Our history

The great work we do comes from the roots cultivated by our founders, John T. (Jack) Blankinship and Charles Foster. Jack and Charles came from different backgrounds, but they shared the same passion for doing their very best for the clients they served, and for elevating the profession of personal financial advice and planning.

A new vision

When Jack Blankinship established Blankinship & Associates in 1974, the profession of financial planning was still in its early stages. The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation was still very new, and a movement to change financial planning to a true profession was gaining strength. It was a shift toward recognizing financial planners not as product salesmen, but as professionals providing important counsel on personal financial matters.

Jack became an active proponent of this movement. Passionate about his profession, he focused on promoting the CFP designation and elevating the financial planning process. He was committed to adding a “fiduciary standard” to the CFP Code of Ethics.

Charles Foster joined Jack in 1988, switching careers after many years of work in the high-tech field. He brought his experience in engineering and business, along with his dedication to serving clients in their best interests. In 1989, the partnership of Blankinship & Foster was formed.

Throughout the 1990’s Jack and Charles worked to improve the financial planning profession while growing their practice and serving their clients. Jack served as President of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP) (which later became the Financial Planning Association), President of the Board of Governors for the CFP Board of Standards, and Chairman of the International CFP Council.

Sustaining the vision

Jack and Charles put together a team of professionals who shared their philosophy of client-centered services. In the early 2000’s Stefan Prvanov, Jon Beyrer and Rick Brooks joined the firm, became partners, and joined the leadership team. In 2010, with the leadership team firmly in place, Jack and Charles retired.

Jack and Charles’s legacy continues through the present day. The leadership team has expanded with the additions of Teresa Kakadelas, Monica Ma, and Alina Stromberg. Our expertise in serving physicians, professionals approaching retirement, and retirees has grown. Our staff has grown, and we are now a well-rounded group of professionals. The financial planning profession has grown as well, with the addition of a fiduciary standard formally included in the CFP code of ethics.

We are proud to continue the vision that Jack and Charles devoted their careers to making a reality.