see past the illusions to see the vicious reality of such a scheme.
Wicked blog Tracy, you’ve saved me a bit of time, money and mental energy.
Dason, I am a former Primerica rep. Primerica is not a scam or a “scheme”. If a person did work their program of recruiting and selling their products a person can make some good income there. It can happen, but with most things most people won’t do it. In my opinion it’s just a case of working the numbers and keeping blinders on.
Why did I leave? I left because i couldn’t sell the products when I knew other products were available within the industry. The system is there but people just have to understand to make money there you have to sell their products and recruit people. You have to drink the kool-aid…I just couldn’t do it..For those who may say I was lazy or couldn’t hack it in sales, it wasn’t that. It was the quote of doing what’s right 100% of the time..Think about it..If I knew of products with bettter features and lower fees how is it doing what”s right 100% of the time if I don’t inform my clients…That’s when it dawned on me it about sales…Sell Primerica products and recruit..That’s the bottom line..
I have read through a lot of these postings. I would have to agree with most about the brainwashing. I have friend who quit his job to jump into Primerica. We remained friends after he left the company. Sadly he lost a lot of friends along the way just to “build his business” with primerica. When you mention things like ‘cult’ or ‘pyrimid’ to him be breaks out in a speech about how people work under the CEO of the company blah blah blah and there is nothing different about what we do. He has been doing it for almost 2 years now. In the process of making “his millions” he has had to cut his cable, phone, get a renter for his basement just to make ends meet. He uses his lines of credit to get by but is so convinced that he will make it big with Primerica.
All they do is sell you a dream that isn’t real. They show you fancy catalogs with peoples faces Photoshoped at the top to make you think they have really have big houses and fancy cars. None of those photo’s are real. Anyone can show up at these meetings in fancy clothes and bling to make you think they are successful. Fancy cars? Sure why not rent one for the day…Duh!
My friend has not seen solid proof that these people have made it big. He is just sold on the idea. His “boss” or I should say leader, looks like an average joe and his office looks like hand me down furniture. I have seen a couple of the Primerica offices and they all looked like hand me down furniture!
Just like most of the reps who have commented on this page. All of you repeat the same “cult” like information. Even my friend has repeated the same things you guys have! I was shocked to read it. At least my reservations about Primerica was correct. They sell you on a dream and unless you at the top of their pyrimid you will never see millions. FYI, Primerica likes to draw people in that are depressed and weak minded. I have met quite a few reps and they all seem to have the same emotional state of mind.
Good luck to all of you.
Lily with the licenses your friend has he can break away at anytime and make some good money elsewhere. Give him time. He will see it..
The arguement that CEO’s get paid more than janitors or secretaries is weak
That is a buisness structure in EVERY Buisness in America.. Except for Pyramid schemes!!!! That’s why they call them PYRAMID schemes!!!!
They are in fact illegal…. unless you use legal loopholes to run a legal MFM
Multi-Level Marketing company.
These aren’t slaes people, they are in fact recruiters and if they want to be successful at this game you have to bring everyone you can in!!
Once you’ve been through your entire family, be preparred they will even say to call your second cousin and ask if he has any friends.
Primerica is always diffrent from any normal buisness, just do some research.
Remember the “CEO’s ” of Primerica never retire. They, unlike regular CEO’s of any company, will go on and make money off you people t’ill the day they die.
Why do you think they’re all so gung-ho on you joining!
Dear Folks
It is very simple, the scam is “recruit” people when in reality what you are recruiting is “LEADS” hence only 7% of Primericas agents make money. And to that I must add according to their brochures 4,992 agents made over $50K and 2,400 went over $100k 61 over $1 million and 17 over $2 million and 1 over $5 million. Now let’s do some math here, they claim paying $682 millions to 100,000 agents that is an average of $6,820 a nice 93% of the people “agents” that make this company actually generate the leads and marketing information the other 7% utilizes to generate their income. That is the reason they want you to sell to your family and friends. Ethics and business don’t mix well this is being done and will continue to be done until more people start to be aware of this and the way it affects everyone for companies like this leech on ignorance and work to spread it so they can continue to profit. The upside is the people getting screwed might eventually come down to realize it is only hard work and dedication what gets you ahead and in the end these MLM schemes serve and educational purpose… who knows God works in mysterious ways…
The big guys at Primerica can’t retire. What if no one wants to buy their code number? They can’t just walk away, then the business will just roll up and they lose everything. Yet I could be wrong, so any PFS rep. feel free to set me straight on the proces of leaving pFS and what they can take with them.
Can a PFS agent answer me this? If you are a independent contractor and you go out and find recurits or clients why does Primerica per contract own that client or recruit? How is it you do all the work and they get the cake? Is that fair? I don’t blame primerica for their policy, it’s business, but come on people CYA.
All that work and you walk away with nothing. That kool-aid must be real sweet.
Froget the pyramid and products arguments look at it from a business perspective. Ask Primerica if you as an agent can be independent and have immediate ownership of your clients and recruits and see what they say. Then put yourself in their shoes and consider why they say heck no… Think people just think….
With the stock market having such turbulent times, how does this (if it does) effect this particular company?
Currently Primerica is being shopped by Citi. Primerica Life Insurance Company is responsible for their own obligations.
http://www.primerica.com/public/primerica_disclosures.html
Now with that being said. If Primerica Life did have any problems, what are the agents options? They do what the company allows them to do. Many independent agents who have potential clients who may have reservations with American General can just offer another carrier. American General is still a great carrrier, but people being people go with what they may hear in the news.
As a business person is it better to have one toll or many tools at your disposal? Forget the hype and consider the business side.
I have come to understand it does no good to inform Primerica agents. In the end they will find out what is being told to them about the “opportunity” Can people make money at PFS, I say yes. But to do it you have to recruit and you have to sell the idea that you are on some crusade. Just don’t compare your products and contracts to what’s available out in the market. It’s kind of like the old party drinking days. Every year people turn 21 and want to hit the bar scene and as they are coming in others are leaving it. To me it’s the same way with primeirca agents. Think about it, they have been in business well over 30 years and they can’t get past a little over 100,000 agents and it’s said to be the best opportunity on the planet. I’m not saying anything against Primeirca, because they are a business and they don’t make anyone work with them, i just think at some peoint people need to think for themselves and understand Primerica or your RVP doesn’t need you. There’s someone coming in behind you and they will bring a warm market. Primerica has a great system if you look at it. The thing is who does it really benefit?
How interesting for me that I found this site. I was looking for an acquaintance who works for Primerica, thinking I could contact him to help me w/ my 403b. I worked w/ this guy for 2 years, all the time him being a Primerica rep, and I can honestly say he never tried to “recruit” me for anything. He would talk to our workplace about our retirement options, and some of my coworkers actually use his services. Another coworker is also a Primerica rep (probably a recruit of the other guy). He also has offered his services to anyone who is interested. I’ve talked to him about my 403b, and he has honestly said he’s not qualified to help me w/ that.
I’m not saying it’s NOT a pyramid scheme; this is just my own experience w/ Primerica employees. To me they always seemed just to be selling financial services to those who are interested–no worse than the other financial company reps who stalk the halls of my work (not employees, but endorsed by the powers-that-be), trying to recruit new CUSTOMERS.
Tracy, You’re an idot to think that “corporate america” is not an MLM. My work rewards me for referring (recruiting) my friends, and family to work for them, how is that not an MLM? They have even used the word recruiting in their attempts to help “grow” the business. I work very hard, more hours that the office people, and still they make significantly more money than I do. You very rarely see the owner of the company there, he’s always off on a vacation, or doing something that he really likes to do. Why is that? Because he has others doing the work while he reaps the rewards. Do I get paid? Yes. Does the owner make money on the work that I do? Yes. I have estimated over the last 2 ½ years I have made the company I work for more that $300,000, and that number is getting bigger. How much of that did I take home around $60,000. If you ask me that looks just like an MLM, the top person making all the money.
Corporate America is not an MLM because you do not fork over money for the right to participate, as you do in MLMs. In corporate America, you are compensated for your work. You receive a regular paycheck at a rate on which you and the employer have agreed. You make money by going to work. In an MLM, you pony up money, and if you’re like 99% of people in MLM, you will never turn a profit. That means you haven’t gotten paid. You’ve paid the company instead.
Anonymous @3:04, are you in sales? If you sold $300K in a year $60K is 20% which from a commission standpoint is pretty good, and representative of a lot of industries.
However, unless you’re selling gumballs, $300K isn’t a lot of sales by almost any yardstick in almost any industry. ESPECIALLY since you said you did that over a 2.5 year period. In that case, pro-rated to $120,000 annually, your boss is letting you keep half that. I can’t believe you’re patting yourself on the back and trying to impress us with that performance. Seriously.
If you’re a salesman, you need to start taking courses and practicing your pitch and bring up your game. If you want to make more, sell more. Pretty simple. If there’s an income ceiling at your work, change companies. Do you really think you can excel at the numbers game of MLM when you’re turning in a broke-dick performance at your day job?
Glengarry Glen Ross: my favorite movie. You should watch it.
Tracy,
I’ve been reading this blog and I think you’re winning the debate here, thus, I will put my trust in your opinion on this. Do you think I should respond to that Primerica agent (who’s been trying to get a hold of me every single day as I continuously put him off) so I can get signed up, get my license/training, leave and go work for a better paying company (one of those companies you said they paid better than Primerica)?
Or am I better off getting the license/training elsewhere? if so, where?
Awaiting your kind response,
Thanks Tracy 🙂
Personally, I would look for a different company all together from the start. Some of the insurance and investment companies have REALLY good training and licensing programs in which you can actually get base pay for a while so that you can build up a customer base.
Hi Tracy!
First of all I would like to say that I really like this blog and would love to be informed on other opinions that you have. That said, PFS… my first experience with them should have set the alarms ringing. My ex-barber got into this and would start conversations like barbers do, eventually the conversation drifted to finances and then before I knew it we were discussing corporate America and “financial independence”. Then he would ask me my income (10.50 p/h) and he said that he had a business opportunity and such. At first I told him I was not interested and left it at that. The thing is my hair keeps growing and I had to go back every couple of weeks. The recruitment angle continued “how much do you plan to make a year” I got a little fed up and told him “about 400k” and he was like ?huh? I told him that I am in college and going to become a radiologist. When he saw I ruined his pitch he moved on to the whole “college is a waste of time so that you work for somebody else”. I am second generation from an immigrant Colombian family of meager means. My entire life I have been told that I should attend a university and get ahead in life, that is after all why my family came to the U.S. Although I admit that my barber makes more money than me now (40kp/y), I found it disturbing that he had such a low opinion of academics. Then the numbers game started and I was intrigued. So I go to this one on one meeting with his boss or w/e and I got the same lines if just a bit polished. I was drawn a diagram of how the business works and how to avoid overhead like my “lite” bill, I swear he wrote it just like that l-i-t-e. The first thing that occurred to me was “you wanna make millions and you can not even spell the words on your own recruiting pitch?” BTW office was crappy, not what you expect from the biggest company in the world. He also had the audacity to tell me how his “sister-in-law became a physician and now has a lot of debt.” DUH! That is after all how it works. I kept all this to myself and was dead set on meeting the people that actually believe they are going to be millionaires. I was not disappointed in the least. When they say that there are people from all walks of life they were not kidding. It seems to me that everyone felt defeated in life. ALL of them had the snobbish aloofness that they found out how to make millions. In my opinion I hope they do because after getting to know them they seemed like very decent people. After the class I decided to get back to my life. I do not mind if people decide to pursue this path in life. I am happy at least a few will make it. I do mind however the fact that too many people decide that this is THE path. Things in our economy right now propagate this feeling. Of course workers that are laid off start wondering how they got to this point in their lives. Since it is human nature to blame somebody, we of course blame those that scorned us, corporate America. PFS is against all of this and “hey, why not, I’ll be a millionaire in 2 years tops!” The majority of us are looking for a better life and living. I stand in complete awe however, when individuals are motivated by the quick and easy. I understand we are all very different people and some of us are fed up with the way things really are. If you are sound-of-mind human being, approach the situation with caution. I sincerely hope you make what you aim for.
I will tell you this, when we were in elementary/middle school and our teacher asked what we wanted to be, how many people said lawyer, doctor, astronaut, marine biologist, pilot,etc… Then ask yourself how many people wanted to sell insurance and deal with finances? Somewhere along the line we have forgotten our dreams. Remember, if we go to work doing what we love, we never work a day doing it.
Tracy Coenen
You need to get a good job with a big company work for 25 years there so you can get downsized have your wages cut and put out to pasture. I have work Part-time with Primerica for 14 years. Have always made great PT money while keeping my full time job. Oh, I also have many licences and do more training than the tradional insurance agent.
What do you do for a living anyway?
Tim
I think I remember when this was called “A.L. Williams”
I had several dealings with people (friends, acquaintances, coworkers) who had jumped on this bandwagon and either wanted to 1) sell me their life insurance package by turning over my current life insurance while pocketing the cash value of that policy, or 2) get me to work for them (and the company)as they felt I was a natural born salesman (probably true)and in both cases they were unpleasant, some downright nasty when I would have nothing to do with their product and their organization. A lot of friendships were messed up because of the intrusion of A.L Williams into our lives.
Tracy,
I want to become more educated on the system established by Primerica.
If you could please provide with sources of solid evidence that supports your claims, please do so.
I happened onto this website by doing my homework at looking into Primerica. My son was recently layed off his job and a friend of his told him about Primerica. The RVP and my son came to my husband and me to tell us about the company. I worked 27 years as an escrow officer in a well known Nationwide Escrow/Title Company. I know loans and the financial aspect of accelerating mortgages etc. The RVP was very humble and simply layed out the premise of what my son was doing. Naturally I obliged and had the free FNA done. My husband and I did ultimately buy life insurance. My husband works full time and is now working part time with Primerica. What is disheartning for me is this: We all have choices to make for our own lives. When or if we see an opportunity that interest us, we all must take responsiblity with eyes wide open. Our lending industry is in dire straights because of some slimey, greeding mortgage brokers and lenders. Allowing low/middle income people to sign loan documents with sub-prime, non conventional loans that have forced so many into foreclosure. Primerica does NOT provide these sub-prime mortgages! They do indeed provide clients with the free analysis as information only. The RVP my family works with is forthright in letting people know if they have a great 1st mortage and will be the first person to tell them-don’t touch it! He does not mislead anyone into refinancing just to “get a hefty” commission. From what I have read here, some of you people talk only about “How much money one can make elsewhere” The truth as I have seen it with this RVP, is it’s about the client, not what “we” get out of it. I have seen more clients ask questions about Primerica and how they can get into the business before the possibilty of even asking them if they would be interested. I have seen several clients in shock that my son or husband did not try to sale them something they did not need! Sure we all want to make money…who doesn’t? But why the slander, the hateful words to a new representative who is looking for a way to help people? Isnt’ there enough hate in this world already? There are bad apples in every aspect of life. People that gossip and like to cause strife. But America is a place where we can dream and believe in our freedoms. And yes, that includes freedom of speech. Maybe to many people use this form of freedom to slam/cause grief/distress and break the spirits of a person looking for hope in a world that looks dim right now. Some people want to sit back and just see the money roll in, others want to work hard and see the benefits of helping others and go to sleep at night knowing they may have helped another person have a goods nights rest as well. For all the nay-sayers, sleep well. To the hopeful, keep on keeping on. Don’t give up on your dreams, no matter what that dream may be.
So I went to a “meeting” and when I first walked in I saw nothing but red flags.
First as soon as I walked in they were extremely exited to greet me, actively shaking my hand and asking me all types of “feel good questions”.
As a person who has been in sales for all my life I can state that this is a tactic used to make people feel good and “important”. They target the inexperienced and “weak people” so they can sell services and make little to no money. HEY IF YOU have ever gone to one of this meetings just look at the cars they drive you will NOT be impressed, and they are the ones that have supposedly succeeded.
Second, look at alllllll the fake trophies and awards on the wall’s they even have five foot “gold” statues that look like a Grammy. – ha,ha,ha awards they gave themselves
Third, and this is the bigggggggest red flag to any scam you may encounter they will not answer questions over the phone or in person you have to go to a meeting where they will explain everything. BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART being in a meeting is like watching an hour long (or two) infomercial. They tell you how great the company is they have people tell stories about how Primerica has changed their lives. And they stilllllllllll wont answer questions.
Fourth, number 4 I call this one surround sound. Yes folks this one is tricky to capture but what they do is separate and into a large circle and when their speaker finishes telling you how their lives was horrible before Primerica they all clap and you get a great surround sound noise as if all are clapping —— this my friend is taking selling to a new level I love it except it’s not for a good cause its to take your money for “licensing” fees and they use your time and money.
I can keep going all day but people have to understand that PRIMERICA HAS NOTHING TO LOOSE IT’S YOUR TIME IT’S YOUR MONEY, —- IF THEY HOOK 5 OF YOU INTO DOING THIS WELL THEY HAVE DONE THEIR JOB.
I’m not the most religious man in the world but god bless them – they will need it
P.S.
On a side issue when people act like they are wealthy, and have a job that can take you to the sky — fine look at their watch is it a Timex or a tissot ? Do they drive a 2005 BMW 330 or an old Benz ? Are they egger to answer specific questions without reserve? Even then Use your conmen sense nothing in live is free, nothing in live comes easy… life is a fight between good and evil …
To Nienpedo
I don’t know what area you live in, nor does that matter. I have every question I’ve asked answered straight forward. Like I stated in my prior posting, we have walked away from clients who have an excellant 1st mortgage and even with a 2nd under that. They have great credit, but are online. When we could as so many of you nay-sayers say, all Primerica wants to do is rip off people. Not so. When we get ready to leave such clients they are in shock that we have not tried to talk them into refinancing. They may have 4-5 credit cards that we could have easily wrapped into a 2nd mortgage, but did not! So after the shock wears off they want to know more about why we didn’t try to talk them into some new product. We show them how to accelerate paying off their credit cards and save $$. If they are intested in the company, than we invite them to a meeting. I have been to my RVP’s house, it’s beautiful. My RVP drives a beautiful car. He has been in Primerica for 11 years and has promoted 5 of his top teams to RVP’s. Two of them in the past two months. I have personally looked into the what people say about primerica. My question is why are there no consumers of any products out to cause strife against Primerica? Because they are happy! They have been treated well. Not all people are out to rip people off like some agents, mortgage brokers with high points on loans etc. God Bless you and sleep well.
This is hilarious I rarely write to post like this because it holds no credibility. But thats okay, the internet is made for people to say what they want and how they want to. First let me clear this up Ill respond to the article then the comments I read.lol
“Primerica sells insurance (mostly life insurance), mutual funds, mortgages, and debt consolidation services. It appears that “debt consolidation” is the cash cow for the company, and it’s questionable whether consumers are really better off with the Primerica products than without. (i.e. The representatives are incentivized to push these products, even if it may actually cost the consumer more money!)”
No one in Primerica can involve themselves in any sales WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE FOR THEIR STATE. Due to the fact that this article was written in 2007 before the “economic crisis” you thought our debt services were too high. Now that the mortgages and so forth are 50% higher or more due to a reset ( see its about education too DO NOT LEAVE THAT OUT!! )those who chose to go with Primerica are not worried about that its not a variable, its fixed. It will stay that way. Dont be ignorant about the truth.
NEXT
“Primerica is a subsidiary of Citigroup, so many think this gives them instant credibility. Not for me. All it means is that Citigroup executives figured out how lucrative MLM is for the owners of the scam.” Regardless if Primerica is with Citi or not Primerica stands on its own legs and have done so for the past 30 years. Primerica uses citis services so your saying Citi is a scam right?
NEXT!!
“Here’s where Primerica enters the territory of being a scam:
“* Overpriced products pushed to low- and middle-income people who probably have little to no experience with these financial services. They won’t realize the products are overpriced.”
Hmmm overpriced products?? like I said before people are losing their homes right now because of ” low interes rates” low this low that. But you fail to realize that the interest rate means nothing. Saying the client is ignorant to our services is FALSE. Primerica reps are TRAINED to repeat everything and give clients options to shop around if they choose to. We EDUCATE FAMILIES WE VISIT THE SAME FAMILIES OR TALK TO THEM OVER THE PHONE TO KEEP THEM UP TO DATE. SO THIS TOO IS JUST WRONG!
* Most of the sales are made by unlicensed representatives, meaning they aren’t well-trained about the things they’re selling.
NO ONE IN PRIMERICA CAN MAKE A SALE WITHOUT A LICENSE. REPS ARE TRAINED 6-8 OR MORE HOURS ADAY. THOSE THAT DONT GIVE UP AND QUIT LIKE MOST BUSINESS OWNERS DO WHEN THEY ARENT SERIOUS.
* The representatives are generally paid lower commissions than at other companies. This is because Primerica is paying up to six levels of people about the salesperson. This is a hallmark of multi-level marketing. The seller gets a small payday so that many in the upline can get paid too. ”
Okay let’s break this down…Lets use another company so you will understand more clearly…
Mcdonalds Employee’s – I wont even include the owners and franchissee’s who make even more money than the rest of these people.
Crew – These are the minimum wagers
Cashier- they make a few more cents than the crew
First Assistant – this person is over the crew this person makes a dollar maybe fifty cents higher than the cashier. WHAT A COMPENSATION!!
Manager – This person is over the shift of these the above individuals. Is that another level?? Okay sorry im serious.
I think you get the picture right? S oMcDonalds has to be an MLM right? But wait no, because no one that works for McDonals ever has an opportunity to become an owner. Oh but wait yes they can it cost around 1,000,000 to be considered and you have to go through trainings McDonalds Univeristy and so much for for what??? To recuit other people to work for you, you pay them the minimum and reap the rewards. IM WRITING MY CONGRESSMAN! MCDONALDS IS A SCAM!! HURRY RUN!! RUN!!
Oh yea, here are the REST of the people on these levels too. Its a scam I tell ya!!
Grill/Sandwich Prep –
Cashier
Assistant
Food Prep
Restaurant Manager
McDonald’s Crew
Shift Manger
Senior Swing Manager
Swing Manager
Store Manager
Okay so you get the general idea. Dont sit here and read about something and make a decision. This person knows nothing about Primerica.
And to our friend that went to a meeting and saw red flags because people were excited. THEN ITS NOT FOR YOU! GO BACK TO YOUR CUBICLE OR TO YOUR CASHIER JOB AND HAVE NO EXCITEMENT AT WORK.
THAT IS A POOR EXCUSE FOR NOT GIVING PRIMERICA ITS PROPS FOR HELPING FAMILIES AND HAVING SOME OF THE BEST MEETINGS IVE EVER BEEN TO.
ITS JUST NOT FOR YOU..
HEY SOMEONE HAS TO SERVE ME MY FRY’S RIGHT? LOL
BTW YOUR TELLING ME YOU DONT FORK MONEY OVER AT WORK? TAXES!! LOL OVER 400 A MONTH FOR MOST. ? LOL YOU OWN A BUSINESS RIGHT OW MUCH DID IT COST YOU? HOW MUCH ARE YOU “SHELLING OUT ” THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
Ok PFS agents let’s break it down. I use to be a PFS agent. PFS isn’t a scam. They have their products and they price their products as they see fit. What you may not know from coming into the industry new with Primerica has to do with compensation and contracts.
You are being blinded by the “mission”. Do you know that other companies pay renewals on LTC? Do you know that Prepaid Legal pays their assoc. renewals and they get ownership after 12 months? When do you get paid renewals or ownership from sales of your legal plan. Have you ever looked at the potential lost income because of your blinf loyalty? What about disability sales? Do you know they pay renewals also? What about the noncompete?
Forget the products, consider your contract and your comission schedule. You don’t know what you don’t know. Do some research and prove me wrong. I was confronted on a message board with facts just as you are. If after doing some research and you still feel that Primerica is the business for you go for it, just understand it’s not about doing what’s right for the consumer. If you had the consumers best interest at heart, you would offer the best product to fit the client.
Think about it for a moment. You go out and find recruits. Spend your gas to sell them. You printer ink. Your time. You buy tools. You give up a leg and at RVP have a full-time requirement and office expenses. All that and if you leave what do you own and what does PFS own? Think about it.
I don’t blame primerica for anything. Everything is in black and white. I just didn’t know what I didn’t know.
PFS is great for people that don’t care what people think about them. If you’re OK with annoying all of your friends and family, and you’ve got the nerve to ask people to recommend you to your friends, and you don’t mind the stigma that comes from working for the Amway of the financial world, you’ll probably do just fine.
There’s no question that you can make big money. But don’t confuse what you do with real financial planning. You are a recruiter. If you get 2 or 3 out of 50 people you talk with to sign up, good for you.
If you’re one of these people that say, “I made $10,000 with PFS last month, and I have no one working for me,” you’re an idiot. You could have sold the same amount for any other insurance agency and made $15,000.
If its true she could have made $15,000 with another company I want to know the name of at laest one of these.
To ALL that think Primerica is good. Primerica BRAIN WASHES people into thinking their products are the best and the only out there. I KNOW. I was with PFS for 9 yrs and a RVP, and they brain washed me and I did the same to others. I am ashamed!!! Their products are over priced, the only way to make money is to double digit recruit!!!!! I am so glad I have left and found a better company for people….
Part 2:
PFS is a scam. I have the ring, I have 3 diamonds on it, but PFS doesn’t care about most clients. They only want you to recruit the WORLD…. I know, I left there and I had 141 licensed codes.
If anyone x-agents want to make some real money, and be truly Independent, then go ahead and respond!
Longhawk: so what if you made $10k in a month, that just means your a professional salesman, and probably with no life.
Former PFS agent:
There are WAY better companies then PFS. I do think PFS is somewhat of a cheap company( or scam), there are so many other financial companies that are just more honest to their agent, and they don’t brainwash you into thinking that their products are the best!!
Oh, and BTW: I am still helping families, I am just helping way more with the same products, and I am getting paid 5x more, then I was with PFS…………….
Sam,
There are way better companies out there that can help you get trained and licensed.
I am never going to make my resume public on careerbuilder.com. Right after the 15 minute company overview, my recruiter suddenly wanted me to have my parents meet with him. On top of that, he wanted me get my parents to gain some referrals. After all the suger coating talk, he was very invasive. Right then, I stopped the conversation and decided to leave. As I left the main door, he was still trying to lure me back in the office. He even said “we don’t need your $99 and the monthly fee $25”. Lucky for him, I wasn’t even thinking about those fees. But I realized he was pitching one of his tactics to persuade me. As I headed to the elevator, he said to me “fine I’ll just reject your debit card payment and rip up your application”. He made it sound like I was on the wrong side of the moral spectrum. Later that day, my parents and my friends told me he attempted to RECRUIT THEM. What a bastard.
And it disgusts me how these successful Prim reps put down hard working people. Why condemn people who feel comfortable receiving a guaranteed paycheck every week? I highly doubt the successful Prim reps have achieved success just by their product alone. As stated in earlier posts, they depend on additional recruits to see those extra 0s.
If one person as a Prim rep makes a six figure income on recruits, you think he’s gonna give two craps about how next guy in the upline is benefiting from this? Of course not, as long as he’s getting his cheddar. Now how about people way below this ladder?
Maybe if people were more smart about investing/saving their money and getting better at their profession, they wouldn’t need advice from these so called financial advisers/strategists.
On top of that, you wouldn’t have to cling onto this financial dreamworld these MMM companies are trying to pitch you.
Also, I am a business person myself. I actually like to be successful by selling a quality product instead of using it as a mirage.
I also find it funny that Prim reps spend more time attracting and retaining recruits than actually selling the product itself. At first, I was remotely interested in selling the product/service itself, but the recruiter kept pushing the idea of having this “team” around me. I’m like…”what’s really going on here?”
Aaron,
That is good that you didn’t join them. They did the same to me, but I did get sucked in for a long time(8+ years) and finally I saw the light, and it was at Primerica. They are a horrible company to work for.
Aaron,
That is good that your didn’t joined them. Unfortunately for me, I got sucked it and put a waste of 8+ yrs of my life with Primerica. They are a horrible company to work for…
Wow! It is very interesting to read the many opinions that have been developed regarding Primerica Financial Services. I am not currently involved with Primerica, but I have been in the past and am thinking of dabbling a bit more in my free time. What many of you seem to not understand is that Primerica is not a daily job for many people. It is an excellent way to earn extra income without investing a great deal of time. You can work at your leisure and earn supplimentary income accordingly. Yes, the more people who join the business under you, the higher your commissions are. However; I challenge anyone to give an example of a company that does not increase your income as you work your way up the ladder. I am currently employed full time as an accounting manager for a very successful company. I earned a degree in finance, so I am pretty up-to-date on the ins and outs of the financial industry. I attended several meetings and training seminars for Primerica while I was in college. I also received my “legal” life insurance license through a legitmate company (outside of Primerica) by attending the required classes and passing the test that is required by the state in order to sell life insurance. A representative must have the appropriate license to sell any product through Primerica. These experiences added a substantial amount of knowledge to the degree that I earned. The idea that Primerica is not a legitimate company baffles me. Citigroup is a very large, successful company due to the many companies that make up “the umbrella”. Someone asked the question, “why does Primerica not advertise?” Primerica does not advertise because their marketing is based on personal relationships. Many people who benefit from the products and services provided by Primerica would never go to a financial services company looking for help. Their families end up paying for this in the end. The sad fact is, the majority of Americans are not financially prepared to make it through life, but they don’t even realize it. You start with people you know – no cold calling, no door knocking. With this method, as the Primerica Representative continues gaining new business, they may not personally know the person they are meeting with and that person may not know the Primerica Representative, but they know the person who referred them to Primerica. This allows a person to feel comfortable sharing their financial information, including their financial problems. People do not want to share this kind of information with a complete stranger. There were also a few people who mentioned that you lose more money than you make. The problem with this statement is that there is no money paid out that can be lost. If you aren’t making money, the only thing you are losing is time. However; time spent working with Primerica is never wasted. If you gain nothing else from the experience, there is an unlimited amount of useful financial knowledge to be gained that any American in today’s economy could use. The economy has grown into what it is today by nothing more than the poor finacial management of the American public. It is no ones fault that a mortgage can’t be paid other than the individual resposible for paying that mortgage. If the ability to make payments on any type of loan does not exist, it doesn’t matter what you are approved for – it’s your responsibility to know that you can’t pay it. Sorry, I guess I kind of got sidetracked – touchy subject. In conclusion, anyone considering Primerica as a source of income, whether primary income or extra cash, give it a try. For those who have no involvement with Primerica, do yourself a favor and find a local Primerica office to visit. Most of them have weekly training meetings where vistitors are welcomed and you will not be forced into signing up for anything. This can actually be very educational. After you have done this, then share your opinions of Primerica with others. Don’t develop your opinions based on the uneducated opinions of others on the internet. Experience is the best knowledge one can gain!
Tim:
If you want to dabble, as you say in the financial world part-time, I have something that is 10x better then Primerica, and it was started by Art Williams’ brother-in-law…… You can be part-time, make WAY more money Part-time the Primerica, and it to me, is the REAL Primerica business(or I should say the OLD AL Williams business, before they kicked Art and some others out in ’87/’88). Let me know, if your interested and you can make 10x more income here Part-time, then with PFS..
JR
Tim,
I was with Primerica for 8+ yrs, and made it to Senior Vice President. But there is WAY better opportunities out there that are way better then Primerica…………………….
Some I have come to understand about being a Primerica agent. Some of us who used to be with the comapny (as I see it) have an issue with the perceived mission of helping the consumer. Once we found out it basically nothing vut cold business we felt like we were used and playe for a fool. The sole purpose of Primerica is to get business on the books. How do they do it? They do it with a motivated sales force. “Sell the dream”, “See You at the top”, It us against all those cash value companies”. We’ve all heard them before.
Well now I finally get it. The way to make big money at Primerica is to
recruit. Recruits take you to their warm market. Don’t worry about price. Don’t worry about what other companies products. Just recruit and offer the Primerica products. If someone has a cheaper product, so what. If someone has a product with lower fees, so what. if another marketing organization can pay recruits more and give a better contrat, so what. Just get people to sign on the dotted line. If you have that mindset you will get to NSD, or whatever the highest level is today. Don’t get emotional. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just recruit, sell to that recruits warm market and just do the process again while teaching your recruits the same thing. If a client finds out they can get a cheaper program somewhere else, so what, most of them won’t bother to shop after you put them in a program. You see to me that’s the way to do it. The problem is I can’t do it that way. Primerica isn’t about the products, it’s the system they have. That’s what drives the engine. Like it or not that’s how it is. People have been complianing and tryint to expose PFS on the net for years, but business is still going on the books..
Are they a scam? I say no they are not, but just not my cup of tea. It’s business, Cold hard business..
Is Primerica a scam? Absolutly, no. Here is what I know about Primerica. I actually love Primerica. My wife was contacted by a Primerica agent. He said that he got her name from a business card that a friend gave him. He stated that she would be perfect for a management position in his company and that if she was interested that she should come down and apply. She told me about it and I called the agent back to find out why he was calling her out of the blue and how he got her number. She wanted me to talk with him since she was an english as a second language student and wanted me to verify what he was saying. I smelled something fishy so when I called back I received the manager opportunity script and I decided to see what was the real deal. I set an appointment to go down and talk to him. I arrived at the appointment and I was greeted by the receptionist and given a form/application to fill out. It did not seem like any other application that I had fill out before. I am starting to think watch out for the hook, line, and sinker routine. I heard out the recruiting pitch and I could not be objective with the sales pitch. It was too much making a hype and not enough real info in my opion. I dont want to hear what you cand do I want you to back it up. I made another appointment but this time I see where it was going and I said let’s do it at my house. This time I searched the web and tried to find all the negative and postive things about Primerica. I found a blog and it took me several hours writing down the pro’s and con’s. I refined my paper in a question type format to ask the agent. When he came over he showed me how he does an appointment and he keept referencing referals. After his presentation I broke out my paper and started firing them off. I started with the commission levels, commision caps, non-compete clause, products they sold and products they did not sell or offer, why interest was higher with their loans, being captive, rollbacks, giving up legs to promote, need to recruit, POL fee’s, giving up commisions on the first six appointments and giving up some of your warm market to your recruiter, etc. I hammered him pretty hard and I was not trying to be a jerk I wanted to know what I was getting into. I did not join and I really found something that was quite better paid more commission starting with free FNA software with no monthly fees, no brochures to purchase it is given to me by the carriers I represent. Every policy that I sell pays double because of the commission levels that what a Primerica Reps gets. My policies are guaranteed, convertable and cheaper. I have ran the numbers with a PFS agent and there are websites that you can run the quotes to see for yourself. My polices are not unisex premiums, so women pay lesser premium than men for the same rating class and age.
I will go back to the original question is Primerica a scam? NO but over priced.
The reason I love Primerica, is because it made me look real hard and investigate what was out there. I found something better. I am an independent licensed agent who offer my clients options instead offering only one product.
My advise to anyone who wises to jump into this field such as I did is to get your own license, become independent and do whats right for the client.
In the news a couple of days ago said, Primerica has been downgraded a 3rd time to their lowest ever FSR (financial stability rating) reflecting the hardship their parent company is going through.
Citigroup was the first company ready to go down long before the credit mess. It was saved by a massive influx of Saudi Arabian and Dubai funds.
The Saudi Arabian Prince and the Dubai government own nearly 17% to 19% shares of Citigroup.
The best thing about being non-captive or an indepent is that, if one of the carriers has a problem I can always use a different carrier my business is not affected, but what can they do? They are captive and there’s that nasty non-compete clause again.
So.
If someone is looking for a job.
But.
That offer of a job is quickly transformed into a training scheme.
Then.
There never was a Job offer, was there?
Most people looking for a job, are looking to survive, pay the bills – NOW.
Not in 8 months.
As far as I see it, Primerica is a scheme.
If not, then why would they call it a “job offer” when it is actually a masked training “opportunity” before the money actually can come rolling in?
Reading through all the sites on this topic, I haven’t found anything about when this “job offer” starts paying you salary / wages?
Primerica misguides job seekers.
Remember: When people need a job they’re not looking for training for a job.
When people are given the choice of training vs. working, then I will say it is a legitimate business.
Otherwise it is a scam.
Primerica must learn to call it just what it is!!
A scam to train people to scam others!!
Bill, I believe you should do some more research on the ratings my friend. I was just at http://www.ambest.com and the Primerica Rating is an A+, and to my knowledge the only better rating by AM Best is an A++. Also, Standard & Poors ratings for the company is AA, with the top rating being AAA. So, again i would do my research before writing something. It doesn’t do much for your credibility.
To John,
I put alot of yrs in with Primerica, got the ring and a few diamonds, but honestly, they might have a OK(or good) rating, they are still a Sh…ty company to work for, and their products are so outragiously expensive, compare to the industry……..
My 17 year old son, was almost swindled into “training” for a Primerica “job” this week.
Shame on Primerica for their Flim-Flam process.
The kid was just looking for a paying job, to help pay for his courses, not training – he has University Degree in the process!
How dare you invite him to a job interview only to try to hype him into paying for training, and then in the same sentence ask him if he could introduce the “interviewees” to his parents, today.
You people can’t get clueless adults to do the work for you so, you downgrade to young, inexperienced, students!
Shame on the Sham you Flim-flamers.
That was NOT a job interview, which my son was coaxed into!
There should be a law against such baiting and switching.
John
Look it up.
Fitch Downgrades Primerica Life Insurance Company IFS to ‘A+’
25 Nov 2008 12:59 PM (EST)
Fitch Ratings-Chicago-25 November 2008: Fitch Ratings has downgraded the Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating of Primerica Life Insurance Company (Primerica Life) to ‘A+’ from ‘AA-‘, reflecting Fitch’s downgrade of Primerica Life’s ultimate parent, Citigroup Inc (Citigroup) yesterday. The rating has also been removed the Rating Watch Negative. The Rating Outlook is Evolving.
Primerica Life’s rating is linked to the ratings of Citigroup in accordance with Fitch’s group rating methodology. However, the Evolving Outlook associated with the IFS rating of Primerica Life Insurance Company (Primerica Life) reflects Fitch’s view that Primerica Life is no longer core to the operations of Citigroup Inc, and its rating could be raised or lowered in the event of divestiture. While there has been no direct public statement from Citigroup that Primerica Life is for sale, Fitch views recent public commentary by senior management around the company’s strategic direction to indicate a material probability that the company’s insurance assets, including Primerica Life, will be divested over the near to intermediate-term.
CB
I believe the age requirements for almost any state is min 18 years old. You need to check your state Department of Insurance. You can not sell insurance unless you are licensed.
here it’s called a Province. and Here the avail. for work age is; 16.
Child was applying for a clerical JOB, not sales!
As for selling insurance …there is a difference between selling, and PAYING for TRAINING, with the catch that parents and friends would have to become a part of this training equation rather rapidly.
That by all accounts was not a “Job interview”!
Primerica called my kid in for an interview, not the other way around.
In all, it was illegal. I should have allowed for the “Trainers” to come visit us, and I should have phoned the authorities on them.
CB GET A LIFE! GOD FORBID YOUR SON WENT TO AN INTERVIEW HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN.AT 17 HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO WORK WITH PFS ANYWAY. AND BY THE WAY I FOUND TRAINING EVEN IF I PAID FOR CAN GIVE YOU AN EDGE WHEN COMPETING IN THE MARKETPLACE
SJ: Look whose calling the kettle black!
You should get a (more honest) life.
When a person APPLIES for a job, then is called for an INTERVIEW by a company, that company quickly turns the “interview” into a training plug – that is wrong!
Wake up people. The 72 steps is brainwash for the feeble minded. You’ll fair better becoming a shoe salesman.
If he wanted to be trained in Economical / Financial stategies etc. He’d choose a reliable and legal Course in his University.
It’s not his fault Primerica called him in for a “Bait and Switch” (which, by the way, is illegal here) scheme to get his friends’ and our information in order to gain access to more contacts!
Stop lying, or I should rephrase; defrauding people.
WOW! SUCH HATE FOR SUCH A SMALL MATTER. SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE AN ANOTHER ADGENDA. DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN PFS & FAIL OR ARE YOU JUST “THAT” KIND OF PERSON WHO ALWAYS MAKES A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL!I CAN’T SEE THE HARM BEING DONE HERE.
LOL!
No. No hidden agenda. Just your run-of-the-mill Federal Auditor, voicing out.
FYI: Anytime someone tries to gain implicit access into A RESIDENCE through a MINOR, by circuitous means just to make a sell,
is not a small matter.
It’s
1. Exploitation of a minor.
2. Fraud.
Both illegal in this country and if prosecuted = fined/jailed.
No small matter.
Your Truth vs. My Truth, doesn’t work with us here.
I get it. Just your typical Gov. employee trying to abuse your authority.You have not shown any evidence that was or is the intention of PFS. You should not be jumping to conclusions and making slanderous acusations unless you have real evidence that the intent was other than honorable.PLEASE GET A LIFE!
Hi to everyone. How is everyone doing?I have to say that there is a lot of BS or hot air on this blog. See the problem with the internet is that is not regulated. Anyone on this site that is putting Primerica, I must say is not very bright. And you Tracey Coenen, is the worst one. Who do you thiink you are giving advice to people about something that you don’t know much about. You mentioned that they can’t pay you enough to go to a meeting. Why don’t you talk to someone that’s has done it instead of shooting off your mouth. Youu have no right to take away an opportunity or dream from anyone. What if you came across someone that is at there wits end, is offered this opportunity with primerica, and accidently comes across this stupid blog and listens to your crap. Lets say that by listening to your BS and think that now they have nothing else on there plate and decide to end there life all because of your opinion. How would you feel? Do you care, probably not. I’m a representative with Primerica, and no it’s not perfect, but there is not any other opportunities knocking on my door, so this is where I’m staying. You know the old saying, “if you have nothing good to say, then maybe you should say nothing at all”. Get all the facts straight. God put us in this world to make a difference, not just in our lives or our families, but in our communities and the other people that God puts in our path. So my suggestion to you is keep your comments to yourself if your not sure of the big picture. For all of you people that are thinking about it but not quite sure, just 1 question for you,is there anyone else out there that is offering anything else to you that will help you live the life that other people only dream of? Stop with this negative crap and get on with your life. Oh yeah you know what they say about common sense right, it’s not very common. You guys grow up and have a nice day. God Bless. I’ll keep all you guys in my prayers ok.
Here is something for the pro Primerica agents to think about. many of you are new to the company and industry. Have no noticed you don’t see many of any “cash value” agents exposing Primerica’s product, compensation and or business model? It’s mostly former agents. many of the former agents are still in the industry. Think about it for a moment. For many of you the Primerica experience is the only one you know. Even if you disagre with some fo the things posted, do some research and then come back with a rebuttal. Contrary to what you beleive, Primerica is not a threat. You can be beat across the kitchen table be it for product or recruit. Some of us know, because we were once where you are..We know both sides. You only have on reference.
Primerica is a ripoff. Any Pyramid scheme is an exploitation for the rich to grow from.
I would like to know this other company founded by Art William’s brother mentioned earlier in such a good light. I was getting ready to make an appointment for my first “kitchen table.” Even after listening to weeks of motivational CD’s of RVP’s I still have reservations about surreptiously prying out my friend’s friends phone numbers. Privacy issues and identity theft are such big items nowadays.
Are there any experienced Primerica agents out there who discovered that their initial “warm market” was turned into a “cold market” via these agressive sales tactics? I’ve just signed-up and I’m worried about turning off 40 years of accumulated friends. Or do you find that by staying in Primerica you end up replacing one type of friend with another?
I just wanted to say that the so called “serious flaw” in our system does not work as you think. We got into shop to earn months ago and our left side just exploded…making it impossible to ever catch up to the points being accumulated. However, as we began to grow on our right side we started getting paid and they just subtracted the points we were paid for and we started accumulating again. GREAT SYSTEM> So to whomever thought they had discovered the FLAW…I say “Who is crying now? You could have been making so much money by now as this system has grown from 5000 people to 80,000 people in only 9 months. $450.00 is not alot to try to get ahead as we have all lost thousands in the stock market
All of you guys bashing Primerica are closed minded and obviously refuse to acknowledge that the company has been successful. Had it not been able to produce sufficient income for its reps in the early days of it’s creation it would have fizzled out! Im not going to spend much time arguing this with any of you (especially tracy) im just going to say is that it works whether you want to see that or not. I feel bad for those of you who are to pretty to even look at it. And for all the people who have had a bad experience with it i apologize. Some reps just dont know how to conduct themselves so they treat clients poorly. And some just and dont have what it takes to succeed.
I keep hearing that Primerica requires recruiting. Why does that matter? That doesn’t make this a bad company. Tracy, you keep talking that Primerica agents are underpaid. You obviously don’t work there so why does it matter to you how much we’re paid. That’s our business and if we’re ok with it then you’re opinion doesn’t matter. As for our products being overpriced: sometimes they are higher than the competition. In that case, we don’t sell it. I have personally told a client that they would be saving money by not buying from me and therefore should keep what they have. When you consider the loan business, Primerica’s home office will reject any loan application that doesn’t help the client. As for anybody that is worried about this being a scheme, this website means nothing. Anybody can type anything on the internet. You could google search “I hate Christmas” and get results. The only thing I will say to you come ready to work. You will not get paid just for showing up. Anybody down on Primerica either doesn’t know what they are talking about, missed out on their opportunity, or wanted something for nothing and didn’t work. If you are willing to put in the effort, you can have great success with this company.
Dave once you give your warm list over to Primeica they will own them if the buy any products. ASK your RVP or read your contract. If I were you I would go on appointments with your trainer with his/her clients and then once you get licensed work your own warm market list. Just make sure you know your contract. It’s very easy to get in with Primerica, but if by chance you want to leave you must know what you can take with you.
I am researching this site and others to find out about Primerica because a old friend of mine contacted me after years of us not seeing each other to offer me a job with this company. As I was reading the above comments I saw Colin’s question about the training fees and that is so. I was advised that I would have to pay a one time anuaul free of $99.00 for the current literature plus a $25.00 monthly fee for training. Also it would fall into our financial responsibilities to cover any expense that pops up such as potential clients luncheons, gas for client visits, phone expense (we need to use our own mobile while on the road), etc. With what I have seen so far I am already in the NO THANK YOU area! It is sad that not only do you need to hustle the people you know but once you get a client you have to push them to refer their close friends and family to also try this program because they work solely off references or “word of mouth” as they call it. I don’t know if it is or isn’t a scam but I will say that as far and time and money goes, you invest a lot of time and the rewards don’t start showing until you get rep’s under your belt because that is how they make money off of what you sell!
This may be for some people but personally I consider my time valuable and I am not here to make someone else money! Nor do I want to rely on some “word of mouth” system of getting money!
Just thought you should know and thank you for the information posted on this site!
It is sad to see that so many of you people are blinded by your 9-5. If this is the best for you to live and let people decide on how you live your life, where you can live, what type of house you can live in, what type of car you drive, where your kids can go to school just to list those well do it.
Instead of grabbing an opportunity that can make your life and that of your family better, you look for flaws in the system. Well good luck with the downsizing that all the companies are going through right now.
If you are not willing to invest time and money into yourselves you deserve to be out of a job and struggling. you deserve to be frustrated and wondering about your unclear future.
It is so comical to me how you retarded people got fooled by the real pyramid scheme that is Corporate America. they decide how much you are worth and they decide your entire life. Bet you never seen that way have you. You are working for $10/hr, if even that, to make someone else a millionaire. How smart!! You are about to get laid-off just so that the shareholders and the heads of the company can keep on getting their millions.
Besides if what they ask you to invest in yourselves is a problem for you and you can’t attend those meetings there’s a problem. What you have been doing was not working. It was wrong and your finances are not on point. Now you call Primerica a scheme or a scam or w/e because they offer you the chance of making money on your efforts not based on your time. Sorry to break it down to you all, but every rich person makes most of their money based on their efforts not their time. They make what they are worth because they took the time to invest into themselves. A lot of the bigs started with nothing. Faced Bankruptcies, went through deep depression. But the difference between them and you is that they had a vision for themselves and they knew that staying in corporate america would not allow them to have what they want.
So all of you dull, disillusioned, dead bit, “I have no more dreams left in me because Corporate america doesn’t allow it”, mean to tell me this is a scheme or a scam still. By the way sorry to break it down to all of you but the layoff spree is not over and watch your tails.
That’s the same way Ray Crock was called a scam when he was about to start his Franchise called McDonald’s. Now everyone is wishing they could buy a McDonald’s. well cry me a river because you no longer have the funds for that. your parents and grandparents should have jumped on the opportunity when it was just $5000 per branch (if they could of course.)
People are talking bad about the recruiting aspect. Every business recruits. This is how they get people. one Question for you all: if you were opening a business who are the first people you would talk to? There is no scheme about that… Unless you are 18yo, you cannot join the company. you will not be allowed to get licensed. All of saying nonsense about minors being used and agents not licensed check your facts. A warm market will never turn cold. Friends don’t let Friends retire broke. if I’m able to help you get out of your problems why wouldn’t you refer me to the people you value. Don’t you think they would appreciate it more than if one day you retire successfully and they still have to work through retirement? Right now a lot of people are in the dark about their retirement. We are the light at the end of the tunnel. But if you this blog and these comments are the way you think, you will for ever be stuck in the tunnel.
Primerica is not perfect for a fact. There are people in the system that make it look and sound bad. This cannot be avoided: it’s human nature. But once the company discovers that their guidelines are not respected they take actions.
Listen people stop that nonsense and open your eyes. Just because the company allows you to dream again doesn’t make it bad. If you could just wake up and smell the coffee. Even CEOs are losing their Jobs. What makes you think you are safe as a W2. They don’t give a Squat about you. Where as in our company, unless you decide to be unlawful and a risk for the company, you are on a 1099. Meaning you are the master of your destiny. You get paid for what you do and what you are worth; not for what we decide you are worth. Now just like in every business there is a lather to climb. but you will surely get to the top of that lather if you do what is right. There is no discrimination in our company. You do what you have to do, you will make it.
Now Primerica is not for everyone but their services are for everyone. Listen to the big financial advisers on TV. you know who I’m talking about. we market exactly what they advise. “BUY TERM AND INVEST THE DIFFERENCE.” people it is simple and we are great at what we do.
Let me just leave you with that question (that is if you don’t own what you do and even if you do): Are you happy where are and are you really, truthfully, completely secure?
I know I am
Let me sum up The One’s long post for you. “It is OK to make money off of family and friends.” Primerica is the new Amway.
I’ve put some thought into this. I really don’t give a crap if anybody else agrees with me that Primerica is a good company. I have seen what it can do for people and I’m making money helping others. If you don’t think that what we do is right then that’s ok. I’m gonna keep making money and doing the right thing and you can keep complaining about your life and wonder why you’ve got nothing.
Lots of hot air…lets talk about “buy term and invest the difference”…so, hows that difference working out for you ? Think of all the people you hoodwinked into cancelling their permanent life insurance (you know, the kind with cash value and guarantees)and squandered “their difference” . The worst part is the fact that less than “one percent” of all term policies actually result in a claim ! Helping people with no insurance at all is certainly not a crime…but replacing a product with real value and one that will definitley pay a claim because your client WILL die one day is just plain BAD ADVICE ! Any jerk that thinks you don’t need insurance after age 65 should not be in the business in the first place !
Something you PFS people need to think about is the convention and trips were canceled. PFS is in Citi holdings to be sold or wound down. You guys are independent business people. You need to get off message boards and handle YOUR business..You need to start asking questions.
To all Primerica losers. Just look at your gross income and subtract your out of pocket expenses and if you can’t recognize you make less than minimum wage then your still a loser and you deserve to be the servants to the rich at the top of your pyramid!! You would make more working at Mcdonalds and be a lot happier.
It is hard to get the PFS agents to see the light. They have no prior experience before they sign up and are utterly convinced that they are trained. Well they are trained on recruiting tactics and as sales people of their limited products but other than that good luck.
Actually they cannot have trained professionals because they have a conflict of interest on anyone trained to give objective advice. Their products are no better than average and they cost too much.
The company reported a net income payout of 544 million for 2007.
Although the bulk of the money goes to their cult leaders, we’ll be nice and simply divide 544 mill by 100,000 agents. That totals a bit over 5K a year. If we divide it by only 50K agents then that’s $10,800 a year and 25K agents $21,800 a year.
I think that a person at Mcdonald’s does make more and they know it too but they are always taught to not focus on their current results and just keep dreaming about the millions they ‘could’ make.
They think they are doing good because the shaft they use is 3 inches smaller than the other guy (sorry about the analogy but it fits).
I mean who the hell wants to pay top dollar for a term policy that’s not even guaranteed to be leveled past 20 years?
Sure any term is cheaper than whole life but in my opinion their term is the ripoff of all terms and that is what they don’t want to see.
Look at that broke person there talking about all the desilusioned 9-5 people who make more than him/her. Without 9-5 people you could not sell your crap to anyone buddy!
They are just fed all this pycho babble, they live a life full of contradictions and most of them quit anyway.
It is great to have an army of blind sales people and their cult leaders know that. They are way outdated and are a non-core asset which is winding down right now.
When your owner calls you a non-asset winding down it means you have no future. Also they love to talk about other’s making money (always someone else) as if money made a business ethical and good. If that’s the case drug dealers would be recruiting and wearing suits too.
They are set on a path of wishful thinking and unless they submit to the cut-throat system, few to none will make it.
If they make a few bucks they think tomorrow will get better. That’s nice but still you have to realistically look at your products and your business contract. If those are limited then you know everyone else has a better deal and you are there just to sell to your family because they trust you.
That is why they are given scripts rather than knowledge because it is all about the warm market that trusts you. Yet they cannot compare, carry or issue anything from any other providers.
So how good can they be if they have to hold their allegiance to the company instead of a consumer? Of course they will argue that but if you meet with one ask them to bring you verifiable quotes from companies YOU check out.
That way they don’t show you only the companies they know they can beat.
Those people need to wake up and realize they are being used.
It always amazes me when I run across posts like these that so much time and effort go into attacking Primerica and Primerica agents. The arrogant and condescending language about the intelligence and integrity of people you don’t even know is appalling.
If you don’t like Primerica and their business model, that’s fine; and your entitled to your opinion.
I only wish everyone would have the experience I’ve had with Primerica.
I have been a client of Primerica for about a year, I have been an agent for about 10 months and will be promoting to Division Leader this month. I was so impressed with what it did for me that I wanted to learn more and be able to help others.
Since becoming a client of Primerica:
1. I have saved more money for retirement than ever before.
2. I have less debt than ever before.
3. I have a specific plan that is working great for my finances.
4. I am 100% satisfied with Primerica products.
Since becoming a Primerica Agent:
1. I have made a nice part-time income and gained some tax advantage.
2. I now have my securities license and life license and didn’t pay a dime to get it. Primerica paid for it all.
3. I have learned a lot about mortgages, life insurance, investments and finances. I would join the Primerica team all over again just for this benefit.
4. I have been exposed to new ideas and personal development concepts that have enhanced every other area of my life.
I will defend Primerica and the principles it stands for and I’m not ashamed of that. I would suggest anyone to give Primerica their best shot. At the same time, I can’t defend the actions of every Primerica agent or what every RVP has done…
Primerica’s Past…
A.L. Williams
– http://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/11/business/crusading-for-term-life-insurance.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9048947.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-8923197.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9085699.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14632736.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13433813.html
– http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-4189489.html
Hey, I just went to does meetings that are so infomous. I went in said to myself maybe this is only a presentation to give out information. Most of their qoutes were in fact out dated. Guy made a large amount of money, when?!!! Before the resesion, may 2007.I was okay…what ever.
I asked the guy who wanted to recruit me basic questions.
Q.Do you offer w-2s?
A.no, i dont know, maybe, I will ask.
(that guy was there at least three moths and still did not know, probably has still not seen a cent)
Q.Do you guys have a balance sheet?
A.What is a balance sheet?
(honestly I thought the presentation was to dangle money infront of the new recruits and make them join)
Q.Why is every one a Regional Vice President?
A.???
(I noticed that there were only two tittles, something leader and rvp. After that there was nothing else. Yeah every one can become a president, in their own little world)
They make everything sound “good”,(to people that are ignorant, and unintelligent)
What I noticed that was really disturbing was the spokeslady made a comment about family seeing you drunk and throwing up, and everyone was truly amused and were giving each other high fives….ghetto..
After some remarks, the lady began passing checks to people that work there and telling the audince how little they worked.Also they kept mentioning that if you dont do this you are intelligent, or ignorant. I felt that their main concern was to make people feel dumb to later tell them that they are smart for joining.
anyways, I am going there for the second time to see more in depth what they have to offer. I feel that I might learn something about finances, but I will say that I dont intend to create a business from there, but to use it as another means of learning about finacing.
Okay, today is the second day on this.
I went to the interview, let me tell you it was informal. They chose a location at the mall wich was too load to hear them.
The guy who first ask me to join was not allowed to speak, not because it is a rule, but because the other guy would give him a look like, “are you dumb, for saying that comment”
the guy used to be a mechanic, but because he did not know how to sell him self in the work force he bought into selling polocies, he has been in this for ten months and has not seen one penny. For him it is a full time job and it looks like it is taking a toll on him. He had drowsy eyes and a look like I am tired of this. Anyways…
First they acted like I was dumb and did not understand what they were saying, which in reality they could only explain it in kids terms, probably how others explained it to them.
I kept telling them I understand, (can you move on with your presentation), but they kept persisting. anyways it looked like I was doing the interview, and not the other way around. Lets say that they ended the conversation prematurely, because they were infact running out of answers.
THIS
Continuing….
THIS IS INFACT A PYRAMID, DISGUISED AS AN INSURANCE CAREER BROKER.
HOW THEY GET YOU IS BY GETTING PEOPLE TO BUY INTO IT AND MAKING THEM PAY 25 DOLLARS A MONTH (equaling 300 dollars a year, plus exams which are 99 dollars each, which you need three)
IT WILL!!! TAKE YOU A YEAR TO ACOMPLISH THE LICENCE,
TOTAL PRICE: 600 DOLLARS PER MEMBER
YOU DO GET COMISSION FOR RECRUTING!!! OTHERS!!!
nOW YOU TELL ME IF IT NOT A PYRAMID!!!!
last posting
I saw the business plan of primerica,
there are six levels, and in order to get to the top levels you need to recruit for the lower levels. the top of the pyramid is RVP and the bottom is representative.
you get 25% of commision if you sale a policy, (keep in mind comission is only 2% of the policy) reality you get .05% of the policy you sell the rest goes to the RVP.
I ask can i just do it in a two man team, his respond was No!!!
Q. why?
A, he could not explain and said if i wanted to talk to his RVP, I was like No thanks. (if you do a two man team you break the cycle and then destroy the point of Primerica and on the way earn great money)
I felt you could only be half less good as the guy on top of you, which if he sucked you would have to carry his weight.
i just got a call at my part time job i am very young and got asked to work for a vp at primerica what do u think
I think I am in love with you Tracy! Your explanation and comments describe exactly what I’ve been thinking. I wish there was a way to legally NOT ALLOW MLM’s in America, or at least ones that don’t help a potential independent sales agent make at least more than 25% commission on their sales. I cannot believe how PFS preys and sucks uneducated and naive people to churn money in for them.
PFS is right- they at least help people start thinking about things, but while their clients are at least getting insurance or saving some money (even though they can get better products elsewhere; so really it’s not 100% of the time) the PFS reps themselves are starving, borrowing money, losing cars, houses, and most importantly, the respect of the people around them.
Greed has taken over the world- and it’s very evident at the number of people who grasp onto the straws of PFS.
I am NOT for communism AT ALL, but in this case, China has done something good. PFS can’t exist there and hurt all the people that may potentially waste years and relationships for chasing a dream that only happens for a select few.
Start gambling, you have a better percentage of making it rich that way!
For whoever said that “PFS doesn’t cost money- the only thing you lose is your time” Ummmm… Time IS money. All that time potentially making more money elsewhere, how much did that cost you?
For all PFSers who say going to college is a waste, how many years and time (unpaid) have will you have to waste before you realize that maybe, just maybe, you should have kept your original dream and not let greed and lust overtake you?
For all the PFSers who say “Every insurance company has bad stuff said about working for them on the internet” well, like I learned in elementary school, if you hear something negative over and over, it’s most likely true. I wish there was a way to measure HOW many PFS complaints/bad stories/bad experiences there are compared to other companies, because I’m certain that PFS is the worst of the worst companies to work with in the insurance sector.
What really gets to me is that I feel that PFS has helped more people (the people that used to work for them) then they can ever help.
Aahg. I meant PFS has HURT more people, their reps, then the number of people they can ever help.
Has anyone else noticed that about 90% of the sites attacking Primerica are either sponsored by Financial Companies (like this one ING) or owned by a Financial Company. A friend of mine that is a lawyer out in Hamilton Ontario actualy pointed it out for me after i asked him to do some actual credable research about the company after being approached by a Regional Vice President. Listen people the internet and media IS NOT a credible source for information. Get the facts, don’t let these sources manipulate you.
Nice try Sergio, but this site isn’t “sponsored” by ING. I simply have an advertisement for one of their products here.
Sergio, your lawyer buddy figuring out that sites that talk about financial matters usually get served up financial ads is groundbreaking research.
The primerica company I am part is located her ein San Diego and they are a fine group of people- We help- We laugh- We cry- We watch the padres lose- We are part of a wonderful team that does good for people.
Wow, Tracy’s a douchebag…
Wow, “guy”, what an eloquent argument.
Its funny how you all say the few at the top making the millions while the little guy at the bottom doesn’t make nearly as much. Well isn’t that in essence the same as any of the Furtune 500 companies in America. Show me just one company that has its low end personel making more money than the top executives. It just doesn’t happen. Its the basis on business management.
Brent – There are two big differences:
1. Corporate America is not pay to play, but MLM is. You have sign up fees and all sorts of other fees to be “qualified” to receive any compensation. In the real business world, workers don’t buy their jobs.
2. In corporate America, those who put in full-time effort get full-time pay. In MLM, even if you’re profiting, you’re almost guaranteed to NOT make a living wage. And the vast majority lose money.
Quote from “truth”:
“HOW THEY GET YOU IS BY GETTING PEOPLE TO BUY INTO IT AND MAKING THEM PAY 25 DOLLARS A MONTH (equaling 300 dollars a year, plus exams which are 99 dollars each, which you need three)
IT WILL!!! TAKE YOU A YEAR TO ACOMPLISH THE LICENCE,
TOTAL PRICE: 600 DOLLARS PER MEMBER
YOU DO GET COMISSION FOR RECRUTING!!! OTHERS!!!”
The $25/mo is for an optional sales tool that provides various forms and applications in an electronic format. Most offices have a computer that has it available free of charge for representatives to use to complete Financial Needs Analysis for their clients, etc.
How long it takes to accomplish the license solely depends on how long it takes an individual to study and prepare for the state/federal mandated exams (Life Insurance, Loan Solicitor, Series 6 & 63 Investments Licenses). Representatives are NEVER encouraged to take a year to do so since the exams are standardized 100 question multiple choice similar to the exams that are necessary for ANY licensing requirement. The fees for the licenses do not go to Primerica, they are charged by the state or federal government depending on which license.
It’s true, you do not get paid to recruit. And you do not have to. You can be self employed and in sales for the rest of your life and never get to a level of sales management if you want to.
My comment about Primerica go with your heart and first mind. DON’T FOOL with it. Its a PYRAMID and RED FLAGS are every where.
Primerica is not a pyramid. That is simpleton speak.Here is the primary reason why its NOT a pyramid: The price of the product is fixed and the commission is split just like in any other sales organization.You as the agent cant mark up the price of Lifeinsurance! IN these other deals, the price of the product can be marked up to satisfy the upline’s needs. Primerica does NOT allow that, NO insurance company allows that! That takes it out of the pyramid category.Many people who are not familiar with Sales will make that “Pyramid” comment. ALL Insurance companies recruit and build sales teams. MGAs(Managing General Agencies) look for distribution channels to push their product to the marketplace or consumers. They will get a cut from the commission or split it with the Agent or Agency. Primerica is no different. Its a fine company, BUT they only sell Term Insurance. That is where my issue with this company begins.”Buy Term and Invest the Difference” is not the ONLY plan for clients. This will be the programming for new agents.If there is no other reference to off set this programming, then a new recruit will believe that every other agent out there is trying to RIP them off. Personally speaking, I would learn products with a different company so you can see all things NOT just Term Insurance.
Tracy, you are a very angry person. Have you been stung by a MLM. I have been…. Amway (and I’m still angry – at myself). I burned through about $3000 in my ealry 20’s that I did not have. I am not a Primerica rep, I came to this sit only to gain information. I had, what I thought was going to be an interview yesterday. The organization posted as a front “BLANK and Associates” and asked me to come in for an interview. Background research produced no website for them. I arrived at a very dissappointing (and smelly) office building with only a small Primerica sign as a list of tenents. Familiar with finanacial planning I could see that things just didn’t jive. I will probably accept their invitation to attend day two, but only because their was a smoking hot blonde there and I need to ask her to dinner.
LOL @ Kevin. Who knew that speaking the truth about a company equated being an “angry” person? No, I haven’t been “stung” by an MLM, but millions of people have. I’m just giving them a fighting chance… offering the information they won’t get from the recruiters but need to have in order to make an informed decision.
Anne Krall Says:
Have you figured out how to run a business with no overhead? I would love to hear your tips on that.
The best way to run a business with no overhead is to hire independent contractors (tell them they are business owners) and let them pay the overhead costs…………….. (I think Primerica is one up on you.)
Lol, I’m going to one of these meetings tonight just to humor a friend of mine. I invision myself walking out about half way thru the interview much like I did at the Cut co. meeting. At any rate this should be funny. Ima take notes on how many red flags I can find.
does anyone have a success story of someone they know that has concrete story of success with this company?
Alright, all arguments aside. I know it’s a MLM, can I actually make some cash on the side selling Primerica products to low-middle income families who know very little about financial products anyway?
You can compare its products to other companies all you want and all I will say is, fine there are cheaper and better products out there but these families don’t know any better so getting them on some sort of track is better than not.
My questions are: Can I advertise? How much do I have to pay? Truthfully, what are the commission amounts like? How quickly can I obtain these licenses? Can I branch beyond a warm market? How much does it cost the clients to switch over to Primerica products if they already have their own?
The most interesting thing to me is that all of the responses I see here from the Primerica reps are the same ones I heard from the ones I know. This must be the canned responses that they are trained to give.
I feel sorry for the people that fall into the trap. I am sure that there are people who make money selling the product. But it does not add up to me.
Now somebody used a carlot as an example of a commission driven business such as the insurance/mortage industry. I know a few people in the car sales line and when they were average salespeople they earned their income of a base salary plus commission. Granted the base salary was very small. Now once one of them was promoted to GM he went to a total salary nothing comissioned. He did not earn money from the commissions of his sales people either. The company expected him to hire, train, set expecations, coach these people. Why should he earn money from their legwork.
I don’t work in a commission based industry. So I am sure that my example can be trumped by someone elses example.
I just like the fact that all of the arguements for Tracy’s blog are identical.
I think Jim Jones would have been the best rep for Primerica ever.
it seems to me that the more you defend this company the more you look insecure about this company. there is a comment that is 5 paragraphs long and it looks to me that that person is unsure about primerica and very defensive to boot. just let the people talk about their frustrations because there are some down falls with a lot of people who joined the comapny and felt like thay were shafted……stop trying to convince people that its a great opportunity. it may be for some but for most it is not.
I have never drank the kool-aid. However I have a friend that goes on forever about Primerica. Her and her husband joined the parade 2 years ago. She said in one year that they would be making 250 thousand a year. 2 years have passed and they have made nothing. Actually they are in the hole. They live off her parents and many many credit cards. She is 50 her husband is 62. A little too old to live off mommy and daddy. Anyway..she always tells me what a financial wiz they are. I wouldn’t give those two a jar of pennies to invest for me.
She brags forever about primerica paying out billions in policies. They can’t even get primerica life insurance. They are getting ready to file bankrupcy again. Now how the heck can they help anyone invest or do an FNA??????
When I go to visit them..one thing I notice about all the primerica reps…they are dirt poor and keep waiting for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But, they will lie up a storm and tell everyone how rich they are. Just my 2 cents worth I wouldn’t touch primerica with someone elses 10 foot shovel. The reps are not very bright if ya know what I mean.
very true lily and all these primerica reps keep bombing any website that goes against their pyramid views , they call regular ppl lazy , confused, mean , etc. an these are the ppl we are supposed to have faith in ?! they are a scam of the highest order, as is citigroup, their father company , they are no good at any level and will bankrupt you. JUST SAY NO
Oh my goodness!!!. I can’t believe the responses I see…I see a LOT of IGNORANCE!! Learn about a company before saying negative or positive things about it.
1st. Primerica is not for everyone. If you don’t want to educate/help people, then that’s on you, and it’s not for you. If you don’t believe in what Primerica stands for, their product (do your research – talk to someone to see what they offer), then it’s not for you.
2nd. You HAVE to be licensed by the state to sell insurance – do you understand what it means to be licensed by ex. NJ Banking and Insurance (check it out). If someone sells you insurance, and they’re not licensed, for one, they can go to jail – plain and simple and that could happened to a non-licensed primerica rep.
3rd. You do this at your own pace and time. Never do you have to leave your so called wonderful full-time job to do Primeria (and reps will tell you that). It’s up to you how much time you want to put into it.
4th. No sell, no money – it’s your own business, so if you don’t open your business, how on earth does anyone have a successful business (that goes for everyone)…If you buy a store and sit at home and do nothing, how can you sell anything when you have no one there?
COME ON PEOPLE, BE SMART and EDUCATED!!!
Tanya, you left out the part of how the agents also lose millions of dollars in potential income as well as a leg of their business for their promotion to the RVP level in Primerica, because that’s the Primerica way! Why is that? How can Primerica explain ripping off their own people to give to some RVP who in most cases did and or is doing very little for it. Been there done that. But I have a conscience. Just Curious.
LOL – This site is all about consumers being SMART AND EDUCATED. I’m educating them on Primerica Financial Services. If you work for Primerica and you sell something, most of the commission goes to the upline, who essentially did nothing to sell the product. (YOU sold it!) If you want to sell insurance and make money, then go to a LEGITIMATE INSURANCE COMPANY OR AGENCY where you will get to keep most or all of the commission on the products you sell.
Sorry Tracy, that’s not all together true about other insurance companies either.
Can anyone answer this question for Me please? Why is it that the only people who comment, post, lawsuits, or get “RIPPED OFF” ect. Are the people who assume that Primerica is a get rich quick scheme or easy, have been Terminated from there possition due to a criminal record, or people who are all together Lazy and don’t know the Law of Life and that you need to work hard for what you earn… Primerica is a Great Company and I am very proud to be a part of… It is NOT a Pyramid due to I started with the company only 2 weeks ago and the guy who hired me is under me by $40,000 a year. Also this is for the people who tried Primerica… Why are you lost in your own world??? I mean seriously, did you think that Primerica was going to be Easy??? Well I was raised to believe that Easy is Sleezy. Yes, Primerica is Simple but Not Easy! Another if you don’t work for a Company the Company will Not work for you, meaning Stop being LAZY and thinking it’s a get Rich Quick company… Primarica will only help you get Wealthy if your mind is Wealthy and you work hard and smart for your Success. Remember there is NO Company out there designed to get you rich over-night and if that’s what you want then give the Lottery a try. Thank’s and I hope that some of you can confess to your mistakes of failure in the company instead of blaming it on the great Primerica!
Scott, the definition of a pyramid scheme or an endless chain recruitment scheme has nothing to do with whether you make more or less than those above you in the recruiting chain.
I’ve been the target of the “lazy loser” argument before, and it just doesn’t fly. Many who get involved in MLMs aren’t looking for “get rich quick,” but they still lose money due to the way these companies are structured.
Well I got the cold call a few weeks ago and was asked to come in for a “job interview”. No mention of training or anything else. Everything would be discussed at the interview. I agreed but then decided to do a little research on the internet and I was not pleased with what I discovered about Primerica.
So I called to cancel the interview but no one answered the phone so I left a message thanking them for the initial call but that I had looked them up on the internet and was not interested. I thought that was the end of it but to my surprise they called me back.
I was asked what it was that I discovered on the internet to which I replied “That you are essentially running a scam.” Well that was all it took to send this guy into an 15 minute rant about how wrong I was. I could hardly get in a word as he rambled on and on. Rather than just cutting him off I let him continue as it was actually amusing to listen to. Plus it sounded like he was reading off a script.
“If you’re one of those people that allow themselves to be swayed by 4 or 5 complaints on the internet then that’s unfortunate.”
“4 or 5 complaints? Try 400 or 500” I replied. Probably 4000 or 5000 if I spent the rest of the year looking.
It all ended when I said “Well that’s all great but I just don’t think its for me.” He quickly said “Oh fine. Goodbye.”
What amazes me as I read the posts from the Primerica people who defend the company is how much they sound like that guy. They use the exact same arguments as he did. I even discovered a post on another site where one of them said “If you look up Jesus Christ on the internet you’ll find thousands of sites against him.” Which is word for word one of the things that was said to me on the phone.
This is, of course, on top of the usual “If it didn’t work for you then you must be lazy and not care about your life.”
All these people repeating the same things over and over. Sounding like a bunch of clones.
Sound to me like a little washing of the brain is going on.
Scary.
I am truly amazed that people are so offended by other people trying to be helpful! I believe the service Primerica offers is truly valuable! They are unique in the category of “service”, in that they come to your home (try to get an agent from any company to spend hours helping you with your financial situation). How many other companies will help teach you how to rebuild your credit? If you are denied credit somewhere i.e. banks , mortgage companies, credit unions, etc.they say “sorry, goodbye, next” Not the case with these people. They actually build a relationship with you, and make themselves available to you. I wouldn’t have cared if the products cost double, the education and time they spent with me and my family,and friends was worth a lot more!
As I read some of these blogs, it seems as though some of you expect a lot for nothing! I have met many people in my life who work for that company, and they are happy and successful in their business. If a person doesn’t apply themselves in anything they do, they will receive nothing in return. I have sent many people to them and will continue to do so. They saved my financial life, as well as the others I sent them. The opportunity is there for the right person, they provide all you need along with the most valuable education regarding finances I’ve ever known, (I went to college to learn how to invest, and I learned more from Primerica than I ever did in school! Should they charge more than others so that we may become better advised? Why not, it was their idea, it’s their time, nobody else has stepped up to the plate! Who cares if they are “trained” or “read from a script”? Apparently, they are consistent ! Has anybody tried that 800 number for cheaper insurance?? It’s awesome too!
I’m not offended at people being helpful. I’m offended by the abusive model used by MLMs like Primerica, in which you can’t make a living by being a true salesperson of a product or service. The only way you can possibly make a real living (and still, almost no one is able to) is by recruiting multiple levels of the pyramid and feeding off their efforts.
There are plenty of professionals who will meet personally with people who need financial help. There are lots of not-for-profit credit counseling agencies out there, and I personally know several bankers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help their customers with their financial problems.
I am considering Primerica to stop paying 22 % interest on a credit card – long story, but I have a perfect record for paying on time every time, except when I didn’t get a bill, and I didn’t notice it until 2 days after the payment deadline. Hence, jack up to 22%. Is their product good for getting rid of debt? I dont’ care that it’s MLM, so much – but what is this going to do for me – good and bad please.
personaly i think that primerica is a very good company from what i have seen ive watched the impact the products this company has to offer vs the competition on families. I mean its literaly the difference bettween retireing with 200,000 and 2,000,000. and i dont care what people think of the business model because the fact is that if marry k and amway and avon can do it why cant primerica if its good for the client and company and the sales force whats the problem? furthurmore why would citi pay a billion dollars for a pyramid scheem? its called due dillagence. so before anyone make derogatory comments about the company do the reserch for yourself. when other companies are falling left and right and crumbling to the ground or taking tax payer dollars who is actually still in the black? PRIMERICA!!!! thats who and guess who never ingaged in selling those mortgauges that nearly destroyed our economy? oh is it primerica i think it is…well in conclusion as much as people want to attack primerica because they have maybe had a bad exsperience with a sells rep well if the company is made up of independent contractors iam willing to bet that not everyones gona be knowlegable not all of them will have the best intentions or maybe not all of them will be willing to sacrafice their commision for what the client needs but you know what at the end of the day 98.9 of the sales force will so that being said dont judge a book by its cover. over all its a great oppurtunity to join and from the client stand-point it offers some of the best solutions to financial problems in the industry so say what you will Primerica is the best oh and if you dont belive me just ask AM best or money magazine just a lil something to ponder.
This whole article is false. I dont work for Primerica, but i know people that do. Yes its multi line, but who are you to say they aren’t able to sell. So makeup is more important than getting out of debt or getting life insurance? Give me a break. People just don’t have their priorities straight which is why they’re probably in the situation that they are in anyway. If you knew anything about the company their life insurance is usually cheaper than most places because they only sell term insurance which is the most recommended insurance, but clearly not the most sold because that’s not where the money is for most insurance agencies and in order to even go out on appointments by yourself you HAVE to have your license because its the LAW. Not everyone is made for businesses like that. You sound like a bitter person that never made it to be honest
and by the way if you look at it most people have someone above them and the person above them makes more money because of what they are doing. Its just like owning a business
Ok, people listen up…everyone thinks that they are a scam. well truth is they are not a scam but YES it is true that they are a MLM company, even check them out on wikipedia which is a pretty reputable website. Now after you fill out your ”IBA” then you go to their Life Licence classes it is not so bad if you can manage the life insurance. But anyways basically they leave a few things out in their overview’s and what they tell you. Yes you can make as much money as you want because it is like owning your own busniess in a way and owning your own business requires alot of work, which they tell you that all you have to do is just put information into the computer and it all there for you. But they don’t tell you how hard it is for someone to try and build a business off of just referalls becuase they dont allow to advertise here in Ontario, Canada. So if you think you can pass the LLQP exam’s and then build a busniess off of referalls and no advertising then Yes this may be for you, if not then may want to try out another career. Now I know all of this because I used to work for them, but as my smart training of thoughts I went and got my LIfe Licence through them and then took it and now I work for another company, one that is not a MLM. I just didnt like the thought of selling only ‘TERM’ insurance, when really term is not for everyone.
I can tell u didnt learn much while u were studying.. EVERY LIFE POLICY IS A “TERM” POLICY.. WHOLE LIFE IS A TERM WITH A SAVINGS VEHICLE ATTACHED TO IT SO THEY ,”NON-SCAM” INSURANCE CO., CAN MAKE ALL THE PROFIT ON THE CLIENTS PREMIUM AND GIVE THEM THE “GUARANTEED” 2% IN THE CASH VALUE WHEN THEY ARE MAKING AT LEAST 10%.. TERM LIFE: HIGHEST COVERAGE-CHEAPEST PREMIUM, INVEST THE DIFFERENCE PERSONALLY.. I STUDY HARD AND ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT MY CLIENTS AND MY BUSINESS.. IM WOULDNT SCAM MY OWN FAMILY INTO GETTING BAD POLICIES.. I MAKE MONEY AND IN THE NEXT 3-5YRS I WILL BE MAKING MORE MONEY THAN MOST OF THE WEAK MINDED PEOPLE THAT COMMENTED ON THIS TOPIC.. IM EXTENDING AN INVITE TO TRACY COENEN TO MY OFFICE TO REALLY SEE AND HERE WHAT WE ARE ABOUT..
If it is a scam… Then Warburg Pincus must be an idiotic company to buy 22% of Primerica. Please look at AMbest and Better business bureau and see that the company is rated A+…
And as for the opportunity, it is not meant for everyone but that does not mean it does not work. It is firstly, a business opportunity, You must learn, understand and be able to teach marketing and sales skills. Like any other entrepreneur in this world, it takes a little time to learn how to optimize and expand the business. And yes many people fail. But let’s compare this to any sport. Many kids play them. But maybe 1 out of 2 million actually make a living out of it. The main difference is that anyone can do Primerica, but again it is HARD, takes perseverence and toughness to be successful. And even if you have had a bad experience with Primerica, this does not necessarily mean that every other person is an idiot.
The owners of MLMs get rich at the expense of the people in the pyramid, so it’s no wonder that people buy shares of stock in MLMs.
Your kids and sports analogy fails, because no one is promising these kids they’ll make money from sports. In MLM, the recruiters are promising everyone they’ll make money, while almost everyone loses money. And before you go into how it’s impossible to lose money in Primerica if you just sell… Remember most people are actually able to sell very little, the bulk of the commission is paid to their upline, and the money they spend on “building a business” almost always outweighs what little they’ve made in commissions.
Well im just here to say the Company went IPO just a few days ago
and on the first day they had almost 233 mill invested into shares now
to comment on that is wow. Thats what NYSE said when they seen a 33% rise per shares. Now tell me who says this company is a scheme, this company has been running for 33 years thats a pretty long run would’nt you say.
Primerica is not making a dime from the IPO. Citibank is getting their money back. I have 6 friends that are primerica brain washed. They are deep in debt, live below poverty level. They even qualify for food stamps. However, they will tell you that things are Great at primerica and try and sell you anything. Then they want to explain to you how to get out of debt. Laughable, they can’t save thenselves. I have never meet a bunch of more uneduacated fools, looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Everyone I have met at primerica are liars and losers. They don’t want to help families, they want their money. If you want financial help go to a person that is out of debt andhas money. If you want life ins. shop around. Don’t believe a word primerica agents tell you, until you check out ALL your options…and don’t quite your job to work for them. Your real job pays you real money.
The sockpuppets who are crowing about how great Primerica’s IPO is really don’t get it. Citigroup spun off Primerica for two reasons: to wash their hands of it, and get paid for it in the process. Only dumb money bids an IPO up sharply. Let’s check back in a year and see if it’s still a winning stock before we start handing out reacharounds for how great it’s PRI is doing.
wondering if u have followed PRI for the past year??.. U wouldnt be so bitter if u bought shares when u were too busy talkin trash about it..
Well..I have to say another thing about the primerica IPO…..The primerica agents peddling high cost term life…will not benefit from the IPO….I don’t know any of them that can even afford to buy PRI stock…well unless they can get increase in their welfare and food stamp benefits…here is an interesting article….
http://www.americanbankingnews.com/2010/03/26/morningstar-analyst-believes-citigroup-primerica-ipo-nyse-c-will-fail-because-of-poor-fundamentals/
i recently went was invited to one of this priamerica meetings, and i must say the atmosphere there felt a bit out of place. everyone there agreed to what the person in the front was talking about and yet no one seem to really say much. a few people went up there and talked about how much they could offer you and how much money they could safe but yet no one talked about how, or what you would have to do to make money. it was all based on what you could have and trying washed time away with facts that didn’t even talked about what they exactly did. i would of liked to see where and how this company started but yet didn’t seem important. to be honest at first i figure that, ” mmhh maybe this isn’t so bad”, but then as the meeting went on i started to feel a bit out place. it seemed that they tried really hard to come up with ideas and stuff to prove to the audience that they are the real deal. The people that were talking were pointing me and my brother out a lot, one of them even said, ” this guys in the front haven’t really smile throughout the meeting but every time they do its worth a million bucks.” I’m a friendly guy so i just yeah i should, but in the back of my head i kept repeating how about you be my first costumer.
After the whole thing was over they invited me to go in a office to talk about my future with them and to see if i saw myself working for them. i didn’t really know what to say because he kept repeating this is a legit thing i am not lying to you. after a while standing there because he didn’t even offer me to sit he asked if i wanted to sign my application on the spot to get my paper through. I didn’t show him much of interest so he invited me to go to LA ( los angeles) to meet up with the people that were making millions of dollars. he wanted me to be meet up that next Saturday to go. He also told me that i needed $90 dollars to get my license to sell insurance and stuff, i understand that you need a license but he kept repeating that and that it was a legit business haha. it made laugh a little but i tried to hold it in.. i have been introduce to pyramids before and this felt like one of those talks
im not going to to say this is a pyramid but i do not recommend people to agreed to any of this before they do a little more research because whatever you do its going to affect you for better or for worst. make sure what you do it’s what you really want because you could really regret it for the rest of your life.
thank you.
Something really good never is free and you can never get something with out working hard. I understand everyone’s frustrations with the scam or what they think is a scam but educate yourself. You have to work really really hard for this company but the payoff is great. You can not be a doctor or lawyer overnight, heck you spend so much just getting trained and educated to be one of those it is the same thing here. I think that people who don’t make it with Primerica only have themselves to blame. You have to have a strong hard working team and can not give up right away and then say it is because it is a scam. For the record you dont get scammed out of $99, you get educated on different areas of the company more information than you had before you cam on board. If you did not succeed it is only because you did not have someone who was serious about helping you and also who did not take time to train you. I think that everyone has there own opinions and is entitled to those but no one every writes about how we screwed a family out of there retirement or how we took all there money and ran off with it. In simple words WE HELP FAMILIES.
If you feel uneasy about it dont give them your money or your credit information that is your own stupid fault not the company. You should however ask questions and take a look at the stories visit there website don’t just type in there name, you have just showed your true stupidity check there website people read about it for yourself don’t let others define your choices. i wish everyone with this company luck and like everyone has said it is not for everyone does not mean it is not for no one!
the differance between a doctor , lawyer and primerica worker….doctors and lawyers have an education…primerica agents have zero none…nothing..and that is why they make very little money at the bottom……in the life ins trade..primerica agents are considered bottom feeders. anyone and i mean anyone can sell primerica ins……
An important issue to consider particularly in these difficult economic times is homeowners insurance and to beware of scams especially when people are affected by severe weather conditions that threaten life and health.
Royal Palm Insurance , Gainseville , FL , Tower Hill Insurance Company , Gainseville , FL, and Newman Insurance Agency , Inc., Hollywood , FL and were involved with arranging and providing homeowners insurance and shortly after being paid for the insurance they would inform the customer the home is at risk cancel the policy. Then they offer the customer another policy with another of their companies and charge a significant additional amount.
During hurricane season, they cancel again informing the customer again the home is at risk.
It is possible this may involve discrimination.
I am suppose to have an interview with this company, is it even worth going to??? I have NO interest in sales or the pyramid scheme. Please advise.
I have had many bad experiences with Primerica from my co-workers selling and
recruiting at my place of work.When I chose not to be part of my co-workers
Primerica I was basically an outcast and not treated the same as the workers
who participated in the company.If they are trying to help people they are
hypocrits that are only interested in making money and if they were true friends
they would have respected my opinion of not wanting to participate.
Yes, James, by and large it IS true. Real insurance companies pay the vast majority of the commissions to the person who sells the policy. General Agents exist to help manage the sales force, and they do receive a small portion of the commission as compensation for that. But it is nothing like these pyramid schemes, in which the agents themselves are supposed to endlessly recruit competitors for themselves.
I was talked into joining Primerica, I attended a few of their meetings. The main goal is who can sign up the most people in the least amount of time. All the meetings were focused on who to contact and how to present to them.
Those that were making big bucks are those with lots of suckers under them.
I requested a refun 28 days after joing, they have not responded to my request, other than to close my account. They went ahead and charged me the $25 monthly fee, and I continue to request a refund. And still no response.
My boyfriend and I were in Mcdonalds when we were approached by a Primerica rep. He gave us the BEST speech in the world on how great Primerica is and how easy it was to get involved. Sounded great. He calls us a few days later asking to meet with us. We meet, he shows us a slideshow on an ipad about primerica. It actually contained NO information about the company. Just the exact same stories from different people. “primerica changed my life. i have become “financially independent”. I have everything i’ve ever imagined thanks to primerica”” after this right off that bat it was “you need to find as many recruits as you can. get me names and numbers” then “oh, we’re running a special until the end of the month. if you pay the 100 dollar fee for the classes and everything, once you become licensed we refund it to you.” we told the recruiter we could not afford it at the time. but he was SO nice and went on to say that he would pay it for us, as long as i gave him a 100 dollar check, just as collateral incase my boyfriend didnt get his license. And even if he didnt, it was fine, but we had some more time to come up with the money to repay him. He said he would wait one month to cash it becasue he knew our money problem. Keep in mind i wrote the check to HIM. NOT primerica. This was personal between us. The cash came from HIM not the company. I thought that was fair, so i wrote him the check. 4 days later, my bank account was overdrafted. I called the bank. PRIMERICA had cashed the check. Not the recruiter. I was angry. I wrote the check to him, in his name S** *on*******. so how did primerica cash the check? So i put that aside because my boyfriend and the recruiter swore up and down that this was the best oppertunity ever, and in no time we wouldnt have to worry about money anymore. my boyfriend went on to take the test and get his lisence. he sold our friend car insurance, and didnt get one dime. the recruiter got all the credit. He worked had for about 6 months. Never got paid a cent, but always had some “explanation” as to why he didnt get paid. The whole time his recruiter was on him and i both about finding more people to recruit. It seemed to be more about how many people he could get in, rather than having a job and making money. They kept saying things like JOB stands for Just Over Broke, but this is not a job, this is YOUR BUISNESS. So many things they had brainwashed him into, come out of the mouths of everyone else that is involved. They all say the same things. 10 months later, my boyfriend has been working with them steady, and working hard. We can not afford to pay our $350 rent each month. We own 6 pairs of socks together, and we never know where our next meal is coming from, or his next pack of cigarettes. We eat once a day. Mcdonalds, ironicly. I can think on more than 5 times this month where we couldnt eat at all that day. Primerica is not worth it. You will never get the money you are promised. Needless to say, my boyfriend made the decision to drop out of it all together last week. He has been doing roofing and made more in one day then he did in a month with primerica. My experience with primerica, its goal is to make the rich richer. Thats
That is so true they trying to mess my life up before i even begin it.im only 21…shame..shame..shame
dear ms ann krall:
my girlfriend just been lied to because u say there are no training fees but u have to come up with 99 dollars for a license to b.s people about there income and then on top of that pay for a buck thats states basic things about anybody finacial problems thats simple to say but make anyone who studies it sound educated.after all that u still have to come up with money for both books and the books that has supposly millonaires in in it kan u explain y the people that work for primerica has to pay to help people and has to pay for a job
Unfortunately I gave a rep my resume at a job fair. I wasn’t particularly interested in “financial services” but felt compelled by his introduction. Then I googled the company in order to prepare for an interview before I returned his call. I fully understand the strategy behind companies such as this and will not -ever- join one. So I called him back to say I am not interested and he proceeded to question me. I stated I have another opportunity that actually fits my education and experience (100% true) and will pursue that. He attempted to put-down my choice and even accused me of lying when I wouldn’t provide detailed information, even stating his wife works where she could verify my interview. I did not mention my research; he just wanted to berate me when I thanked him for his time but had no interest in going any further. I feel very fortunate it ends there.
Primerica followers claim to make so much money. I will only believe it until I see a video of someone’s paycheck or bank account showing real income information (feel free to block out personal info).
And why can I not get a quote on Primericas website? Is it me? Am I looking into it to deep? Or am I being forced to meet someone to be possibly recruited and pay $99?
Seems like it’s not any different from the scam mail that tells you to send money to addresses and then wait for thousands of dollars to be mailed back to you. They require more and more people to be part of it. The only difference that Primerica offers products. I’m not saying it’s a terrible company, I never worked for them, but attended meetings, but stopped before others pulled out their money.
If you look at reviews on glassdoor.com all sounds and looks great, however, it takes one minute to make a fake email or FB, it’s not hard to write a fake review.
How good are their RRSP products?
Tracy I read I think ALL the comments and I love your temperate, clear and concise answers without all the “Sugar Coatings”
Now, I believe if you take the combined wealth of Bill Gates, Malcolm Forbes, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Ellison, Steve Jobs, Donald Trump it won’t be a sliver of the toenail of the Central Bankers who counterfeit money and print it out of thin air with no gold backing as collateral. They are the real “Makers of money” everything else is an illusion. I personally knew Eustace Mullins who spilled the beans of these scheming shifty shyster Banksta Gangsta’s. Primerica is real small fry compared. Read only online, The Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins. You can read it at http://www.IAmTheWitness.com, scroll for it and his follow-up book The World Order.
Why hasn’t the SEC or FTC picked up on these guys yet? As a matter of fact they just cracked down on that Tech firm, and herbalife now is getting heat, why isn’t Primerica being affected? I smell inside corruption. Unfortunately Primerica does render services to the less aware, and makes something of an income not from recruiting. Most MLM’s are destined to fail, however we don’t know what primerica is doing with the excess net income or capital in force. What is certain, these products are ridiculously over priced compared to other companies I’ve done rates for; Insurance/services should also be traded on an exchanged for comparable prices.
Primerica is a rip off, and should be ashamed for ripping off individuals for these overpriced products.
For anyone reading this webpage after a run-in with Primerica there is something you need to understand about “Whole-Life” insurance versus “Term” insurance:
When you purchase “Whole-Life” insurance you are making an investment in a policy that retains its value over time. A portion of what you pay in goes towards something called a “Cash Value” that gains interest through the course of your policy’s life. Whole Life insurance does not expire. If you do not pay your premiums, you will lose coverage, but a portion of your pay-in (the Cash Value) can be refunded to you.
Term insurance does not have this benefit. You are paying a lower value of money for a death benefit through the course of the term. If you do not pay your premiums, your coverage ends and no money is returned to you.
(I have a policy for $300K of coverage. My numbers below reflect this value of insurance. I do not currently have a PIP Portfolio because I am not old enough to afford the upkeep of one yet.)
In the average case, paying for Term life insurance for any long length of time is foolish, even at the price of $35.27 (which is what I was quoted). Why? Over a year-long period, you will have paid in $423.24 into your term policy. If you don’t die, this is almost $425 that you’re throwing into the toilet.
If you opt for a whole-life policy (mine ended up costing $119 monthly) this value is obviously much higher annually: $1428 (almost 3.5 times more in fact) but comes with the FACT that if you decide to cancel your policy you will get some of that money back (and it may have interest). Over a 60 year period, you will have paid in $85,680 to your policy.
If you went with the term option for the full 60 years, then you paid in $25394.40 for a savings of $60285.60! HOWEVER, that $25,000 is GONE. What did you do with the other $60K? If you didn’t invest it then you have fallen into the biggest trap of Term insurance. How does that work?
Well (using my WLP as an example), when your insurance is fully paid off ($85,680) after 60 years, it is (and has been) gaining cash value. The company that offered it to you has been using your premium portion (the non-refundable aspect) to invest and has probably made significantly more than the cash value afforded to you. If you started your policy at age 21 and have made it to age 81, you’re in great shape. Your premiums are already paid, and your policy will continue to mature at a rapid pace. When you do finally die, your estate will be paid your coverage rate PLUS anything extra gained on interest, MINUS any loans you have outstanding against your cash value. If I live to be 90 and then die, my total policy payout will be roughly over $450K. The total amount I earn in excess of my premiums is $150,000 (the amount over my death benefit) minus what I paid. I earned $64,320 extra. That, my friends, is slightly over the value of what you did NOT invest based on the difference between the WLP and the TLP (term life policy).
So let’s say that you took that $60K and invested it at the rate of $425 (rounded for simplicity) per year for all 60 of your years. At a simple interest rate of 8% (GOOD LUCK, HAH) your savings portfolio will be worth… $532,615.65! Wow! That’s a lot of money! Well, yes it is a lot of money; however, to get that value you would have to invest $425 every year, without fail, into the same account that get a flat 8% every year, for sixty years, without failure. And what did you get for accomplishing this mathematical miracle? An extra $80,000 over 60 years (with which you could have purchased your own WLP and stopped paying term coverage).
The simple truth of this comparison is that if you’re going to purchase Term insurance (and be better off than whole life), you NEED to invest the difference between what you’re paying in term coverage and what you WOULD BE PAYING for a whole-life policy.
Term insurance is used for specific reasons and is the most lucrative for companies selling it because they only need to pay you if you die within the term specified, and only if your premiums were paid on-time, every time. Any serious long-term investment does not start with Term Insurance as the primary vehicle for a pay-off.
Everyone’s financial situation is unique. There is no “magic formula” to becoming a millionaire (except maybe, spend less than what you make and invest the rest), and anyone who claims to have one is lying to you and trying to take your money.
Please, for your sake, talk to multiple financial advisers and carefully weigh the options each of them give you before making a decision. Do NOT fall for propaganda sales techniques as there is no do-over with your retirement (a favorite tagline of Primerica aptly used I feel).
You forgot to mention that whole life insurance is one of the absolute worst possible investments a person could make. It is almost NEVER advisable to put money into whole life.
As a method of investment, of course not! See the following:
“[Regarding Whole-Life Insurance] Investment should not be your sole purpose. However, although permanent insurance policies do function as an investment, maximizing your investment return is not the purpose of insurance. If that’s what you want, you’d probably do better buying cheaper term insurance and putting the money you save in other tax-deferred investments.” [Source: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/life-insurance-options-29789.html%5D
But if you need Life Insurance, it’s not the *worst* option available (saying of course that the BEST option for each financial situation will be different) because of how it works.
I think we had a mis-understanding. I’m not advocating investing solely in Whole-Life, or Term, or any type of product. I certainly am not trying to point people towards using Primerica. It might have been better for me to preface that the calculations I did above were done post-meeting with a Primerica representative. Prior to the impromptu meeting with the rep, I had never heard of Primerica. A quick search returned your blog and I thought sharing my thoughts and experiences (brief as they were) would be helpful to anyone who came across this information in the future.
Also, I really appreciate you responding to the comment! It’s crazy that this post is generating content FIVE YEARS since its inception. Keep up the awesome work.
No, I didn’t think you were promoting Primerica. 🙂
I just think that for the typical customer Primerica targets, they should NOT use whole life. I didn’t want them to misunderstand that.
Thanks for your comments.
Oh certainly!
It’s actually kind of funny that Primerica tends to target people that don’t really NEED life insurance… when that’s their primary source of sales! I purchased and maintain life insurance because I am a sole earner of a family. I have a budding college education and some student debt. If I were to kick the bucket, I would leave my partner in *serious financial trouble,* which is why I have an insurance policy.
Most of the target market for Primerica could be better served with the advice of, “spend less, invest the difference. Find ways to economize and keep your mind on the goal at the end.” How much soda do you drink? Do you buy name brands? How often do you eat out (fast food counts!)? I sincerely doubt that Primerica consultants ask these questions (mine certainly didn’t) when they’re the key to cutting down incremental expense.
This will be my last $0.02 for the comments here because I don’t want to bog down Tracy, but if you’re in debt and Primerica is targeting you remember that these are the BEST ways in order (in my opinion) to building an investment:
1) Pay down debt – Most debts have an interest rate that’s above 6% (credit cards right now are at some ridiculous number like 29%). It is very hard to beat 6% regularly, so your money could be best spent eliminating your current debt. Think of it as cutting overhead costs. With less money going out the door, there’s more to keep in and save.
2) Build your Emergency Fund in a high yield savings account – You need to determine what value of money you feel comfortable getting up to as some kind of buffer for random (read: unexpected) problems that arise so that your income can remain devoted towards paying down debt, investing, and other such activities. Do not touch this money unless a true emergency occurs.
3) Invest in peer-to-peer lending – Avoiding Banks and Credit Institutions can keep your interest low for when you need to borrow money. This step is certainly not for everyone and I will not go into great detail.
4) Invest in index ETFs – Pick one that is stable, or talk to someone knowledgeable in ETF (exchange traded funds) to determine what works best for you. If you’re in doubt, remember that diversification is usually a good decision.
NEVER, EVER, EVER, MAKE RASH DECISIONS WITH YOUR FINANCES. PLAN AHEAD. BE DISCIPLINED. AUTOMATION CAN HELP YOU SAVE MONEY FOR GOALS.
Thank you for keeping up the information Tracy, and for the measured responses.
Wishing you well in the future,
Justin
Hey, so after reading this im a bit confused. I really don’t want to be part of a MLM scheme. Would anyone for a fact be able to tell me if doing the licensing just to get the licensing pay off? I have been reading on this for hours but can find a defenite conclusion so I thought Id ask. What are the benefits of me joining primeca. Can I get anything useful out of it? Like if I make one of the recruiter see me as a good prospect can I piggy back of something they provide without getting into the actual selling people “overpriced” policies? Thanks in advance.
Primerica is a complete waste. If you want to sell insurance, go to a real insurance agency.
[…] Primerica Financial Services is a multi-level marketing company that sells life insurance and investments. I’ve written about Primerica in the past, questioning whether Primerica is a pyramid scheme, and whether PFS is a scam. […]
I would recommend anyone even thinking about PFS to NOT do it!!!! I tried it for 2 months where I made $600 but then once I quit the guy I was recruited by sent me to collections over the money I supposedly made. So instead of helping me I ended up losing $750 due to trying to fight him on collections. DO NOT JOIN PRIMERICA!!! It’s full of liars who only care about commissions!!
Hi Tracy, I stumbled across your blog while researching the McKmama nonsense. Love your site. Already posted links to some of your articles on other blogs.
I worked in the financial services industry for 14 years and let me tell you, you’re bang on about Primerica. They are the joke of the industry.
Any time a company is more about recruitment than product or service, alarm bells should be going off. Anyone ever heard of Amway? Usana? I’ve been to all the meetings. Some meetings actually ran on for 45 minutes without mentioning the company name. If these people are so proud of what they do, why not mention the name of the company? Is it because no one will show up if they do? Steer clear of these recruiters. Research any company before you hand over your hard earned money. Shop around. Do your homework. The only one who really cares about your money is you.
Why are most of these about how much the agents make? What about the end consumer. Before any of you go on the offensive, know that I have been in and around insurance my entire life. My father ran an insurance company, I have held Director and VP positions at large insurance companies and now own my own agency. I am very well versed. This company is the old A.L. Williams… they have always preached for people to get term policies and “invest” the difference. The problem is, the agents do not have their Series 6, and have no idea how to invest the difference. One of 2 things happens, the clients either outlive the first term and can’t afford the increased premium for the renewal, or they are forced into paying a WAY higher premium because they have had a health condition that now precludes them from getting PERMANENT coverage and eventually lose the coverage due to affordability. It’s a shame, they pay for such a long time, and the security they have been paying for all those years, is not there when they need it most and their families incur a final bill. All along, the only people who made anything on this deal was the agent, the upline and the company.
If Primerica is such a scam… then how come the company is publicly traded on the NYSE. Why has the company paid out over a billion dollars in death claims! Every agent is licensed, and is regulated by FINRA. I’m offended and I have great success in the company.
Being publicly traded does not mean a company is or is not a scam. Remember Enron? Publicly traded on the NYSE and a complete fraud!
Oh, by the way… I am Series 6 and 63 licensed, along with Variable Annuities, and mortgage. All were acquired by taking a test. PRIMERICA IS LEGITIMATE.
Your licensing does not speak to whether Primerica is running a scam or not. It is a pyramid scheme, regardless of the tests you passed.
This company is a total scam. It is nothing like real estate. I have my real estate license and when I sale a house I pay my broker $475 and I keep the rest. That is very little considering he is the one paying for all of the E and O insurance. I don’t have to go out and recruit other agents to make more money.
When they came to my house I knew in the first 5 minutes it was going to be a long 2 hours. At the end the guy asked me if he could find away to save money from my normal expenses if I would be interested in switching my current term life insurance policy to theirs. The reason he had to find a way to save me money. was because the new plan was 3 times as much as what I was currently paying. If they are so interested in helping people why not just keep me in my current policy and then show me how to save money.
My friend who got suckered into their whole scam also bought life insurance and is not in the process of being an agent. This is another thing that is different about this company and real estate. When I was taking classes to get my license my broker never told me to meet with all of my friends and have him sell their houses so I could get training and in the mean time he takes all the commission. In fact in the real estate business the broker would suggest waiting to get your license before buying a home so you could get your own commission. In Scamerica that have you buy from someone else who gets the commission and you get nothing. Does not seem to be the fair way to do business in my opinion.
If you are happy at Scamerica that’s great, but please stop trying to tell people it is like every other company in america. Because that is just a flat out lie and you make yourself look stupid every time one of you try to play that card.
Tracy. I stummbled across this blog the other day and find it quite interesting. I am a Primerica client. I own the companies life insurance and some mutual funds I purchased from the agent through Franklin Templeton. The agent also tried to recruit me. I went to a couple meetings, and decided against it. There is no doubt Primerica is MLM. However, they do sell legit products. Believe me, as a well educated, professional buisnessperson, I have researched the companies products, and their rates compare with many of the other financial services companies out there.
Beho – You say the rates “compare.” What does that mean? Simply that one can compare rates. It says nothing about how the rates compare. Why? Because as far as I have seen, the Primerica rates are NOT competitive. More important, however, is the fact that many Primerica customers are likely purchasing the wrong products.
But even if the rates were competitive, it still doesn’t negate the fact that the representatives are part of a pyramid scheme. They would be much better off working for a traditional insurance agency or financial representative, rather than this MLM structure.
When I say compare, I mean their rates are not much different from other, more well-known insurers. i.e. State Farm, Thrivent Financial, Northwestern Mutual, MetLife. I name those companies because I got quotes from them. I also think term life insurance is the best way to go. Whole life is a rip off. Tracy, the companies rates are competitive, and that has nothing to do with it being MLM structured. That company needs to change the way they do business. Instead of recruiting a town dry, they need to train agents on how to sell first. As for the pay the agents get, I can’t speak for that. All I know is the products rates are competitive.
From what I have seen, I don’t believe Primerica is competitive for the same coverage.
I don’t know what Primamerica does or if they are legit. But I can tell you that the people who work for them are generally low-class people. I’d trust the Devil himself before I trust a Primamerica rep.
That is true. One licensed Primerica Agent used to brain force every person whenever confronted in their business to come and join as agent even though they are not eligible to work in Insurance profession. That Agent or company is not care whether other sales agents have licensed or not. The head person have licensed, and he signed in the application. That was happening in most of the ethnic community in Ontario, Canada specially Srilankan community in Toronto.
Primerica agents replaced lot of valuable policies owned by innocent peoples who doesn’t speak English language well. When Innocent cheated peoples come to light on later, they got mad with Primerica agents.
Dear Tracy,
Being concerned suddenly that I’ve not done enough due-diligence, I started looking online for more information about PRIMERICA. I am a person who was approached by a jobless member of my church, and wanting to help him make a commission never thought twice about the company he was representing (PRIMERICA).
I purchased what I believe is a great term policy, paying extra for a term that will be effective until I’m 95 years old! (“guarantee” payout). HOWEVER, as I enter the second half of my second annual premium, I’m second-guessing myself. WHAT IF Primerica is a scheme that will not be financially capable of paying my death benefit???
So, while I agree with your argument about MLMs, I have this different concern. The discussion I’ve read has rebuttals from “American Dreamers” arguing that “it’s true, it’s true”, and hoping to earn $1M/year, NOT grounded folks wishing to help customers like me… YET, can you point me to financial information which supports Primerica’s strength and ability to pay-out benefits?… (not to mention, ESPECIALLY if 48 Joe Schmo’s are taking $1M/year paychecks!)
Thnk U!!
Jim – THey will likely be able to pay your claim. However, you are probably paying more for your policy than you would through a different company.
All these complaints are from the failure of Primerica… Listen what Senators and insured say.. Not the joker from whole life insurance and unsuccessful people from promerica say.. They are stupid.
I too was lured in by the prospect of getting a job with Primerica. I had an interview set for Sunday with Omar, based on his sounding impressed with my resume I’d posted online. He’d pitched the possibility of my advancing within the ranks given my credentials.
Fortunately, one of the work release coordinators at my halfway house had printed out the truth about this company, and I had cancelled my meeting. I knew something was up when the Google Maps lookup I’d done on the given “suite” address was nothing but a typical Maryland suburb, with no business buildings in sight!
AJ
I am a former Primerica agent who left and became an independent agent. Let me say first off Primerica is not a scam. As for the pricing of their products there are many factors. Especially being the market They are in. Are there other lower cost carriers? Yes there are but how many of the are knocking at your door?
As for working with them. If they changed their contract I would go back in a heart beat. All I can say is don’t just go by what is posted on a message board about Primerica. Go to a opportunity meeting and do some research. The business isn’t for everyone and not everyone should be a client.
Here’s one thing to consider. Yes you can become wealthy offering the products they off but due to your mindset thou probably won’t. That’s just the way it is. Then again you just might
Ask Termite – If people shouldn’t “go by what is posted on a message board,” then why are you commenting here and why should anyone believe you. The company sucks. Yes, they offer legitimate products but yes they are overpriced. You ask “how many of them are knocking at your door”? Well, if you’re trying to SELL financial products, then you don’t need anyone knocking on your door. You are the one who would be doing the knocking. So just like you did, people who want to sell insurance and financial products should become reps for companies OTHER THAN Primerica.
They make the concept of building a team of downlines seems sooooo easy……..overrides…….big money, however, based on the facts contained in their annual reports, over the last 5 years, the average number of new recruits per rep is less than 2 1/2, and lets not forget, the percentage of recruits who quit before licensing is historically in the 80% range. So that leaves less than 1/2 a licensed rep for your downline, and licensed reps quit at an historical rate of 32%, so now you’re left with 1/3 of a licensed rep for a whole years efforts to earn overrides for you. The math of it all makes their hype all the more nauseating.
Tracy I keep seeing overpriced in a lot of the posts. I would like to know what companies offer retirement account planing for $30/month and over a 20 year time frame what percentage of the money goes to account vs commissions.
I do not know how much companies charge as I am not a licenced person in this field. I would also like to see a list of you have one of the other companies you said would help people like me that only have a small amount to work with.
Thanks
George
I don’t have a list for you, but there are tons of financial advisers who work with middle income people who are trying to save for retirement.
To anyone who wants the real truth check out: http://www.sequenceinc.com/fraudfiles/2008/04/the-pyramid-scheme-aspect-of-primerica-financial-services/
I love to read this blogs, I really never do this, but is almost 10 years later and see how facts talks by itself; I just can say Tracy, that you really use a lot of energy to be exact almost 10 years of trying to prove you are right over important organizations like, FORBES (who named in 2015 Primerica one of the top 50 most trustworthy companies in the US and top 10 in work security), BBB, or even the SEC, just to name some of them, who have a different opinion than your negative strong statements and I hope your energy can be reflective in your progress over the years, and now you should be able to accept or have enough knowledge to understand the dimension of real sources this organizations use in order to publish an statement in favor or against, for the benefit of the general public. take care and God bless you, I know is hard to accept when we are wrong but is better talk with facts about companies it selfs, because is very subjective talk about “opportunities” is like talk about “beauty” is just perspective.
Amy – Yes, I can publish a statement against Primerica. It is a horrible company for people to get involved with.
For representatives, they have almost no chance of turning a profit or making a meaningful income. They pretend the goal is to sell insurance, when the goal is really to sell a fake business opportunity. They lure people into a game of recruiting people to recruit people to recruit people to recruit people.
For customers, they can get legitimate products from Primerica. However, there are much better products out there for consumers. Better coverage and lower cost. Plus most Primerica reps aren’t as knowledgeable as they should be, so it would be a benefit to consumers to work with reps from other companies who are better educated.
So bottom line: STAY AWAY FROM PRIMERICA AT ALL COSTS.
HNTRJMPRLVR
Sorry for what happened to you and sorry that you are not supporting your friend from heart, I think she needs better friends anyway regardless of how she decides to build her future is up to her and family and friends should support her, but I guess support comes from people you don’t know.
Anyway to answer one of your questions, you seem to be in the right track. Too bad the people she was with her didn’t know how to help you either. I’m all about saving money. A life insurance for you could be a good idea so when you leave your heritage to your love ones since they going to have to pay taxes on it, life insurance is tax free money that could help them paying such taxes, or sell everything you work hard for and kiss good bye to your legacy; to be honest Primerica has better prices, but it won’t hurt you to “shop” around.
Other answers I’m honestly just thrilled by all of them, I think we seem to forget one thing EVERYTHING IS A SALE! Fact: sales people in every corporation makes more money in the “pyramid” sometimes even more than the CEO.
Anyway, I’m sure most of the people hating on either Primerica or other MLM business are just jealous because they haven’t made the cut on their “Dream” earnings by “selling” their services (including the person who wrote this she’s selling her opinion) I don’t think she’s making that 100k a month for bashing other companies, but who am I here to say ??
Disclaimer: I’m just a Business in Finance student with concentration on financial planning, I do not work for anybody (as a right now) but I’m sure at some point I will have to sell my services and I know it won’t be easy and like many other companies getting your name “out there” will take me a long way haul.
Ps: I rather be crazy to take risk in opportunities than sane in the status quo
Veronica – Primerica does NOT have better prices, and that’s part of my problem with them. There are better products with better pricing at other companies. You’re a student, so I’ll assume that you don’t know a whole lot about the real business world. When we speak of a pyramid in the context of MLM, we’re not talking about how the management structure looks. We’re talking about a pyramid scheme, which is a specific type of scam which includes endless chain recruiting and selling others on an “opportunity.”
Yes, I’ve “made the cut” on my dream. I have a very successful forensic accounting business. I run this blog as a service to consumers and because it’s something I enjoy. I like exposing scams and making sure people have the “rest of the story” at their fingertips. This blog isn’t about “bashing” any company. Rather, it’s about the other side of the story that these companies won’t tell you.
And you’re right… I make essentially NO money on this blog. That’s not what it’s here for. I make a very comfortable living providing forensic accounting services to my clients. And I’m very happy to do so.
Am I glad I found your blog! I new this company had a motive for money. Any time an individual can not answer your questions and respond vaguely to your concerns…..well you should RUN AWAY! I am thankful, that, in doing my research I discovered this article and the fact that it has continued now for 10 yrs. is awesome! This is education and power! Anyone who continues on with this company at this point is ignorant! One in the same for someone who would waste their time on building the pockets of someone else with no return of little to nothing is sad! Thanks Tracy and to all those that have commented over the course of 10 years! I made an obviously clear decision in this very tough economic America in 2017!
Primerica is full of themselves my sister joined and they sent her to school for like a week and have convinced her she now has a master’s in finance what a crock she never even graduated high school. That’s how I know it’s a giant scam. All for the gullible idiots who will believe their lies. Shame on Primerica for giving a false hope to get rich.
I’ve been researching primerica since 2009 and I have read more bad than good when it comes to the way they run their (MLM scheme) business. The Better Business Bureau gives them an A- rating with only 14 positive reviews and 133 complaints about primerica scamming people. Kind of convincing to me how all the complaints have a simular outcome. Seems like the positive reviews are primerica employees / recruits preaching the brainwashing they received in their so called, “Training seminars.” Defiantly an MLM scheme when you pay a $25 dollar fee every month to your job for an analysis program online. What a scam!
Check it out EVERYONE!
BBB Business Profile | Primerica, Inc. | Reviews and Complaints
https://www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/financial-services/primerica-in-duluth-ga-6985/reviews-and-complaints
Leo, you do realize that if you withhold any information it’s cause for your medical records to be accessed. She had to sign the form otherwise the Dr’s office would not release information. If she wasn’t approved for a policy, she would get a refund. Primerica is rated A+ by A.M Best. This is a highly regulated business. Primerica insures over 5 million people and has 2.5 million investment clients. It seems you’re upset that your wife didn’t qualify for insurance and you are upset.