OUR HISTORY
Aldebaran Financial Insights, AFI, was founded on the belief that everyone's financial situation is unique. That everyone deserves advice that is based on where they are right now, what is important to them, and where they want to go. Our founders, Don and Sue Raber’s story serves as the foundation of our efforts to treat people as the individuals they are and to provide them with the guidance of a friend who really listens.
Our story begins in 1960 when Don graduated high school in New York and enlisted in the Navy. Our firm’s name comes from the first ship he served on, the USS Aldebaran AF-10. The Aldebaran got its name from the star Aldebaran which can be found in the constellation Taurus, where it sits as the cosmic bull’s eye. The Aldebaran, which was part of the Cuban Missile blockade, was a supply ship that provided our sailors with the resources they needed to be best in the world. Don also served on the USS Preserver which admittedly would have been a more logical ship to name a financial business after.
Don was discharged from the Navy in 1966, and then graduated from Hofstra University and married Sue in August of 1967. Don’s career in finance began almost immediately at Jamaica Savings Bank as a management trainee, and he found his way to Wall Street in 1968 as an options trader for Henry Blair & Co.
After a successful start to his career on Wall Street, he was recruited to Bache & Co. to be broker. This ultimately led to his transfer to their Charleston, WV branch in 1972, which promised shorter commutes and better weather. From there Don was recruited to Kingsport to head up the Trust Department of the First National Bank of Sullivan County, which eventually became First American (then AmSouth and now Regions). He was recruited from First American to be the Senior Vice President of Home Federal Bank (now First Tennessee) in Johnson City.
When First Tennessee acquired Home Federal in 1991, Don decided it was time to take the small investment advisory business he had formed in 1987 and head out on his own. Aldebaran Financial was born. Don, Sue and their two sons, Don 2 and Peter made up the first Board of Directors.
Since its founding, Aldebaran has built a reputation for doing whatever was necessary to make the lives of its clients better. Don and Sue passed on their highly personal way of doing business to their son, our current President, Peter and together they and the rest of the team established Aldebaran as a source of financial insights for our region.
With a solid team behind them, Don and Sue were able to travel more and spend time at their favorite places, Scotland and the Cayman Islands. Sadly, Sue passed in 2016 and Don passed in 2019. However, Sue’s joyful spirit and Don’s dedication to doing things the right way continue to guide Aldebaran in helping to making things better in whatever way it can for their friends.