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Primerica Financial Services
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Primerica Financial Services (PFS) is a financial services company headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. It is the largest financial services marketing organization in North America with more than 100,000 licensed independent representatives, 26,000 of whom are FINRA securities licensed through PFS Investments, Inc. in the US, and through PFSL Investments Canada Ltd. in Canada. Primerica's securities broker-dealer affiliate. The company provides financial products and services through its affiliates that include term life insurance, mutual funds, variable annuities, segregated funds, loans, long-term care insurance and pre-paid legal services, to over 6 million clients through a network marketing formatted sales model.
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Encyclopedia
Primerica Financial Services (PFS) is a financial services company headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. It is the largest financial services marketing organization in North America with more than 100,000 licensed independent representatives, 26,000 of whom are FINRA securities licensed through PFS Investments, Inc. in the US, and through PFSL Investments Canada Ltd. in Canada. Primerica's securities broker-dealer affiliate. The company provides financial products and services through its affiliates that include term life insurance, mutual funds, variable annuities, segregated funds, loans, long-term care insurance and pre-paid legal services, to over 6 million clients through a network marketing formatted sales model. In August 2007 Primerica and Answer Financial introduced Primerica Secure, an auto and homeowner's insurance referral program to quotes from dozens of insurance carriers. Primerica conducts business principally in the US. Primerica first expanded internationally in 1986 when it began operating in Canada, where agents sells life insurance and segregated funds from the Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada, and securities from PFSL Investments Canada Ltd. Canadian agents also refer clients to CitiCorp Home Mortgage for their $.M.A.R.T. Loan product. In 2000 the company expanded overseas to Spain, commencing operations as CitiSoluciones.
History
Founded in 1977 by Arthur L. Williams, Jr. as A.L. Williams & Associates (A.L. Williams), the company established a market niche by mass-marketing the concept of "Buy Term and Invest the Difference." With "BTID", the company advised its mostly middle-income client base to purchase sufficient protection with term life insurance and systematically save and invest in separate investment vehicles, such as mutual funds Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). A.L. Williams was initially established as a privately held general agency, at first selling term life insurance policies underwritten by Financial Assurance, Inc. (FAI).
The company expanded, outgrowing the capacity of FAI to process its business. In 1980, A.L. Williams entered into a contract with a larger underwriter of life insurance, Boston-based Massachusetts Indemnity and Life Insurance Company (MILICO), whose parent was PennCorp Financial Services, based in Santa Monica. To support A.L. Williams, headquartered in Atlanta, MILICO established a regional office in that city. In 1981, the company established First American National Corporation (later renamed The A.L. Williams Corporation) as a holding company for First American Life Insurance (later renamed A.L. Williams Life Insurance Company) and First American National Securities (later renamed PFS Investments, Inc). In 1982, The A.L. Williams Corporation (ALWC) underwrote a $27 million public stock offering, listed in the Over the Counter (OTC) market under the symbol ALWC. In 1983, the company became listed on the NASDAQ exchange under the same symbol.
Origin of "Primerica" name
PennCorp's massive growth due to MILICO's underwriting explosion caught the attention of Bill Woodside, Chairman & CEO of American Can Company, a former Dow Jones 30 blue chip can and container producing company based in Greenwich, Connecticut founded in 1901. Due to the growing rise of plastic as a replacement for aluminum cans, the company looked to acquire financial services providers and move away from the dying manufacturing industry, having acquired life insurance holding company Associated Madison from Gerry Tsai Jr in 1982. With this acquisition Woodside created a new financial services division for American Can and hired Tsai, who would later succeed him as Chairman & CEO, as the new head. In September, 1982 American Can and PennCorp signed a merger agreement. In 1983 the merger was finalized, making American Can the parent company of PennCorp and MILICO, signing a new contract with ALWC through the year 2000. In 1986 Triangle Industries bought American Can's packaging division, along with rights to the name of the company. Therefore on March 6, 1987 American Can announced that it would change its 86-year-old name to Primerica Corporation, hence giving birth to the new and currently recognized name "Primerica."
Acquisition by Sandy Weill
The newly-named Primerica Corporation targeted Smith Barney as the first significant purchase that moved the company completely into financial services with the May 1987 announcement of its intent to buy the Wall Street brokerage for $750 million, which would later end up as Primerica's sister company under Citigroup in 1998.
In 1985 ALWC began the procedure to open business in Canada. After encountering legal and cultural roadblocks to expanding outside the United States, ALWC began selling insurance products of Pennsylvania Life Insurance Company, a Primerica subsidiary, in Canada in 1986.
On November 30, 1988 ALWC acquired MILICO from Primerica Corporation through a stock merger acquisition for 44.58 million shares of ALWC stock, making Primerica Corporation the majority shareholder of ALWC. In December 1988, Sandy Weill's Commercial Credit acquired Primerica Corporation for $1.54 billion, retaining the Primerica name. At this time, the major businesses under Primerica Corporation were A.L. Williams, Smith Barney and Commercial Credit. On February 6, 1989 Primerica Corporation began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Travelers and Citigroup era
In November, 1989, Primerica purchased the remaining 30% of ALWC that it did not previously own and the privately held General Agent, A.L. Williams, Inc. In 1991, Primerica Corporation changed the name of A.L. Williams to Primerica Financial Services. The following year MILICO, Primerica's life insurance underwriter, changed its name to Primerica Life Insurance Company, and its broker-dealer FANS changed to PFS Investments, Inc.
In December 1993, Primerica acquired the remaining 73% of Travelers Insurance Corporation and adopted the name Travelers Inc., which was changed to Travelers Group the following year. Travelers Group included Primerica Financial Services, Smith Barney, Travelers Life and Annuity, Travelers Property/Casualty, Commercial Credit and other financial businesses.
In December 1997, Primerica announced it was going to begin offering pre-paid legal through Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., at the time both subsidiaries of Travelers Group, Inc.
In 1998, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission censured and fined PFS Investments Inc., the securities arm for Primerica, for failure to properly supervise a group of registered representatives in Dearborn, Michigan. The SEC found that PFS Investments Inc. had failed to have in place effective policies and procedures to follow up adequately on three complaints received about the Dearborn registered representatives' "selling away" activities. Prior to the SEC's ruling, PFS Investments Inc. voluntarily hired an independent consultant to review its supervisory and compliance policies and procedures to prevent and detect violations of the federal securities laws. By the date of the ruling, PFS Investments had complied with the final recommendations made by the independent consultant.
In 1998, Travelers Group and banking giant Citicorp Trust Bank, fsb merged creating Citigroup . Primerica and its affiliates continue to operate as subsidiaries of Citigroup, although the Travelers insurance business was spun off in 2002. Along with Primerica, other major brand names under Citigroup include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Citicorp Trust Bank, Smith Barney, and Banamex.
Long-time veteran executives John Addison and Rick Williams, whom Art Williams quoted in his book Coach as "two true sons of A.L. Williams", were hired as co-CEOs in 2000, with Glen Williams promoted to President in 2005.
Conventions
Primerica held its 30th Anniversary Convention August 1, 2007 through August 4, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia in the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center. An estimated 60,000 representatives attended. Primerica Secure was introduced at the event, as well as the newest term life insurance product, Custom Advantage. Notable speakers included former Chairman & CEO of Citigroup Charles Prince, founder of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Harland Stonecipher, as well as Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
Due to the general economic downturn and the fact that Citigroup had accepted bailout funds from the U.S. Government, management decided to cancel plans for the plans for the 2009 convention and a trip to a Bahamas resorts for top agents. Their statement cited the need to cut unnecessary expenses.
Technology
In 2005 Primerica representatives were able to begin submitting life insurance applications electronically through the TurboApps application developed by the Primerica Field Technology team via Palm handheld devices. Clients have the opportunity to get insurance quotes on the spot and complete the life application paperlessly. This effectively sped up the underwriting process for Primerica Life and increased the amount of policies processed and insurance face amount put into force on a monthly basis. In 2007 the electronic application process was extended to include the $.M.A.R.T. loan program, now offered through CitiMortgage, reducing the time for a pre-approval and debt solution to as little as six hours. The inclusion of the Independent Business Application was also included in 2007 to reduce the time needed to get a new recruit into the system and through state mandated pre-licensing classes.
Windows Mobile 6.1 will be rolled out by the end of April 2009. All current TurboApps, plus an enhanced Contact Manager, will be included. It is scheduled to include Mutual Fund applications for Legg Mason, Van Kampen, Invesco AIM, and Pioneer Funds and have Wireless submission, Software Updates, and Primerica Email by they end of Summer 2009.
Palm OS Support is scheduled to be terminated in July 2009.
Ratings, awards, commendations, and criticisms
Primerica's life insurance underwriter Primerica Life Insurance Company and its New York subsidiary National Benefit Life are rated A+ as "Superior" by A. M. Best as of May 2008. Standard & Poor's has the company rated AA as "Very Strong." The Insurance Marketplace Standards Association, a non-profit organization based out of Bethesda, Maryland with the intent to create ethical standards for the insurance industry, has renewed qualification for Primerica Life and National Benefit Life for high standards and quality business, "continuing dedication to ethical business practices."
In 2007, Primerica received its fourth Dalbar Service Award from Dalbar, Inc., a client service rating organization focused on raising the standards of customer satisfaction and quality in the financial services industry, for Primerica's excellent customer service in mutual funds.
In 2009 the Better Business Bureau changed their rating system from “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” to an “A+ to F” letter rating system. Primerica Financial Services received an A+ rating from the BBB, and is also a BBB Accredited Business since January 1st, 1980.
Bruce Sankin, an investment counselor, consumer advocate, and columnist, wrote in his 2005 book What All Stock & Mutual Fund Investors Should Know! of the Financial Needs Analysis that Primerica provides to its customers:Primerica Financial Services ... offers the best value for a professional financial analysis. Primerica, which creates a custom design financial report, does not charge a monetary fee for this service. Their marketing approach is, if you are satisfied with the service provided in the creation of their financial analysis, they ask for referrals as their fee.
George Boelcke, a financial consultant, wrote in an article in the American Chronicle:
Primerica Financial Services ... has made vast numbers of refinance mortgage loans through a product they call SMART. NONE of these are adjustable rate mortgages. ... Their clients are watching the mortgage crisis from the sidelines and the safely of a fixed-rate term and consolidation, thinking: "that could have been me in a foreclosure…" Because they refuse to do false, misleading, or gimmick advertising, they need to work harder to make themselves known, in spite of doing the right thing, in the right way, all the time? How sad that credibility can so often be bought by simple advertising. But if you're looking for a second opinion, some options, or perhaps a way out, it might be worth your time to get in touch with them.
In an article for the Los Angeles Chronicle, Boelcke wrote of Primerica Financial Services:
While their clients aren´t immune from market volatility, the vast majority has a consolidation loan and are on-track to becoming debt free (smart!) much more rapidly than the average family. After all, the less debt we have and the quicker we pay off our homes, the less likely we are to be exposed to any financial problems.
In their book called The ABCs of Making Money, Denis Cauvier and Alan Lysaght wrote of Primerica Financial Services:
After reviewing and analyzing thousands of business opportunities around the world one company that we found that meets all of our 15 criteria is Primerica Financial Services. Primerica is a subsidiary of Citigroup, one of the 30 Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks with more than one trillion dollars in assets. Citigroup is ranked number one on Forbes' World Super 50.
Primerica currently has 110,000 representatives in North America and is expanding internationally. From the beginning the company philosophy has been to educate their clients to buy cheaper Term life insurance - as recommended earlier in this book - and to invest the money saved. Their mission - again, much like ours - is "To help families become debt free and financially indepenent." We first noticed Primerica because their mission and core business values closely mirrors ours in terms of "Economizing, and then investing the savings." They also score points when it comes to setting up an ideal business.
For 25 years they have been a leader in providing business opportunities to motivated people, with low start-up costs ($200), low overhead expenses and stable, long term, high growth potential.
In an article on FT.Com, Francesco Guerrera, Julie MacIntosh and Justin Baer had this to say of Primerica in regards to Citi's situation:
Mr Pandit, who has pledged to move $400bn of unwanted and toxic assets off Citi’s balance sheet, has tried to dispose of some underperforming businesses such as Primerica – an insurance marketing agency – but without success.
Possible sale of Primerica
Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit has been trying to sell Primerica since 2008, but has not yet succeeded. Citi has received several bids from life insurance companies and private equity companies who would be interested in buying Primerica. The market value of the company is estimated to be $9 billion, roughly 15 times its annual earnings and Citi was trying to match various bidders in groups that could bid for the unit together.
The sale to JC Flowers & Co. LLC and Protective Life Corp was canceled due to the sudden drop in the market.
Sources
- Citigroup.com, viewed August 1, 2007
- NGE, viewed November 7, 2006
- Citigroup.com, viewed August 1, 2007
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