Women’s superpower: Investing

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Sarah E Frauenholtz, CFP

Assistant Vice President
Wealth Management Advisor
Learn more about an advisor's background on
FINRA's BrokerCheck

Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management

My team and I are committed to building and maintaining strong client relationships. I am passionate about what I do and find joy in helping my clients optimize their financial life and make steady progress toward their goals.

To learn more about my team, see our team website.

Recognition

Merrill is proud of our advisors who’ve received recognition from financial industry publications or directly from Bank of America Corporation. We believe they are setting the standard for exemplary client service.

Sarah E Frauenholtz

Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” 2024
Published on January 12, 2024. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2023.*

Click here to learn more about advisor recognitions

Profile

Sarah Frauenholtz is an Assistant Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor with The Kelly Wealth Management Group at Merrill. Sarah engages deeply with clients, embracing their priorities as her own and helping them implement a more strategic approach to multiple aspects of their wealth. She offers a strong quantitative background coupled with a profound interest in people—their stories, interests, and aspirations. This genuine passion for people allows her to have a meaningful impact on clients’ lives and legacies, orchestrating steady progress toward a more secure and satisfying financial future.

Clients from varied backgrounds seek Sarah’s assistance. Some are wealth creators, including business owners and entrepreneurs, who have complex balance sheets. Others are professionals, physicians, and executives who have demanding careers, leaving them with less time to manage their financial affairs. And still others are first- or second-generation immigrants, drawn to the promise and potential of the American dream. To these situations and others, Sarah brings her characteristic energy, insight, and empathy, helping people from varied generations and life stages pursue the lives they envision.

A former collegiate athlete and team captain, Sarah is very comfortable leading and mentoring others. She looks to support clients by spearheading steady action on their long-term goals, while streamlining their day-to-day needs. Her areas of focus include wealth planning, balance sheet analysis and optimization, and strategy implementation. Sarah looks to educate the clients she serves without judgement, inspiring them to see what is possible for their financial lives.

A member of Merrill and The Kelly Wealth Management Group since 2015, Sarah has spent her entire career as a Financial Advisor. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, where she was a four-year varsity-letter-winner for the Fighting Saints' volleyball team. She holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Eager to give back to her community, Sarah is a current member of the Promotion Committee of the Downtown Everett Association and previously served on its Board. She also volunteers in the classroom for Financial Beginnings, a charitable organization that is dedicated to teaching financial literacy to youth and adults. Within Bank of America, Sarah serves as a Better Money Habits Champion—a grassroots initiative to enhance financial well-being in the larger community. She has also served as a CYO volleyball coach, sharing her love of the game with the next generation of young athletes.

Sarah and her husband, Luke, reside in North Everett with their son, Paul, and twin girls, Lacy and Zoe. In her free time, Sarah loves to be with her family, particularly outdoors. One of her favorite family activities is crabbing in the Puget Sound. When time allows, she also enjoys cooking and attending live music events with family members and friends. She welcomes ideas for great outdoor destinations or concerts and is happy to share her own favorites.

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Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

  • LANGUAGES

    English

  • EDUCATION

    Carroll College

Professional Staff

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, my team is comprised of talented and experienced individuals committed to building strong client relationships based on trust and personalized service.

Additional Resources

The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.

Inga Fetsek

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Bryant Wolfson

Alternative Investments Regional Specialist

Bank of America, N.A.

Bill Grey

Structured Credit Executive

Bank of America, N.A.

Where do we begin? It starts with you.

At Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, your financial advisor focuses on the things you care about most- family, goals and priorities - even as they change over the years.

Understanding Your Life

Welcome

Among the reasons I chose to join the financial services industry is my desire to help others. As witness to the challenges faced by important people in my life, I believe that having a professional team to help make sound financial decisions is priceless. I offer an empathetic perspective that looks to support and educate clients, without judgment, so we can uncover efficiencies across multiple aspects of their wealth.

Philosophy

You live in a world that’s constantly changing. Markets can fluctuate frequently. Potential investment opportunities can arise daily. Regulations are enacted or amended. That’s why understanding you and your situation is the best place to start helping you plan your financial future: where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow, and what you want to accomplish along the way. By understanding you and your priorities, I can more effectively provide you with the experience and resources needed to help you build a personalized plan that is rooted in the unique complexities of your life.

Approach

No two investment approaches are alike because no two investors are alike. Working closely with you the team examines key components of your life plan to help you create a financial strategy with personalized advice and measurable goals. The team helps you track progress to your goals and works with you to adjust your investment style and strategy over time, as needed.

Capabilities

Merrill’s process is designed to help deliver a customized, comprehensive experience to assist you not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. Providing you with access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help you manage all of the pieces of your financial life. Working one-on-one with a Merrill advisor means you have a single point of contact to help you with potential strategies for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Digital Tools for Clients

We’re here to help you pursue your goals — and to make your busy life a little easier. With MyMerrill, you can access your investment accounts how, when and where you want to. MyMerrill Features include:

  • Information about your Merrill account(s) such as holdings, unrealized & realized gains/losses, account activity, statements, etc.
  • Research & insights from Merrill’s industry leading research team.
  • Secure Inbox for sharing information & documents electronically with our team.
  • e-Signature for signing various documents and forms.
  • Real-time quotes, watch lists & alerts.
  • Money transfers between your various accounts at Merrill and Bank of America (including bill pay features).
  • Authorizing 3rd Party, read-only access to your accounts (helpful for sharing pertinent information with CPAs & Attorneys).
  • Additional security features.
  • MyMerrill Mobile App (available on Android, iPad and iPhone mobile devices).

​Here are some links to help you understand how the features work: 

*Any information presented in connection with BofA Global Research is general in nature and is not intended to provide personal investment advice. The information does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any specific person who may receive it. Investors should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. BofA Global Research does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision.
*Institutional Investor magazine announced BofA Global Research as one of the Top Global Research Firms in 2022 based on surveys held throughout the year. The magazine creates rankings of the top research analysts in a wide variety of specializations, drawn from the choices of portfolio managers and other investment professionals at more than 1,000 firms. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Learn more about the methodology at Institutional Investor. Rankings and recognition from Institutional Investor are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement.

Staying on Track

We understand that both your life and the financial markets can change over time. By checking in to discuss changes in your life and revisiting your financial approach, our goal is to help you stay on track to achieve what's most important to you.



Reviews to help you
stay on track

We’ll meet with you to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward reaching them. We’ll also discuss any adjustments needed to your financial approach to help you stay on course.



    Changes in your life
    and to your goals

    Your life and goals change. As these changes occur, we can update your approach to reflect them.

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    #DigitalMerrill

    MyMerrill is your online destination for access to your financial information, secure communications, and a robust offering of tools and capabilities.

    Your advisor is a click away within our site or mobile apps

    You can manage account security with our customizable security capabilities such as touch ID, one time passcode, and other security features

    Access to your complete financial life is available with My Financial Picture, Merrill’s asset aggregation tool

      Let’s Have a Conversation

      We believe there is no substitute for having a relationship with a team of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisors committed to your needs, who can leverage the investment insights of Merrill and offer access to the banking convenience of Bank of America to help clients navigate the financial and economic landscapes. Let’s work together to help you pursue your goals.

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      DISPLAYING:

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      Why Merrill?

      As Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisors, we will sort through the financial complexities of your life, helping you build a customized investment approach to address your needs and pursue your goals.


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      We put you first, every day.
      Learn more about the dedicated one-on-one relationship you can have with a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor.

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      Transcript of Video 

      No question too big or moment too small
      For every question you have, every decision you make and every answer you need, we are with you to listen and help guide you along the many paths your life can take. Watch this video to see some questions we can address together.


      The Power of the Right Advisor®
      Working with a dedicated Merrill advisor means you get personalized investment strategies from Merrill plus access to comprehensive financial solutions only Bank of America can deliver.

      Personalized advice from a dedicated financial advisor.

      We get to know you and your family, your financial situation and what matters most to you.

      A comprehensive approach, built around your life’s priorities.

      Drawing from our experience and the best thinking of Merrill, together we will design an approach that reflects your unique needs, priorities and financial situation.

      Adjusting your investment approach as your life and the markets change.

      We will work to help you stay on track, regardless of what the markets are doing.