Sarah J. Kaelberer
President | Partner
CFP®, ChFC, CLU
Sarah, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP® Professional), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), joined B&E in 1996, became a Partner in 2002, and took over as the firm’s President in 2014. Before assuming the leadership reins at B&E, she was often on the road, sought out by peers across the country to speak on her expertise in retirement plan solutions and running an efficient financial services practice.
Sarah’s career in large organizations — Chrysler Motors, Martin Marietta, and Kaman Corporation working with Department of Defense — prepared her for the creative problem solving required of a business adviser.
As she transitioned from the large corporate world to her home at B&E, she was thrilled to be given the opportunity to work for a small, privately held firm and focus on values-based planning. “It’s about delivering the best service to the people you are serving, with their interest and values in mind.” She wanted flexibility on how to best serve clients and develop people, so the team and the process stay relevant. Sarah has a unique ability to see and solve problems very quickly. Time management, developing efficient processes, and finding creative solutions are her strengths. An example of her being process-driven is following meetings, she writes a letter to the client summarizing the meeting and outlining follow up steps. Sarah believes, “the more we put in writing, the better off the client is.”
For Sarah, planning has to be comprehensive, and it all starts with the WHY. “If you don’t know why someone is doing something, you can’t be effective. You have to understand the why behind the solution before you can be an effective adviser.” The why drives her personal interest in getting to know her clients and helping them articulate their Goals.
Today, Sarah continues to be an active community member as a Rotarian and supports the local Chamber. Sarah and her husband Darvin have three children: Miranda, Chloe, Max. When they aren’t cheering teams on the Vikings or Twins, she and her family enjoy time at their cabin, her peaceful place.