Clay Blanton, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, WMCP®
Financial Adviser/President
CA Insurance License #0D39729
Clay lives in Franklin, TN with his wife Katie. They are kept busy with their five kids, Ivy, Lilly, Clayton III, Greyson and Brennon. Since moving to TN, the Blanton family loves doing things outdoors such as golfing, hiking or just BBQing with neighbors and friends.
Clay graduated with an Accounting degree from CSU Fresno in 1999. Since that time, he has focused his career on establishing financial security for both his personal and business clients. Clay has earned the CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, and WMCP® designations.
He has been, or currently is:
Past Vice President/Trustee for NAIFA CA (National Association of Insurance Financial Advisors)
Past Board Member of SFSP (Society of Financial Service Professionals)
Executive Board Member of the Fresno Estate Planning Council
Appointed to the CA Department of Insurance Curriculum Board
Clay moved to TN in March 2021. With most of his clients spread out across the US, it was an easy transition to open another location in the middle of the US. He still flies back to CA about every six weeks to take care of his original clients and local staff/advisers.
Fred Rich, MBA, CFP®, RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®
Financial Adviser
CA Insurance License #0E38994
Fred grew up on a farm in a small town in northern California where he helped out with the family business. After graduating high school, Fred moved to Fresno, California, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from California State University, Fresno. It was there that Fred met his wife, Sarah, and decided to start a family and call Fresno home. Fred began his career as a financial adviser and shortly after Sarah starting teaching high school for Fresno Unified School District. In 2012, they had their first child, Ethan and in 2015, they welcomed their second child, Ella. From day one, Ethan and Ella have been keeping the Rich’s busy. Ethan currently plays baseball, football, basketball, soccer, snowboards and rides his dirt bike while Ella is a competitive dancer and enjoys gymnastics. People always ask Fred what he enjoys most outside of work and the answer is usually whatever activities the kids are in at that time. After spending 20 years together in Fresno, Fred and Sarah decided to pack up and move to Franklin, Tennessee. They arrived in June of 2022 and are loving it. Fred is working out of his Franklin, Tennessee office and Sarah is continuing to work in education, helping out at Ethan and Ella’s elementary school. They are both proud to call Tennessee home and are excited for this new journey.
Fred is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and has been servicing his clients as a financial adviser since 2005. He started his career with Morgan Stanley as an investment adviser and in 2009 made the move to New York Life Insurance to incorporate insurance planning to his already established investment clientele. After a few years he partnered with another adviser, Clay Blanton, to start Falcon Financial which is a full service financial advisory firm. Today Falcon Financial currently has 4 advisers and 4 support staff and they service clients from California to New York and most states in between.
Fred works with a number of different clients that consist of pre-retirees, retirees, business owners and professionals. Fred prides himself on taking complex subjects and breaking them down into general, easy to understand conversations. He not only helps clients crystalize their goals, but more importantly, he helps them achieve them.
Education has always been important to Fred, and during his time as a financial adviser, he has received his Bachelor’s degree and MBA from California State University, Fresno. In addition to that he also holds the CFP®, RICP®, ChFC® and CLU® designations along with a General Securities Series 7 and Investment Advisory Series 65 License.
Here is a quick 2 minute video to show how Fred works with many of his clients. Financial Planning Video
Derrick Linman
Financial Adviser
CA Insurance License #0K68575
Derrick has been serving his clients since 2016. Being in the industry, Derrick has always found it important to continue his education and is currently working towards his ChFC® and Certified Financial Planner® designations to better serve his clients. He also holds a General Securities Series 7, and Investment Advisory Series 6, 63, and 66 Licenses.
Derrick works with clients throughout the country with backgrounds ranging from medical, farmers, executives, pensioned employees, pre-retirees, retirees, and business owners. When working with his clients, Derrick intently listens to his clients to fully understand their goals and objectives then formulates a plan that will help them achieve them in a very efficient manner. With an educational background, Derrick ensures to help his clients not just understand the plan but breaks down the complex conversation in a simple and easy way for each client to understand in their own way.
See how Derrick works with many of his clients. A Plan For Life Video
Derrick grew up in the rural parts of the Central Valley, always around farming—whether it be on the family farm, working in the fields or in the sales office. This is where he learned his discipline and desire to help others. Working in the field to the sales office, he saw every walk of life and felt a compassion to ensure that everyone had a similar opportunity to achieve their goals.
After graduating high school, Derrick began to pursue a degree in education and found a new passion in coaching volleyball at Fresno Pacific University. He graduated from Ashford University with an educational studies degree. While working as a manager at a retail store, he met his wife Heather and started a family with a desire to stay local to the Central Valley. In 2017, Derrick and Heather welcomed their first pregnancy with twin boys, Micah and Rowen. Within three years, they welcomed their third son Cooper, which completed their family. The three boys keep them active while attending weekly youth groups at their church, participating in all the local sports programs, and helping raise cattle at their grandparents’ home.
Jeremy Johansen
Financial Adviser
CA Insurance License #4047257
Jeremy grew up in the small town of Fowler, CA. After graduating high school and taking finance and economics courses at Reedley College, he decided to pursue a degree in finance from Arizona State University. (He liked the opportunity at Arizona State, but more importantly, he appreciated that the campus was much closer to his girlfriend at the time, Courtney, who later became his wife.) After graduating in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, he decided to move home to the Central Valley to be closer to friends and family.
Jeremy joined Falcon Financial and Insurance Solutions in 2020 and spent over three years in various roles for the firm, including most recently as an Associate Financial Adviser. With a passion for financial services, Jeremy assists his clients through every season of life with honesty, compassion, and integrity. Jeremy works with a variety of clients, but he particularly enjoys working with young, growing families like his own. He currently holds a General Securities Series 7 and Investment Advisory Series 66 registrations, and he is looking forward to continuing his education to obtain professional designations in the next few years.
Jeremy currently resides in Kingsburg, CA with his wife, Courtney, and his daughters, Gracie and Sadie. When he is not working, Jeremy enjoys playing golf and basketball, exercising, and barbecuing with friends and family. He is also involved with his church and seeks to build meaningful relationships with everyone he meets.
