Glen & Xiomara Li
New York City, NY
Former Occupation: Theater Technician

Breaking the Cycle
Like a lot of couples, Glen & Xiomara Li, of New York City, NY, graduated to adulthood with limited knowledge about how money actually “works.” “We were only exposed to what we each grew up with,” Glen explains.

“We watched our families work hard but, because no one had taught them concepts from the HOW MONEY WORKS™ financial education guide Primerica teaches, they could never get ahead. We never had any idea of how to become financially independent. Our parents expected to work until retirement age and then try and get by on Social Security. We would have, no doubt, continued this cycle.”

A Different Path
It wasn’t until they were introduced to Primerica in the late 1990s that they discovered the path to an entirely different future. At the time, Glen was 23 years old and doing lighting and sound as a theater technician and Xiomara, then 18 years old, worked as an assistant manager at a shoe boutique. Neither had the first idea about what to do to make their money work for them. Then, a Primerica Representative introduced them to the basic financial concepts we’ve taught middle-income families since 1977.

“A big eye opener for us was The Rule of 72 – which is a simple formula that divides the number 72 by the interest rate you hope to earn in order to determine the approximate number of years it will take for an investment to double,” Xiomara recalls.

“Another big one is Primerica’s ‘Buy Term and Invest the Difference’ philosophy, which works in tandem with The Theory of Decreasing Responsibility. These explain how life works – and show the importance of protecting your financial future now with term life insurance and investing for the future so that later, when your major financial obligations like kids’ education and buying your first home are completed, the savings you’ve put away for retirement can be there when you need it.”

Education for the Future
Now nearing 30 years in business, Glen and Xiomara still get excited every time they get to share their financial knowledge and Primerica’s solutions with a new family. “Seeing how we deliver as a company – and how Glen and I have been able to be there for the families we serve in the best and the worst times – is so rewarding,” Xiomara smiles. “The educational side of what we do is incredible. We get to take complicated financial topics and simplify them so that everyone can understand and apply them to their own lives. Then, you add in the solutions Primerica offers and it’s the complete package.”

“Just recently, we had a long-time client call to thank us for what we did for her,” Glen adds. “She put what we taught her into action and was able to buy her home debt free and put her kids through college. Her children are now adults, and she is so proud of them for using what we showed her all of those years ago to put their own financial houses in order.”

A Purpose-Driven Life
The Lis have spent most of their lives focused on helping others. And with a history of doing that much good, it can’t help but extend into other areas outside of business. “We grew up in this business,” Xiomara reflects. “The contrast between our lives before and after Primerica are night and day. We’ve developed priceless friendships with many mentors along the way who have empowered us so that we can empower others and live a purpose-driven life.”

Glen adds, “We have achieved financial success by following the principles we teach families. And because of that success, we are able to give back to causes and charities that mean the most to us. Primerica changed everything.”