The Financial Architects – Building Something Great!

ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS

About Us

Who We Are

At The Financial Architects, we believe that everyone deserves a roadmap to financial success. Since our inception, we’ve been dedicated to empowering families, individuals, and businesses with the tools and knowledge they need to protect what matters most and build a secure future.

Our Mission

To educate and empower. Whether it’s through life insurance solutions, financial planning, or legacy-building services like living trusts, we strive to make financial literacy and security accessible to everyone.

Our Core Value

Hold to principles and deliver outstanding work that meets personal and firm standards.

Meet The TFA Team

The team behind The Financial Architects is made up of qualified financial professionals who are passionate about helping individuals and families achieve their ideal retirements. You need to know how to buy life insurance if you want to leave your family the most coverage at the lowest cost. We will help you determine how to get the lowest cost and the right insurance company that fits your needs. We have helped – and continue to help – families secure, collectively, hundreds of millions of dollars in life insurance protection.

MANUEL SOTO

CEO & Managing Partner

JENNIFER RAMOS

Managing Partner

RON BROWN

Managing Partner

ERIKA MANZANO

Senior Partner

ANDREAS KRAMER

Partner (Seminar Speaker)

CELESTE SIERRA

Franchise Owner

DELIA PLASCENCIA

Franchise Owner

JORGE HERNANDEZ

Managing Partner

DENITA CLARK

Investment Advisor

BROOKE TERAN

Franchise Owner

SARAH RUIZ

Franchise Owner

MANUEL SOTO

C.E.O. & Managing Partner

Manuel Soto, “The Financial Architect,” has been in the financial industry for nearly two decades. He is the owner and CEO of TFA Insurance Advisors, which is headquartered in Chino Hills, CA.

Manny went from a TOP producing agent to a broker/owner at a young age. By following his personal mantra, “Change what you’re doing to change what you’re getting”, Manny has accumulated close to 2,000 personal clients and has trained thousands of insurance agents, registered representatives, and investment advisors.

What sets Manny apart from other financial representatives is his needs based planning programs. He does not believe in a one size fits all strategy. Manny knows that designing a course of action varies contextually. He knows that a beginner family has different needs than a senior citizen in their retirement age. His ability to customize these plans is possible because of his financial skill set developed through years of experience and study.

Manny is a HUGE believer in results based financial strategies and enjoys sharing his knowledge by speaking publicly. In order to spread the word on the ever changing financial industry, he often speaks at events on programs ranging from Social Security, annuities, life insurance, college planning, business structures, reverse mortgages, and many more.

During the pandemic, Manny also made a decision to franchise the financial planning opportunity. In this way, he hopes to expand The Financial Architect’s reach so that people all over the United States are receiving the financial knowledge they deserve.

Feel free to add him on Facebook @manuelsotoInstagram @moneybusinessmannyLinkedIn, and YouTube to find out the latest up to date news on The Financial Architects and the financial world.

JENNIFER RAMOS

Managing Partner

Jennifer Ramos is the Managing Partner of The Financial Architects and has been licensed in the financial services industry for over 20 years. With a passion for teaching, Jennifer established herself early in her career as the “trainer of the trainers” and has coached and mentored hundreds of new financial advisors entering the industry. In her previous firm, she was inducted into the Sales Hall of Fame for the number of clients she had helped. As a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, Jennifer expanded The Financial Architects’ footprint by opening an office in the city to serve her neighbors and the community.

RON BROWN

Managing Partner

Ron Brown is the Managing Partner of The Financial Architects. Ron retired from his first career of over 30 years in the automotive industry and has worked with some of the top dealers in the country. He was with the Penske organization for 18 years where he “grew up” in the business from being a general sales manager, general manager to president of a region. With the love of helping people and seeing the need for sound financial education, Ron joined his life partner of 16 years, Jennifer Ramos, in business, who has been in the financial industry for over 20 years.

ERIKA MANZANO

Senior Partner

Erika Manzano is a PROUD mother of two young adult children and “Glammy” to the love of her life Benjamin. She started her career in accounting and bookkeeping, which also led to working with escrow, title, real estate, and mortgage industry, then full-circle to the financial services, which have now become her passion and calling. She has worked with several clients, who have now become trusted friends.

She specializes in planning strategies that can help achieve her client’s personal financial objectives, whether it be from starting a family to business owners while keeping the client’s goal in mind.

Let me help you design a plan that does not have to be challenging, regardless of your budget.

How confident are you about having a comfortable retirement?

ANDREAS KRAMER

Partner (Seminar Speaker)

Andreas (Andy) Kramer was born and raised in Germany. He moved to the U.S. in 1999 and earned his Doctoral degree in Business Administration in 2003. A husband and father of two teenagers, Andy held several executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, including Sony BMG, Harman International, Samsung, and Deutsche Bank. He also played a key role in various startups across industries like biotech, coffee import, healthcare, and print/media. Today, he is the Principal of Kramer Cruz Group with Compass Real Estate. Andy recently joined TFA, further expanding his expertise in financial services.

CELESTE SIERRA

Franchise Owner

Possessing 27 years of experience in mortgage financing, Celeste Sierra is an experience and driven mortgage professional. As the Broker/Owner for the number one mortgage provider, LOAN|BOX Loans Celeste is dedicated to providing top-quality service to each of her clients.

Celeste’s career in mortgage began with American General Finance nearly twenty years ago. As American General Finance’s Assistant Manager, Celeste became acquainted with extending loan and retail credit, evaluating risks, and managing closing consumer and mortgage loans. When she joined Los Angeles’ Central Installment Credit Corp. as Senior Loan Consultant, her expert knowledge and sales acumen enabled her to consistently exceed sales expectations. In the years following, Celeste furthered her skill and experience by serving as Manager and Broker of Record with JL Investments Pasadena and Vice President and Sales Manager for Bank of Manhattan, where she managed and oversaw the Pasadena, Glendale, and Montebello regions.

Aside from her work in mortgage, Celeste also holds a Real Estate Broker License in the state of California and an affiliate member of both the Pasadena-Foothills Association of Realtors and the Arcadia Board of Realtors. Celeste holds an AA in Liberal Arts from Los Angeles’ Harbor Community College, which she attended from 1994 to 1996. Since her graduation, Celeste has completed the American General Finance, Inc. A.I.G. Insurance Group’s manager certification program and studied international business at the University of Phoenix in Los Angeles. In the past, Celeste has held a Life Insurance Sales license, served as a Notary Public, and been a member of the California Association of Mortgage Professionals (CAMP).

For Celeste, her dedication to meeting the mortgage needs of her neighbors in the greater Los Angeles area goes hand-in-hand with passionate involvement in community affairs. Celeste is a proud member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, a committee member for the Young Professionals Network for Arcadia Board of Realtors, and served as a committee member for the 2013, 2014 PFAR Charitable Foundation’s Wreath Fundraiser and Wine-tasting Fundraiser in 2014, 2015 and present Chair for Wine-tasting fundraiser 2016. Furthermore, Celeste has also been politically active in lobbying for the mortgage industry during her twenty year-long career. In fact, Celeste’s community involvement, leadership ability, and business expertise had her named 2011’s “Outstanding Small Businesswoman” at the 12th Annual Women in Business Legislative Update and Awards luncheon, hosted by California Senator Carol Liu and Assemblymembers Mike Gatto and Anthony Portantino.

When not working tirelessly to provide quality mortgage services or better her community, Celeste is the proud mother of two young girls, Cayllie and Mayah and delights in spending time with them.

DELIA PLASCENCIA

Franchisee Owner

Born to parents who migrated from Guadalajara, Mexico, I’ve always been fueled by the immigrant spirit. My journey began at the age of 14 when I took on my first job at a Mexican food restaurant, learning the value of hard work and dedication from an early age.

Blessed with two incredible children, Andria and Eliana, family has been at the core of my life. Together with an old colleague, we co-owned a staffing agencies that specialized in the manufacturing sector, providing employment opportunities to hundreds of individuals in the Inland Empire.

From a young age, I harbored a dream of becoming an interior designer. In 2014, I turned that dream into reality by attending a private interior design school in Newport Beach, California. The launch of my interior design firm in 2016 allowed me to work on diverse projects, ranging from spas to buildings, as well as fulfilling personal endeavors.

The challenges brought by the pandemic in 2020 didn’t deter me; instead, I co-launched a podcast focusing on topics such as relationships, marriage, divorce, and faith. This venture not only allowed me to connect with a broader audience but also provided a platform to share insights and experiences during unprecedented times.

My journey took a turn towards the financial services sector. I embraced new opportunities and challenges with humility. Today, I find myself humbled by the diverse experiences that have shaped my path. My sister and I took a leap of faith and decided to open a TFA franchise. It’s been a learning experience and we love the process and enjoy helping families.

Each step has been a chapter in my story, illustrating the power of dreams, resilience, and the pursuit of meaningful connections, guided by my faith and belief in God’s grace.

JORGE HERNANDEZ

Managing Partner

DENITA CLARK

Investment Advisor

Denita Clark is an Investment Advisor with The Financial Architects Wealth Management and a Managing Partner with The Financial Architects. Denita brings with her 20 years of experience and provides insight into how clients can save more and build their wealth, minimize taxation as well as, protect their families and their assets. This is often done by constructing a portfolio of investments that are well suited to the client’s risk tolerance, age and time horizon. She also reviews a client’s income, marital status, indebtedness, or savings in order to gather a solid understanding of a client’s situation and needs.

Denita is big on educating and empowering others. She has repeatedly been asked to speak to students and educators in Corona Norco Unified School District. She believes that financial literacy allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions. With financial resources and understanding basic financial concepts, this would allow people to navigate in the financial system. She’s convinced that with appropriate financial literacy training, people make better money decisions and manage finances better than those without such training.

Helping to make people become financially literate is not the only thing that gets Denita moving everyday. Being an Alumni of The Ohio State University and a player of various sports, she loves watching her Buckeyes. She married a former athlete and produced two scholarly and athletically inclined children (one in basketball and the other in volleyball). Needless to say, this formula leads to a very busy and competitive home life and she loves watching her children compete.

In closing, Denita simply wants to assist people with becoming financial free and assist them with making informed and educated decisions so they can lead their best life whether they’re high net worth or good old middle class anything’s possible with proper planning, preparation and persistence.

MANUEL SOTO

C.E.O. & Managing Partner

Manuel Soto, “The Financial Architect,” has been in the financial industry for nearly two decades. He is the owner and CEO of TFA Insurance Advisors, which is headquartered in Chino Hills, CA.

Manny went from a TOP producing agent to a broker/owner at a young age. By following his personal mantra, “Change what you’re doing to change what you’re getting”, Manny has accumulated close to 2,000 personal clients and has trained thousands of insurance agents, registered representatives, and investment advisors.

What sets Manny apart from other financial representatives is his needs based planning programs. He does not believe in a one size fits all strategy. Manny knows that designing a course of action varies contextually. He knows that a beginner family has different needs than a senior citizen in their retirement age. His ability to customize these plans is possible because of his financial skill set developed through years of experience and study.

Manny is a HUGE believer in results based financial strategies and enjoys sharing his knowledge by speaking publicly. In order to spread the word on the ever changing financial industry, he often speaks at events on programs ranging from Social Security, annuities, life insurance, college planning, business structures, reverse mortgages, and many more.

During the pandemic, Manny also made a decision to franchise the financial planning opportunity. In this way, he hopes to expand The Financial Architect’s reach so that people all over the United States are receiving the financial knowledge they deserve.

Feel free to add him on Facebook @manuelsotoInstagram @moneybusinessmannyLinkedIn, and YouTube to find out the latest up to date news on The Financial Architects and the financial world.

SARAH RUIZ

Franchise Owner

Sarah Ruiz is an ambitious learner and firm believer in financial literacy, embodying our purpose “To Educate and Empower.” Born in Mexico and transitioning to the United States at the age of nine years old, Sarah began developing a passion for learning, while graduating with honors with English as a second language. She furthered her passion for personal development and began to seek out opportunities to fuel the desire to support others through education.

Sarah brings a vast range of experience to better understand and support the needs and opportunities of her clients. Deep-rooted in her upbringing, Sarah’s passion to support financial literacy in the hispanic community is complemented by her devotion to empower female entrepreneurship. She has only begun to scratch the surface of creating limitless growth for her clients and team within her new role.

We are excited to have Sarah in this elevated role as Franchisee with the Financial Architects!

JAHZEEL LARA

Partner

Jahzeel Lara is part of the newer wave of financial professionals being born from The Financial Architects. For the past three years, she has been working as the lead contracting, licensing, and operations manager for TFA acting as Manny’s right hand woman. She is now an agent based in Whittier, CA servicing both English and Spanish speaking clients. Jahzeel is a proud business graduate of UCR and a firm believer in philanthropy over charity, which fuels her ambition to help families with their financial needs and make a significant difference in their lives.

TOM & TERRIE BUI

Managing Partners

The Office of Tom & Terrie Bui handles financial planning, tax and insurance services and we are proud to be a branch of The Financial Architects in Orange County. Tom Bui is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Licensed Financial Services Professional and Terrie Bui has been a Certified Licensed Financial Professional for over 8 years helping people from all walks of life with financial education and proper planning for their future. Tom is a proud graduate of CSU Fullerton and has always been gifted with accounting skills and tax planning strategies while Terrie found her passion in finance and insurance after graduating from University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 and has since been a wonderful financial educator and planner.

Their team strongly believes in educating families, business, and companies on all areas of finance including retirement planning, tax deduction strategies, and insurance options as they learn that people do not plan to fail but they just fail to plan due to the lack of trusted and truthful information in finance, tax and insurance. They launched a campaign in 2017 called Community Outreach Financial Education Class (COFEC) – a monthly class for the public and broadcast LIVE on COFEC page for everyone who seeks financial education.

Their growing team consists of dedicated and knowledgeable licensed professionals that can help families in multiple languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin and Taiwanese), Hmong, Thai. Career opportunities are also open for those who share their team’s values and principles.

JAMES MONROE

Managing Partner

James Monroe grew up in Southern California and Southern Washington, and has been in the Financial Services Industry since 2006. Since moving to Medford in 2017, James has served as an Assistant Wrestling Coach for South Medford High School, Vice President for Integrity Connections BNI, Launch Director for Southern Oregon BNI, volunteered for Junior Achievement, and has most recently been accepted on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Tech Foundation at Oregon Institute of Technology. After living in the Rogue Valley for only one year, James placed 2nd in the “Best of the Best of Southern Oregon” in the Financial Advisor category, which was an amazing honor. James recently joined the team at The Financial Architects in March of 2019.

His business platform primarily focuses on three areas:

  1. Strengthen the relationships of his clients like members of his own family with regards to creating, growing, and managing their wealth in order to enhance their current and future financial needs.
  2. Teaching families the basics of financial literacy, as it is not taught in schools. James enjoys breaking down very complex ideas into very simple to understand terms and helping them execute for their future.
  3. Expand networking relationships to help more people become financially educated and take them through a step by step process to reach their financial goals.

James Monroe has spoken in various industry conferences and provided his thoughts on economic events, innovative products, and the future of the financial services industry as well as his personal track record and performances.

In summary, his strength is to teach families and individuals on how money works and how to better manage their money in simple common sense terms! James and his team pride themselves on being Visionaries and believe in working towards “Seeing Peoples Future”.

If you have further questions or would like to contact James call (541) 708-3688.