James Charles has been Founder, Managing Member, CCO of Sanctuary Financial Planning since March 2023, is a control person of the firm and directly owns between 50% and 75% of it.
Sanctuary Financial Planning, LLC is a firm with $102M under management, 44 clients and 2 advisers across 2 offices, as of its September 2026 filing.
Jim Charles is Co-founder of Sanctuary Financial Planning. He worked in financial services for over three decades, working with private clients and with institutional and sovereign wealth investors, and retired in 2021 as co-Head of Dimensional Fund Advisors' Institutional distribution channel for North America. In 2023 he and Sarah Charles launched Sanctuary Financial Planning.
James Charles’ longest registration was 12 years at Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (2008–2021). Before joining Sanctuary Financial Planning in 2023, James Charles was registered through Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.
- – present · 3 yearsCharlotte, NC · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 325857
- Dimensional Fund Advisors LP– · 12 yearsCharlotte, NC · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 106482
Professional designations
Listed by Sanctuary Financial Planning
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)
Investment adviser representative registrations
James Charles is registered as an investment adviser representative in 3 states, as a resident of Texas. The first approvals date from April 2023; the most recent is California, in July 2024.
- CaliforniaSince 17 July 2024
- North CarolinaSince 10 April 2023
- TexasResidentSince 20 July 2023
Examinations
| Exam | Name | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| Series 24 | General Securities Principal Examination | 12 December 2022 |
| Series 26 | Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Principal Examination | 12 December 2022 |
| Series 7TO | General Securities Representative Examination | 12 December 2022 |
| Series 6TO | Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination | 12 December 2022 |
| SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination | Credited |
| Series 7 | General Securities Representative Examination | 23 April 2009 |
| Series 63 | Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination | 26 April 2000 |
| Series 6 | Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination | 26 April 2000 |
| Series 65 | Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination | 12 May 1993 |
- Name
- General Securities Principal Examination
- Name
- Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Principal Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Name
- Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination
- Name
- Securities Industry Essentials Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Name
- Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination
- Name
- Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination
- Name
- Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination
- Full name
- James Gregory Charles
- CRD
- 1785950
- Firm
- Sanctuary Financial Planning · CRD 325857
- Role
- Founder, Managing Member, CCO
- Office
- Charlotte, NC
- Registration
- Investment adviser registration
- In the industry since
- August 1999
- Disciplinary history
- Not yet shown here · SEC record
- Firm bio
- sanctuaryfinancialplanning.com
Where does James Charles work?
James Charles has been Founder, Managing Member, CCO of Sanctuary Financial Planning, LLC since March 2023, and is a control person of the firm.
Is James Charles a financial advisor?
Yes. James Charles has a current investment-adviser registration in California, North Carolina and Texas, through Sanctuary Financial Planning since April 2023.
How many years of experience does James Charles have?
James Charles has 27 years in the financial industry, since August 1999, across 2 adviser firms.
What exams has James Charles passed?
James Charles has passed 8 licensing exams: the Series 65, Series 63, Series 6, Series 7, Series 24, Series 26, Series 7TO and Series 6TO. The earliest, the Series 65, was passed in May 1993. FINRA credited James Charles with the SIE, which began in October 2018.
Where did James Charles work before Sanctuary Financial Planning?
Before Sanctuary Financial Planning, James Charles was registered through Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, September 2008 to August 2021.
Where is James Charles based?
James Charles’ registered office is in Charlotte, NC.
Is James Charles registered with FINRA?
No. James Charles has no current broker registration.
Is James Charles a CFP?
Sanctuary Financial Planning lists James Charles with the CFP credential (“CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)”) on its website. CFP Board confirms certification status.
Source: Jim Charles, CFA, CFP biography, sanctuaryfinancialplanning.com
Is James Charles a CFA charterholder?
Sanctuary Financial Planning lists James Charles with the CFA credential (“Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)”) on its website. CFA Institute confirms certification status.
Source: Jim Charles, CFA, CFP biography, sanctuaryfinancialplanning.com
How can I verify James Charles’ record?
Search CRD 1785950 on the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov), which publishes James Charles’ full registration record.
