• How to Cover College Costs

• by krupp

Without Going Broke, Cashing in Your Retirement Savings or Co-Signing Loans

Let’s face it – college is expensive. And if you’re worried about funding your child’s college education, you’re not alone. You’re actually joining 70% of parents when asked about their biggest financial worry.¹ Here are four tips on how to cover college costs:

• Plan Ahead – Start Saving Early

Start saving for college while your little one is still little and you likely won’t have to consider withdrawing from your own retirement fund when he or she is graduating from high school. For example, a family that starts saving $10 a week at birth at 4% interest will accumulate $12,663.44 by the time the child turns 17 and enrolls in college.² Have a child already and haven’t started yet? Not to worry. Now is better than tomorrow.

• Look For and Apply For Scholarships, Grants

Encourage your child to apply for grants and scholarship funds to help keep tuition costs down – you won’t believe how much “free” money there is out there today for high school seniors applying for college! Check out all the free sources of information available about grants and scholarships.

• Encourage Your Child to Work Part-Time

Once scholarship and grant money is applied, and beyond what your savings doesn’t cover, encourage your child to get a part-time job to help offset education costs. Considering that only half of U.S. hiring managers feel that today’s new graduates are well prepared for the professional world, a part-time job can both build character and offset the need for student loans.³

• Encourage Your Child to Apply for Financial Aid

Beyond personal savings, scholarships and grants, and what expenses your child can cover on their own, applying for a student loan to cover other outstanding costs is an option. Borrowing money for college can be a smart idea if your child can get a low interest federal loan.

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1 Money.Time.com, “Honey, Who’s Going to Pay for College?,” October 12, 2016

2 Finaid.org, “Savings Goals: When To Start Saving,” viewed June 12, 2017

3 USAToday.com, “Weigh Whether to Work During College,” January 11, 2017

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Posted in Community, Tips, Wallet Wellness |

• Why It’s Great To Be a Primerican –
  Lisa Lewis

• by krupp

At Primerica, field representatives have the support of a skilled and committed Home Office team of more than 2,000 employees who are dedicated to helping more Main Street families become financially independent every day.*

They work in executive leadership, marketing, communications, technology, life operations, legal and compliance, and training and development — areas where they are totally focused on serving the needs of the sales force, and they love their jobs!

So, why is it so great to be a Primerican? Here’s what one Home Office employee had to say:

Meet Lisa …

Lisa Lewis, a budget analyst in the Information Technology (IT) Department, says it gives her great pride to know that Primerica helps families earn more income and become properly protected, debt free and financially independent.

“The difference between Primerica and other companies is they are interested in more than just making money,” says Lewis. Why? “Making money is important, but Primerica is also interested in the lives of the employees, representatives and the community,” she says.

Primerica has people’s best interests at heart and nothing less,” she adds.

It doesn’t hurt that she enjoys her work environment, either, says Lewis.

“I like the people that I have the pleasure to work with and the camaraderie that we have together to make the environment enjoyable to work,” she adds.

Lewis has worked at Primerica since 2007.

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*Primerica Representatives are independent contractors and are not employees of Primerica.

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• Shop Smart When You Go Back to School

• by krupp

People are spending substantially more this year than last year on back-to-school shopping, and if you’re a parent with school-aged children, you’re probably bracing for the dent in your wallet right about now. In the U.S., families are projected to spend an estimated $83.6 billion (a 10 percent increase from last year), according to the National Retail Foundation’s annual survey — that’s on average $687.72 per child in elementary through high school and $969.88 per child in college.*

Don’t want to be average? Set some guidelines for tackling those back-to-school expenses:

Contact the school/teacher
From books to backpacks to electronics, school supplies can get very expensive. Your first step to finding out what is absolutely necessary to send your child back to school is to contact your child’s school or teacher and obtain a supply list. You can also look on the school’s website to see if a school supply list is posted. If your school does not have a uniform policy, it would be wise to check the student handbook and be aware of what type of clothing/shoes may be off-limits.

Set a budget and stick to it – and plan for unexpected extras
Depending on your family size and how much money you make, this is a no-brainer. Remember back-to-school supplies won’t be your only expense for the entire school year, so you’ll want to save money where you can. There will be more unplanned expenses throughout the school year you’ll need and want to meet, like fundraisers and school trips. And don’t forget about extra curriculars, sports and clubs.

Make a list
Sit down with your child and make a list of what he or she needs and use the opportunity to teach them money lessons and how to be wise about spending and saving. Are there any school supplies left over from last year that can be reused? Can you purchase used electronics or textbooks instead of buying them brand new? Keep your eye out for good sales and discounts and check them off your list. Shop online and take advantage of deeper discounts and free shipping. Make these activities teachable moments while involving your child in the process. It’s a great way to improve their financial literacy and can pay off big time in the long run.

*National Retail Foundation (nrf.com), “Back-to-School and Back-to-College Spending to Reach $83.6 Billion,” July 13, 2017

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• Primerica Intern Day at JA Discovery Center

• by krupp

July 13 was Primerica Intern Day at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center – a special center located in Gwinnett County that teaches young people about personal finance, budgeting and entrepreneurship.

As part of a partnership project with The Primerica Foundation, 15 high school and college students who intern at the Primerica Home Office in Duluth spent half a day learning what the Discovery Center is all about.

The interns toured the facility and participated in a simulation project where they created budgets and applied for loans with the help of JA staff and Primerica Home Office volunteers.

The budgeting exercise helped give intern Thomas Kruegler a good idea of the average monthly costs he’ll have to meet in the near future, he said.

“This has been very helpful,” he added.

Intern Stefani Reed said the experience helped put the term “financial literacy” into perspective.

All of the interns shared that none of them were exposed to such a high level of financial education when they were in middle or high school.

“In high school, I was always complaining about how I was never studying anything that was going to benefit me in life,” said intern Thomas Swift. “I wish I would have had this.”

Although the Discovery Center currently serves Gwinnett County middle school students, the day’s events aimed to give the interns an idea of how businesses and nonprofits work together and hands-on volunteer experience at the center.

Watch this video to learn more about Primerica and JA.

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Posted in Primerica |

• Leaders Sprint to San Diego

• by krupp

Four hundred Primerica leaders and their partners gathered in Southern California for an amazing four-day trip held July 15-18, 2017, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego.

 

During meetings, attendees heard from multiple speakers and were recognized for their hard work helping Main Street families. The trip included a special event aboard the USS Midway and a gala event at the hotel.

Check out pictures from San Diego.

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