"So... What's the Best Investment You've Got?"

I started Primerica in June of 2017 at 21 years old when I was recruited across the kitchen table after being a client for over a year.

I had been working construction and delivering drywall for a few years ever since I failed a class in St Lawrence Colleges Paramedic program in Cornwall Ontario. At 20 years old, working and making $30,000 a year while living at home with my parents and no financial responsibilities life seemed pretty good. But the longer I experienced the day to day grind, waking up at 445 am every day Monday to Friday and having no idea when my shifts would be finished, I started to realize I wanted change.

I had asked my parents for some guidance financially because I was making money and didn’t know what to do with it which is how I was introduced to Jared and Tom since my parents had been Primerica life insurance clients.

To this day, I still remember telling Tom and Jared that I wanted “the best investment you’ve got” because I wanted to start saving for a downpayment for a house within the next few years. Straight and direct, Jared told me the best investment he can offer me is an IBA and a license to work with this company within this industry. The rest is history.

I didn’t get off to a fast start by any means. In fact June 2017 was my IBA date but I believe my start date was the closing ceremony at the last Primerica convention in Atlanta in 2019. I came home and was actually fired from my part time job after I had left construction early that year - I was suddenly full time in Primerica. I was a district leader going into Atlanta and by the end of November 2019, I had received my Regional Leader promotion! Big decisions happen at big events!

Fast forward two years and we’ve been able to build a solid foundation and understanding of what it takes to win in Primerica and make money to stay in business while you’re building a business. My focus for 2021 has been team cash and baseshop licensing. I want to help my teammates become more confident and competent so we can build a front line of 7-10 key leaders just like Art Williams always talked about. As a result, our goal is to cross the stage in Atlanta in 2022 as new RVP’s and opening up our own branch!

What a business!

As for Hannah and I, we have quite the story as well. We originally went to prom together way back in high school but as the new school year came around, life took us our separate ways. 4 years later after Hannah completed her program at Seneca college and York University to become a registered nurse, she came home and graduated earlier then expected due to York going on strike. We crossed paths again at a local junior hockey game and reconnected instantly. Fast forward 3 years later we are engaged, building our first home and beginning life together.

Hannah and I reconnected after I had been in Primerica already so it was something I had always done. In the beginning it had started off as something that I was doing but after I asked her to come out to an OP night just for her to have more of an understanding of what it is that I had actually been doing. Now, she’s a huge advocate for financial education and is always sharing the financial principles that we teach with co-workers and family! Our goal is to become RVPs, have Hannah get licensed, and once we start our family, have Hannah stay home and retire her from nursing for good - which has always been a dream of mine.

Thanks to Primerica, 3 years and 11 months ago when Jared offered me the best investment he could, this incredible company has taught me the principles of money which not only have changed our financial future, but also given me the return on our money that I was initially looking for a downpayment on my first house.

We are not only so blessed to be a part of Primerica but also to be a proud member of the Legacy Builders, the Revolution, the Worldclass Leaders, and our very own Team Momentum. Hannah and I can’t thank each and everyone of you for all the encouragement, love and support that we’ve received not only after crossing over the power builder watch, but also in our Primerica career so far.

We are truly in the right place, at the right time!

So blessed to be your teammates,

Hannah Toffelmire & Gerald Bilker