Our reasons for becoming financial professionals are deeply personal. We repeatedly saw many friends and family struggling to find the help they needed to map out their financial futures. We are confident that with our understanding of personal finance, coupled with our experience as financial professionals, we can help you better prepare for the future. After years in business, we have developed a reputation for educating individuals in an easy-to-understand manner so they can grasp personal finance and use those concepts to pursue their financial objectives. We feel a commitment to our community.

Joseph Caldara
Para-Planner
joseph@caldaracompany.com
As CWA’s para-planner, Joseph constructs financial plans for advisory clients and manages CWA’s technology and web presence. Joseph also produces marketing materials. He is the son of company president Steve Caldara and has lived in Colorado all his life. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 2011. Joseph currently resides in Aurora. In his free time, Joseph enjoys writing fiction, spending time outdoors, and playing tabletop role-playing games.

Lois Lawhead
Accounting and Bookkeeper
Born and raised in the metro-Denver area, Lois is delighted to call Colorado home. Having earned a Master’s Degree in Humanities from CU Denver, she found a niche in the world of accounting/bookkeeping. She runs a small bookkeeping company, Enlightenment Accounting Services, which she founded in 2013. The first time she met Steve, he wanted Lois to bring her baby at the time, Henry, so he could meet him, too! Henry came along with her to the meeting in a baby bucket. And now this baby is in 5th grade!

Steve Caldara CLU® ChFC® RICP®
President
Phone: (303) 979-8384
Fax: (303) 979-1074
steve@caldaracompany.com
The Short Version
Steve Caldara founded Caldara, Wunder and Associates in 1996; and has over 28 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industries. He named the company after deceased family friend Charlie Wunder. Steve is passionate about helping other people with the financial resources they need to achieve their goals. In addition to his professional duties, Steve enjoys skiing, camping, and advising young people.

The Long Version
Steve was born in the Northeast and lived there until he was 13 years old. His family family then moved to Colorado, where he has resided ever since. He barely finished high school. Not sure what to do next, he went to work on the production line of a local factory – from11:30 pm to 7:00 am.

Realizing that this was not the future he wanted, he determined furthering his education might not be a bad idea. Steve enrolled in a certificate program at the local community college. He attended class during the day and spent his nights and weekends as a custodian at a local shopping mall. Within a year he completed the college certificate program, and decided to stay in school to pursue his Associate’s degree. Following his Associate’s degree, Steve enrolled in the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he spent the next three years completing his Bachelor’s degree. During his time in Boulder, Steve spent his nights working as an attendant in an alcohol rehabilitation center, while attending classes during the day.

Steve’s professional career began as a sales representative for a Fortune 15 company, where he sold large copiers and duplicators. He was responsible for maintaining a big “territory and customer base” while growing his company’s presence in the marketplace. After three years, and under corporate pressure to relocate from Colorado, Steve left this large employer and entered the field of commercial industrial real estate. Following four difficult economic years in Denver’s real estate market, and refusing to return to the large corporate world, (and wanting not to have his income and opportunities limited), Steve “crawled” out of commercial real estate to sell life and disability insurance.

What was he thinking?

For the next six years, Steve worked for a nationally known life insurance company, building a large clientele, and achieving numerous industry awards and professional recognition. He was ever passionate, though, to build his own business. Eventually, he started Caldara, Wunder and Associates. Building on his background in insurance, Steve expanded his focus into investing and financial advising.

Throughout his career, Steve has succeeded in serving his clients, profession, community and our country. He holds three professional designations. He is the chairman of his broker/dealer’s Director’s Council and a long-time member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors® (where he served on the Denver board of directors for eighteen years – three of them as the association president.)

Education

Associates Program
Arapahoe Community College Littleton, Co

Bachelor of Arts – Psychology
University of Colorado Boulder, CO.

Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®)
American College of Financial Services Bryn Mawr, PA

Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
American College of Financial Services Bryn Mawr, PA.

Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)

Professional

Copy Products Sales Representative Eastman Kodak Company Commercial

Real Estate Broker Cushman & Wakefield of Colorado

Special Agent Northwestern Mutual Life Owner

President Caldara, Wunder and Associates
NAIFA Denver