About
Sarah Yakel
Sarah brings to Meridian more than 15 years of experience in investment and trusts, coupled with an ability to clearly communicate a client’s unique path to financial peace of mind. Respected by her peers for smart investment strategies, retirement planning skills, and estate and trust expertise, Sarah brings clarity to those who come to her for help.
After graduating from Campbell University in 1999 with a degree in Trust Management and Financial Planning, Sarah joined the Trust department of Peoples National Bank, which ultimately became BB&T Wealth Management. While at BB&T, Sarah realized she wanted to help people plan for all their financial needs, not just trust assets. So she passed the rigorous Certified Financial Planner® exam. Seeking greater opportunities to work directly with clients, she left BB&T in 2004 and joined TFB Wealth Management.
At TFB, Sarah poured her energy into developing their financial planning program, helping hundreds of individuals, families, and small-business owners plan for and achieve their life goals.
When she’s not reading the Journal of Financial Planning, BusinessWeek, or some other fun magazine, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and giant puppy in their Fauquier community. She is a founding member of Leadership Fauquier, a leadership development organization, and enjoys volunteering with local nonprofits.
As for her own life goals, Sarah occasionally gets to indulge her love of cooking and travel by making something other than hot dogs or chicken nuggets, or by driving further than two hours from Warrenton. Sarah’s own financial planning goals are to build a life that allows her to both cook and travel more often.
Sarah Irving
Sarah Irving holds almost a decade of experience working within financial services. Over the last several years with Meridian, has provided holistic financial planning for families and growing professionals as well as providing financial planning, investment management, and client support for Sarah Yakel and Nathan Gilbert.
Sarah received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (surprisingly enough in Acting!) with a minor in Business Administration from Elon University in North Carolina. Sarah always had a passion for theatre and the arts; however, as she continued her education, she began to discover an intuitive understanding for finance and business, even taking Calculus classes for extra credits. After graduating college, Sarah felt a calling to pursue a career combining finance with her ability to develop and nurture client relationships.
Following this desire, she began her career at Prospect 33, a global management consultancy firm where she managed accounts and client relationships with several large international investment banks.
In 2017, Sarah joined Meridian and immediately knew that the company’s mission – providing clarity and peace of mind through holistic financial planning and wealth management – was a perfect fit with her beliefs and professional goals. Sarah’s passion for developing trusting relationships with Meridian’s clients fueled her desire to grow her knowledge in order to provide the highest quality of service and competence. In November 2020 Sarah Irving passed the Certified Financial Planner™ exam and met the rigorous training, requirements, and ethical standards to become a CFP®.
Sarah is impassioned about working with professionals and growing families in coordinating efforts to maximize their financial objectives, goals, and assets no matter what life throws their way.
Sarah is a 2019 graduate of the Leadership Fauquier program, and looks forward to continuing her mission of contributing back to her community and to those in need, currently serving with the Boys & Girls Club. When Sarah and her husband aren’t tackling some sort of DIY project together, she enjoys rolling up her sleeves and spending time on their land with her two small children, two dogs, two cats, chickens, and ducks.