Sharon Allen

Sharon Allen is the President, CEO, and co-founder of Sterling Wealth Management, Inc., a boutique fee-only Registered Investment Advisor based in Champaign, Illinois. She and her husband, Martin Allen (COO and co-founder), launched the firm in 2004 with a stated mission to be "a beacon of light in a financial services industry" by providing honest, unbiased, fiduciary advice rather than commission-driven product sales. Sterling was originally state-registered and became an SEC-registered investment advisor in 2018; it serves roughly 180 affluent client households.

Sharon has worked in managing the financial lives of affluent families and individuals since 1993. She holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) credential, and earned a finance degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At Sterling she functions as a "personal chief financial officer" for clients, advising on investment consulting, estate planning, tax and insurance planning, philanthropic strategy, and coordination of clients' other professional advisors.

Beyond the firm, Sharon is active in her community and profession. She has served as an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer in the University of Illinois Certified Financial Planning program, teaching financial planning, investing, and business topics. She is a member of the Family Wealth Advisors Council, has served as a board member and former chair of the University of Illinois Community Credit Union, and sits on boards and committees of various local nonprofits. She co-authored the book *Caught in the Middle: How Does the Sandwich Generation Woman Not Get Squeezed?*

In 2020 she was named an Athena Award recipient by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce — the 32nd local honoree — recognizing women who demonstrate professional excellence, help other women reach their leadership potential, and provide meaningful community service.

• What she actually does: Sterling is a fee-only fiduciary wealth manager, not a venture investor. The "investment thesis" is portfolio management and holistic financial planning for private clients, compensated by advisory fees rather than commissions.
• Client profile: "Successful families and individuals" — affluent households, often navigating life transitions (retirement, business sale, inheritance, the "sandwich generation" of caring for both children and parents).
• Service scope: Investment consulting, estate planning, tax planning, insurance analysis, and philanthropic-initiative development, with Sterling acting as clients' coordinating "personal CFO."
• Stated philosophy: The Allens founded Sterling on the belief that "the financial services industry is too often focused on their own good, not the good of the people they are supposed to serve," positioning the firm as an independent, conflict-free alternative that operates "more as a family than a traditional firm."