Chapter 13: SMART: Life after Debt

SMART is actually an acronym of Primerica Financial Services and may be another piece of putting together the puzzle of your financial health. Their mission statement includes being “in the business of changing people’s lives by helping families become debt free.” It encompasses their strong desire to teach and empower clients to make better-informed decisions with a knowledge how money, credit, insurance and investments work. What a perfect ending to this book, or maybe a perfect beginning for you.

As a division of Citigroup, Primerica is part of a 1.4 trillion-dollar corporation, and one of the fastest growing companies in the financial service field. While size matters a lot, each office is an independent financial services operation with a complete range of services from mutual funds to insurance and mortgage options. Where Primerica excels head and shoulders above others is their personal dedication and service, one client at a time. What sets them apart is the training, belief and actions that the client comes first, on their terms, with their priorities, and each with unique financial means and priorities. Or as they refer to it: “Solving the fundamental problems that keep families from reaching their goals and living their dreams.”

Quite a difference from being pitched - to being helped in concrete and meaningful ways. While they don’t say it – it clearly shows that each of their more than 110,000 licensed representatives know they will only succeed when you do. They are there whether your goal is to gain an understanding of investment and insurance options, becoming debt free, or starting a focused savings game plan - something big, or often quite small. It is refreshing to see a firm that talks AND practices putting the customer first. After all, wouldn’t we all rather deal with someone that speaks our language, uses words and explanations we can understand, and has probably been in our situation with similar challenges?