Our family has lived in Watauga County for well over a century. We understand how interconnected our community is.
Our business began in the 1920s, when A.J. Payne began selling life insurance. Shortly after, he encouraged his son Frank to join. From their family farm in Sugar Grove, they met clients by traveling on horseback or riding the Tweetsie rails. After A.J.'s death, Frank continued to build the business as his career, and encouraged his sons, John and Frank, Jr., to join the practice. Through many decades and national economic ups and downs, he was a trusted advisor to many High Country families and businesses.
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A.J. Payne (left), was born in Kentucky in 1870 and moved to Watauga County when he was adopted by cousins after the death of his parents. In the early 1900s, he operated a Dry Goods store while also traveling through the region selling clothes. He and his wife, Sarah Mast Payne, raised a family of two boys and two girls. A.J. was in his late 50s when he first began selling insurance with his son Frank.
Frank Mast Payne (right), was born in Sugar Grove, North Carolina in 1905. In his youth, he helped on the family farm and took up odd jobs. At age 14, he even worked for a while as a steam shovel operator. He was in his early 20s when he became an insurance salesman. He and his wife, Ellen Payne, made their home in Boone and raised two sons.
In 1971, Frank M. Payne and Frank, Jr. welcomed John into the family business. John had earned a Masters in Finance and served in the U.S. Army Finance Corps. In Boone, John and his wife Pat raised a family of two daughters and one son.
John and his brother, Frank, Jr., developed their focus separately. After their father's death, they set up individual offices. John expanded his business to meet new client needs, offering estate planning, and expanding his emphasis on retirement and group health plans.
In 2004, John's son, Andrew, joined the family business. Together they have developed their investment offerings to meet the ever changing demands of the region. John and Andrew are proud to continue the Payne father-son legacy of providing trusted financial services to the High Country.
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Andrew and John Payne after hiking Philmont Scout Ranch in Arizona, 1990.