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Sarah K. Charles, CSRIC®, AIF®

WORRY LESS... and LIVE! Advice-only financial guidance.

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Sanctuary Financial Planning Sarah K. Charles, CSRIC®, AIF® she/her
Charlotte, NC

Serving Clients Nationwide

WORRY LESS... and LIVE! Advice-only financial guidance.

11 Certified Advisor Reviews™
5 out of 5 Stars
Rate this Advisor

704.705.8773

Website

Areas of Focus

  • Choosing a Financial Advisor
  • Financial Life Planning
  • Money Psychology
  • Retirement Planning
  • Women & Wealth

About Sarah K. Charles, CSRIC®, AIF®

Hi, I'm Sarah Charles. I am a champion of women’s financial empowerment and an advocate for increasing women’s confidence when it comes to investing.

I spent over two decades at top advisory firms advising clients and advancing innovative approaches to client service before launching Sanctuary with my husband Jim in 2023.

I am committed to shining a spotlight on the advice-only model in order to democratize the planning process and increase access to independent objective financial advice. I am a passionate storyteller known for connecting authentically with stakeholders, a mission-driven thought leader on developing female leaders, and a Swiftie.

Five Things You Won’t Find in Sarah’s Bio:

✔️ Proud bonus mom to daughter Kelsey with whom I share a love of cats, Taylor Swift, sushi and shopping.

✔️ My favorite money book is “Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel. Side note: I often say that I’d be better served with a degree in psychology than economics.

✔️ I love to cook but I love teaching cooking even more. In 2013, I founded CookingWorks, a program at Roof Above where once a month I teach the formerly homeless how to cook.

✔️ I re-learned to ride a bike at 45. Now it’s one of my favorite things to do – especially in Kiawah.

✔️ I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed at 42 after a routine screening mammogram. When they say “Screening Saves Lives” they mean it.

Professional Designations

  • Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)
  • Chartered SRI Counselor (CSRIC)

Affiliations

  • XY Planning Network

Primary Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

Video

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone
Book Intro Call

Compensation Methods

  • Advice-Only
  • Fee Only
  • Flat Fee
  • Hourly Rate
  • One-time Financial Plan
  • Package Offers
  • Subscription

What to expect in the first meeting

Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to learn more about Sanctuary and how we work with clients. This 15-minute, complimentary Inquiry Call is a chance to mutually determine if the services we provide are a fit for your needs. I look forward to speaking with you.

About Sanctuary Financial Planning

Welcome to Sanctuary Financial Planning.

Sanctuary is grounded in 3 core beliefs:

1️⃣ No Bullsh*t: In an industry that has historically been plagued by conflicts of interest, lack of clarity and overuse of jargon, we wanted a model that would eliminate the BS. We chose advice-only because we believe it is the most transparent, straightforward and fair way to deliver financial advice.

2️⃣ Everyone Deserves a Plan: The majority of financial services professionals require a minimum level of assets under management (AUM) before they will work with you. Not at Sanctuary. There are no asset minimums because we believe that everyone benefits from independent, objective financial advice, and we know you’re worth more than the size of your investment portfolio.

3️⃣We Break Glass: We’re not afraid to challenge the status quo. We believe it’s time for the financial services industry to diversify beyond the AUM model in order to democratize the planning process and embrace the next evolution of delivering advice.

Our deep knowledge of financial planning is informed by our own life experiences and the financial challenges we’ve learned from along the way. This is why we are passionate about helping you reach your financial goals.

Education

Duke University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics

Hobbies and Interests

  • Beach
  • Cooking
  • Cycling
  • Family
  • Gardening
  • Reading
  • Shopping
  • Traveling
  • Walking
  • Wine
  • Working Out
  • Writing

SEC Lookup

View Disclosure

Who We Serve

  • Baby Boomers
  • Business Owners
  • Corporate Executives
  • Couples
  • Divorce
  • DIY Investors
  • Dual Income Family
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Families
  • Gen X
  • Gen Y / Millennials
  • Gen Z
  • Living in Retirement
  • Single Women
  • Widow
  • Women in Transition
  • Women Professionals

To make Wealthtender free for readers, we earn a nominal monthly fee from financial advisors and firms in exchange for marketing services (including being featured on this profile page), subject to terms of use. This compensation creates a natural conflict of interest when we favor their promotion over others. Wealthtender is not a client of these advisors or firms. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.

Write a Review


By clicking submit, you acknowledge this review is based on your own experience and reflects your genuine opinion. You also agree to our review policy, privacy policy, and terms and conditions, and give this financial advisor permission to publicly display your review on their website.

Gave us the confidence to pull the trigger on retirement!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Feb 5, 2025
We have been DIY financial planners for most of our 20 plus years together and felt we had a solid plan but before we pulled the trigger on retirement, wanted an outside look at our plan and suggestions on how to optimize. Jamie had been the primary planner, so for Kate it was a real affirmation that she really could retire at 55. Sarah and Jim spoke to both of us in simple terms when needed but also were willing to "geek out" about details. For Kate it provided great confidence and for Jamie it also raised some additional consideration about specific aspects of the plan. More generally, we are huge advocates of hourly or project based financial planning as it aligns our incentives with that of the advisors. We look forward to working with Sanctuary as needed for many years.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Jamie and Kate
Jamie and Kate

Sarah and Jim were great!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Dec 28, 2024
My husband and I used Sanctuary Financial Planning for our first financial planning experience - about 5 years after getting married and 2 years after our first child was born. We had two primary questions headed into financial planning: 1. Are we on track with our retirement savings? 2. As we consider purchasing a new home, what can we comfortably afford? Sarah and Jim helped us confidently answer both of those questions while also giving clear, simple recommendations for our investments, life insurance, will, etc.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Sarah
Sarah

Thank You, Sarah & Jim

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Dec 18, 2024
Sarah and Jim were great to work with. I've managed my finances and financial planning solo for the past 15 years. Sarah and Jim helped me understand my priorities and offered insights and guidance in a way that was specific and practical. I highly recommend working with Sarah and Jim.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Greg
Greg

Made the Process Easy - Great to Work With

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Nov 2, 2024
My husband and I were looking for a financial planning team that would be a trusted fiduciary and offer fair billing. When you are planning retirement, it is important that your financial planners know your thoughts, dreams, resources and plans. We met and worked together with Sarah and Jim Charles, Sanctuary Financial Planning. The fact that Jim and Sarah took the time to listen to our plans and helped guide us greatly eased the trepidations that we held about retirement planning. We had long held frustrations with holdings that we were unsure of how to handle or even get a straight answer from the plan manager. Jim and Sarah provided us with details and support about what our options were and how we could proceed. We are now in a much better frame of mind about our retirement plans. Working with Jim and Sarah is a true pleasure, and we look forward to continuing as we move into actual retirement and beyond.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Barry and Alice
Barry and Alice

Sigh of Relief!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jul 24, 2024
Transitioning from a managed-asset fee-based portfolio and very little or no contact from a team of brokers and sales associates, I decided to hear Jim and Sarah out on their philosophy of hourly based financial advice. All I have to say is I wish I had known this existed well before I started working with them. Jim and Sarah heard my concerns and frustrations about the lack of communication and guidance from my former brokers during the 10 plus years they "managed" my accounts including retirement, taxable and my small business. With my former brokers, there was no direction about preparing for retirement. With Jim and Sarah, I now have support and a clear path about what is needed to reach my retirement and business goals. Paying for financial advice on an hourly basis versus performance based fees makes more sense to me. Why would I EVER continue to pay brokers a fee whether I receive advice from them or not? My relationship with Sanctuary Financial Planning will be ever evolving and I feel them holding my hand every step of the way towards retirement. So much gratitude for the both of them!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Deborah N.
Deborah N.

I wish I found them earlier!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jul 8, 2024
I learned about the IRS Rule of 55 in my early 50’s and had been working with my assigned financial planner through my 403b plan (nonprofit version of 401k) to retire early (before the 59-½ allowable withdrawal without penalty). I was getting conflicting information from my assigned financial planner and the plan administrator, so I was unsure if I was making the best decisions for myself to begin withdrawing from my plan. It was scary to think about making a bad decision that could impact me negatively for a very long time. After vetting several options, I began working with Sarah and Jim about 5 months prior to my selected retirement date. Their analysis made me feel confident I was making a sound decision! They recommended adjustments to my portfolio to minimize costs and maximize gains, helped me navigate some complexities around retiring with the Rule of 55, and helped me transition to the withdrawal stage. I am enjoying my days of freedom and believe I am on a sustainable path. I look forward to continuing my relationship to ensure my long-term success. My one regret is that I hadn’t found them earlier! Note: I was initially scared off by the fees, until I learned in my vetting process how much I would be paying EVERY YEAR with other models. I am glad I took the time to understand the benefits of a fee only approach.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Vicki J
Vicki J

Great Hourly Financial Advice

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jun 26, 2024
I am a recently divorced woman who had previously been married to a CFO who handled our investments. Now it's my time to learn how to do it and with my index fund/passive investment strategy I didn't want to pay anyone to manage things full time, I felt with some education and advice I could do it myself. Sarah gave me good guidance on tax planning and overall investment strategy. I will continue working with her on an hourly basis as questions arise.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Rayme W
Rayme W

Comfort and Confidence in Planning!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jun 3, 2024
My husband and I were overwhelmed and confused running a small business and figuring out how to plan and prepare for our personal futures. With the help of Jim and Sarah our anxieties were put at ease. They took the time to get to know our current reality, past history, personalities, comfort levels, and future goals without judgement. Armed with this personalized perspective, these skilled professionals devised a plan with prioritized goals. They then helped us work through our plan to completion. From beginning to end, their guidance has been well worth their fees, and we love that there are options for us to continue working with them as our lives, goals, and business grows. We now have confidence and focus all thanks to Sanctuary!! They have made a complicated and intimidating process easy and fluid. We highly recommend Sanctuary Financial planning for any size portfolio and need.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for The Fryes
The Fryes

Very Positive Experience

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
May 25, 2024
I felt that I had financial planning and our portfolio mix in hand, but, following the accidental death of my brother, I realized that another opinion would be helpful, both as a check of my plans, and as financial input to my wife if something happens to me. A part of my previous reluctance to involve a professional in our finances comes from my distaste of advisory fees structured as a percent of assets. While I never searched for an advisor charging an hourly or fixed fee, all of the advisors that I was familiar with used the percent of assets fee structure. On the recommendation of our son, a former colleague of Jim's at Dimensional, I called Jim, understanding that his firm provides financial advice on an hourly or fixed fee basis. Jim and Sarah were able to meet with my wife and me a few days later. In that meeting, Jim and Sarah made preliminary suggestions that I had never considered. They were clearly skilled advisors. Following the meeting, I provided Jim statements of our accounts, and I input personal information into a secure template created for us and accessed through the Sanctuary website. In a few weeks, Jim provided a written narrative and charts with suggested ETFs and their portfolio percentages for each of our accounts. Jim followed with a videoconference attended by my wife and me. Again, we were impressed. I found that the changes Jim suggested were more aligned with our goals and risk tolerance than my own choices. Also, Jim proposed funds that were less expensive than some I had. My wife was completely comfortable with Jim and Sarah and their approach to financial advice, and she is relieved to know that she would have their help. We have scheduled reviews with Jim every six months. We highly recommend Jim and Sarah.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Ed DeanSusan Collins
Ed DeanSusan Collins

Exceptional Guidance on Roth Conversion and Investment Simplification by Jim and Sarah

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
May 21, 2024
I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and support that Jim and Sarah from Sanctuary Financial Planning provided to help me transition my mom away from a traditional AUM manager and simplify her financial plan. They did a fantastic job with her Roth conversion strategy, modeling the potential benefits of converting her traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Jim and Sarah also assisted in simplifying my mom's investment portfolio, recommending a few low fee ETFs instead of several individual stocks. Their commitment to being fee-only financial planners really stood out, providing assurance that their advice was solely in my mom's best interest. Both planners were highly professional, patient, and insightful. They made sure all our questions were answered and left us feeling confident in the financial decisions made. I highly recommend Jim and Sarah to anyone seeking competent and trustworthy financial guidance.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Brian
Brian

Wonderful to work with!

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
May 21, 2024
Sarah and Jim were absolutely fantastic to work with. As fee only advisors, they clearly have your best financial interest in mind. There were a few things that were really helpful for us as we were working through some personal and professional decisions that required some deeper financial analysis. First, they helped us generate scenarios based on the different courses of action that we might take. That helped us make more informed decisions. Second, they helped us re-prioritize our financial goals based on OUR values, not everyone else says we should be doing. Not only was there advice helpful, clear, and actionable, they are also fun! You can't go wrong with Sanctuary.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Current Client
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Sandeep
Sandeep