Connect with Jon brown

As a Certified Financial Planner, Jonathan brings a holistic approach to serving his clients by creating a customized financial plan. This financial plan encompasses retirement planning, risk management, estate planning, special needs planning, portfolio and asset allocation analysis, and education planning.

Jonathan started his career in 2005 with the Vanguard Group in Charlotte. While at Vanguard, he served as a client relations associate for their High Net Worth clients and trained newly hired associates to the firm. In 2009, Jonathan earned his Certified Financial Planner Designation after completing the CFP certificate program at UNC-Charlotte.

Jonathan joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2009 and worked in the Huntersville office until 2012. In December 2012, he had the opportunity to relocate his family to Greenville, SC and open Cornerstone’s office there. Since moving to Greenville, Jonathan has served on the board of the Red Shoe Society, which is a professional organization that supports the Ronald McDonald House of the Carolinas. He is also a member of the Greenville Estate Planning Council.

Jonathan has been married since 2012 and has two beautiful daughters and two twin boys. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, traveling, and playing the occasional round of golf.

Areas of Focus

Comprehensive Financial Planning

Budgeting/Cash Flow Analysis

Risk Management

Retirement Planning

Investment Management

Defined Contribution Plan Design Assistance

Defined Benefit Plan Design Assistance

Executive Benefits Consulting

Estate Planning

Special Needs Planning

Education

Ohio University, Athens, OH
BS in Business Administration & Finance

University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Certified Financial Planner Certificate Program

Professional Credentials

Connect with Jeff Carbone

Jeff Carbone, a Founding and Managing Partner of Cornerstone Wealth, has been working in the financial service industry since 1991. He provides professional money management services as well as comprehensive financial planning strategies.

Jeff is dedicated to providing uncompromised attention to detail as he reviews his client’s current financial situation, risk tolerance, and personal priorities. He believes successful investment management is achieved through a balanced focus of enhancing returns and managing risk while maintaining harmony between wealth preservation and portfolio growth.

Jeff began his financial career with American Express Financial Advisors. There he spent eight years as a senior financial advisor and district manager before moving to Prudential Securities. Jeff joined Andy Smith and Brian Needleman in 2001 to form Cornerstone Wealth.

Jeff is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the prestigious Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO). As an ardent believer in making a lasting contribution to his community, he supports the Harrison Nichols Foundation, Special Olympics, Davidson Day School, Ada Jenkins Center, Hope House, and the Cornelius Animal Shelter.

Areas of Focus

Comprehensive Financial Planning

Budgeting/Cash Flow Analysis

Retirement Planning

Business Owner Strategies

Executive Benefits Consulting

Investment Management

Tax Reduction Strategies

Estate Planning

Wealth Transfer

Asset Protection

Risk Management

Education

St. John’s University
BS in Business Management

College for Financial Planning, Centennial, CO
Certified Financial Planner™ Program

Professional Credentials

Connect with Jerett DiMarzio

Jerett joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2014. He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, and previously worked as a Bank Manager at Bank of America. With a background in banking and lending, he brings a holistic approach to each client engagement.

As a Wealth Advisor holding the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® certifications, Jerett focuses on comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families. Jerett focuses on retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning and investment and risk management. Jerett also works with business owners and corporate executives to develop and implement financial planning that include wealth transfer and estate tax reduction strategies.

Jerett actively participates with Habitat for Humanity with his F3 group and has also taught financial education classes at Goodwill Industries. He also volunteers with The Special Olympics of North Carolina teaching golf.

Areas of Focus

Comprehensive Financial Planning

Risk Management

Investment Management

Retirement Planning

Executive Stock Option Analysis

Closely Held Business Owner Exit Planning

Wealth Transfer and Legacy Planning

Education

Kent State University, Kent, OH
Criminal Justice, and Psychology

Queens University, Charlotte, NC
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Program

Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut
Certified Private Wealth Advisor®

Professional Credentials

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Certified Private Wealth Advisor Certification®
Investment and Wealth Institute

Insurance Licenses:
Life, Accident, and Health
Long-Term Care and Medicare Supplement

Connect with Rachel Posner

Rachel joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2018 as Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to working at Cornerstone, she worked at SEIA and as an examiner for FINRA in their Atlanta District Office.

Rachel holds the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designations. She earned a Bachelor in Business Administration from The University of Georgia. She has also completed Compliance training programs by the National Regulatory Society (NRS) and the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP). Currently, Rachel served three years on the Schwab Compliance Advisory Solutions Board, which provides feedback and guidance on the Schwab Compliance Technologies system (SchwabCT).

Rachel is originally from Baltimore, MD, and has lived in Atlanta, GA, and Los Angeles. In 2017, Rachel moved to the Charlotte area, where she enjoys spending time with her son, taking part in local activities, and visiting her extended family in the Mid-Atlantic area.

Rachel is a proud grad of the University of Georgia and has worked in financial compliance for over 17 years. Her experience in compliance is deep and includes working as an examiner for FINRA in their Atlanta District office. As the Cornerstone Chief Compliance Officer, Rachel is responsible for ensuring that the highest industry standards are upheld, and for the firm adherence of all industry regulation.

Areas of Focus

Compliance Analysis

Fiduciary Guidance

Education

Business Administration
The University of Georgia

Professional Credentials

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)

Connect with Ed Wood

Ed joined Cornerstone Wealth as a wealth advisor in 2011 and became a partner in 2018.  Prior to his tenure at Cornerstone he spent 15 years in the financial services industry with Principal Financial Group’s Executive Benefit Planning Group and serving as Sales Vice President of Highland Capital Brokerage.    

Ed attended East Carolina University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology with a minor in Business Administration 

Over the past 21 years, Ed has used this foundation of process-driven education in science and business along with his accomplishment of obtaining his designations as both a Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Investment Fiduciary to excel in helping people accomplish their financial goals. 

Ed works with two types of clients:   

1. Individuals that are preparing for retirement or currently retired that have a desire to protect and grow their wealth.  He helps them pursue their financial goals through a comprehensive financial planning approach.
2. Business Owners that have personal planning needs that involve a more sophisticated approach because of business ownership.  There are also times when the business has key employees that need to be taken care of on a selective basis through such plans as deferred compensation or other executive benefit and business succession planning approaches. 

 Ed’s success can be attributed to the following: 

• Understanding the complexities of an ever-changing financial climate and knowing how and when to make recommendations in the client’s best interest. 
• Being dedicated to developing strong relationships with clients based on honesty and integrity. 
• Being Independent and serving as an investment fiduciary, working to put his client’s needs first.    
• Striving to establish the proper portfolio allocations based on an individual’s risk profile and desired cash flow modeling.   
• Possessing a skill set required to also excel in corporate qualified and non-qualified benefit planning.

Ed enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.  They like to entertain friends and family which allows Ed to put his culinary skills to work.  playing golf and soccer are two of his favorite hobbies.  Ed spends time giving back to the community by volunteering at local food banks and when possible, he organizes and participates in fundraising efforts for local charities.   

Areas of Focus

Retirement Planning

Estate Planning

Wealth Transfer Planning

Education Planning

Insurance Planning

Executive Benefit Planning

Education

East Carolina University
Industrial Technology & Business Administration, Minor

College for Financial Planning, Centennial, CO
Certified Financial Planner™ Program

Professional Credentials

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Securities Exams Passed:
Series 7- General Securities Representative Exam
Series 63- Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam
Series 65- Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam

Insurance Licenses:
Life, Accident and Health
Long-Term Care and Medicare Supplement

Connect with Richard Fallon III

Richard joined the team in 2021 as a Wealth Advisor on the Private Wealth team with Managing Partner Jeff Carbone in Huntersville, NC. Prior to joining Cornerstone, he worked at Wells Fargo where he served as a Financial Advisor. 

Richard focuses on working with individuals and families to develop comprehensive goal-oriented wealth planning strategies. He believes that each client deserves attention to what gives them peace of mind. He does so by positioning portfolios to address all clients’ financial goals from retirement planning, funding education, estate strategies, and many other personal and business objectives. 

Richard is a graduate of East Carolina University with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor.  

He is currently working on his CFP designation. Outside of work, Richard enjoys the outdoors. You can find him playing golf, fishing, or exploring nature with his fiancée Alison and his dog Eli. 

Areas of Focus

Comprehensive Financial Planning

Budgeting/Cash Flow Analysis

Retirement Planning

Investment Management

Risk Management

Education

B.S.B.A. in Finance from East Carolina University

Professional Credentials

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^™

Securities Exams Passed

Series 7- General Securities Representative Exam

Series 66 – Uniform Combined State Law Examination

Insurance Licenses:
Life, Accident, and Health

Connect with Matthew Sandberg

As a Wealth Advisor & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner, Matthew focuses on holistic financial planning to assist clients in building their future and legacy. From planning for retirement to saving for college, Matthew specializes in developing comprehensive strategies to help clients reach their financial goals and deliver them a peace of mind.

Prior to joining Cornerstone in 2016, Matthew worked as an analyst in the financial services industry for Fiserv. In his free time, Matthew and his wife Taylor can be found spending time on Lake Norman or hiking with their daughter Ellie and golden retriever Dixie.

Education

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BA- Exercise and Sports Science
BA- Economics

Wake Forest School of Business – Certified Financial Planner

Professional Credentials

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Securities Exams Passed:
Series 7-General Securities Representative Exam
Series 66-General Securities Representative Exam

Insurance Licenses:
Life, Accident & Health
Long-Term Care & Medicare Supplement

Areas of Focus

Comprehensive Financial Planning
Budgeting & Debt Reduction
Retirement Planning
Investment Management
Risk Management
Estate Planning

Connect with Rodney Wendt

Rodney is a Wealth Advisor in Aiken, SC and works directly with Jeff Powell. Prior to joining Cornerstone in 2022, Rodney worked as a Junior Advisor with a focus on Retirement Planning, Portfolio Construction, and Tax Reduction Strategies. Whether the goal is Debt Reduction, Financial Planning, or Wealth Accumulation – Rodney enjoys working closely with clients to define and achieve their objectives. In his free time, Rodney and his fiance Emilee can be found walking trails along the river with their bloodhound, ‘Hank.’ Rodney also enjoys playing golf, exercising, cooking, and traveling.

Areas of Focus

• Goal-Based Financial Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Portfolio Construction
• Strategic Withdrawal Strategies
• Tax Reduction Strategies

Education

Augusta University Bachelor of Science – Major in Finance, Minor in Economics

Exams Passed

•  Series 7 – General Securities Representative
• Series 66 – Uniform Combined State Law Exam
• Insurance: Life, Accident and Health

Connect with Shari DeStefano

Shari joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2017. As a client services manager, she provides support for Wealth Advisors and the Executive Team as well as oversees client service associates. Shari answers client inquiries, assists in meetings between clients and advisors, and assists clients with information pertaining to their accounts and investments. Shari also provides training and mentoring for new hires of the firm.

Shari has a BA in Business Management from North Carolina State University and over 25 years of customer service experience. She started her career in corporate training and spent the past 13 years managing a medical supply company.

Education

North Carolina State University
BA in Business Management

Connect with Abby Jenkins

As a Relationship Manager, Abby is responsible for client service in the Aiken, SC office. In 2003 she began her career with Maralyn Henry Financial Services. In 2012 Abby joined Cornerstone Wealth when Maralyn Henry merged her practice with the firm.

Abby enjoys serving clients and building long-term relationships. Her job responsibilities include opening new accounts, account maintenance, scheduling and facilitating client review meetings.

Abby is involved with Carly Unlimited and volunteers with the annual Carly Unlimited 5K for Epilepsy Awareness. Abby is also an active member of her church.

Education

Augusta State University
Paralegal Certificate

University of South Carolina
BA – Business Administration/Finance

Connect with Terrie Stark

Terrie joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2006 as an Administrative Assistant and was promoted to an Operation Associate in 2007. In 2011 Terrie was instrumental in coordinating the transition to LPL Financial. Today, she is the Operations Manager and works closely with advisors and the executive leadership team.

Terrie began her career in financial services as a Systems Analyst with Provident Life Insurance Company in Chattanooga, TN, and she also worked with National Life Insurance Company in Nashville, TN. She is experienced in database management and has coordinated various projects within schools and churches, working with student and adult volunteers.

Terrie specializes in operations, with responsibilities for opening and maintaining accounts, processing transfer, and distribution requests and researching and resolving issues that may arise with custodians and sponsor companies where accounts are held. She is often involved in special projects that require the development of processes, problem-solving and attention to detail. Terrie is a member and supporter of the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Education

Carson-Newman University
BS – Accounting

Connect with Bob Benton

Bob joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2018 after spending six years with Morningstar Inc. as a Manager of their Back Office Services Team. As a Technology Platform Administrator at Cornerstone,  Bob oversees future system integration initiatives, owns the primary relationship with our IT partners, and investigate how to better leverage untapped capabilities in our existing technology infrastructure to maximize efficiency. He also focuses on exploring the RIA software ecosystem to evaluate additional enhancements to Cornerstone’s technology stack.

His primary responsibilities consist of integrating a variety of technology solutions that support both the staff and investors. Bob is also responsible for trading, portfolio rebalancing, custodian aggregation, and performance reporting.

Bob has been married since 2017 and has two children. His hobbies include competitive ten-pin bowling and staying up-to-date on new technology in the industry.

Professional Credentials

Securities Exams Passed:
Series 65 – Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam

Connect with Christin Brower

At a very young age Christin learned the value of a dollar. Her grandfather instilled in her how saving when she was young and as she grew older would benefit her in so many ways throughout the stages in her life. She tries to impress this upon others her age while strengthening her knowledge in the financial industry.

Christin joined Cornerstone Wealth in May 2021 as a Client Services Associate. She currently coordinates the new client onboarding process, paperwork for client meetings, and helping with general service needs. She has 4 years of experience in the financial industry working in insurance and client services with Northwestern Mutual and Atlanta Financial Associates.

Christin was born and raised in Dunwoody, Georgia. She recently moved to the Greenville area at the end of November 2020. She is looking forward to exploring the new city this summer.

Outside of the office, Christin enjoys participating in anything competitive. She has recently taken up golf and is looking forward to playing more this summer. Her next goal is to complete another half marathon at Disney World. She enjoys watching all college sports especially the March Madness tournament.

Connect with Karen Guffey

Karen brings over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry working with broker-dealers and RIA firms. She specializes in operations, account openings, cash management, and account transfers. Her strengths are relationship building, organization skills, attention to detail and problem-solving. As a Senior Operations Associate, she is responsible for directly supporting the Operations Manager.

Karen has a Business Administrative Degree and Business Management Degree from Belmont Abby where she graduated Cum Laude. She is the mother of three amazing and successful daughters. Karen’s happy places are Kiawah Island and Death Valley at Clemson University. She also enjoys volunteering in the school system reading with special needs children. Karen attends church at The Cove.

Education

Belmont Abby
BS – Business Administration

Connect with Jennifer Hollifield

Jennifer joined the Cornerstone Wealth team in 2009 and supports wealth advisors in the Huntersville, NC office. She considers working with clients a distinct privilege and aims to provide first-rate service.

Her prior experience includes serving as a legal assistant in the area of estate planning, as well as a legal assistant and executive assistant for five years at Bank of America.

Jennifer enjoys running outdoors, paddle boarding, and spending quality time with her three wonderful daughters and two darling ‘grand-dogs’.

Education

University of North Carolina, Charlotte
BA – English

Professional Designations

Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ FPQP^®

Connect with Julie Indovino

Julie Indovino joined Cornerstone Wealth at the Huntersville office in June of 2021 as a Front Office Administrator.  Julie recently relocated from New York with her husband and three sons.  Before moving to North Carolina, she was an administrative assistant in the New York school system for over 13 years.

Connect with Kara Kunz

Kara joined the Cornerstone team in 2022. She supports Wealth Advisors to service clients’ needs in Huntersville, NC. She began her career in Trust and Investment Management working with 401(k) and pension plans at PNC Bank. Kara worked for 11 years with retirement plans as a Relationship Manager at M&I Bank and Wachovia Bank.

Kara spent 14 years working at her children’s school before coming back to the financial services field working with individuals in 2020.

Education
Miami University
BA International Studies

Connect with Cameron Meares

Prior to joining Cornerstone in April 2022, Cameron worked in the Private Wealth Group at UBS as a Client Service Associate. As an Analyst, Cameron assists the Chief Investment Officer with ETF and mutual fund due diligence, macroeconomic analysis, and portfolio security selection. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. Cameron attended the University of South Carolina graduating with a double major in Finance and Risk Management & Insurance in 2020. He currently lives in Columbia, SC.

Areas of focus

Portfolio Construction

Manager due diligence

Security Selection

Fundamental Analysis

Education

BS Finance, Risk Management & Insurance – University of South Carolina

Professional Credentials

Securities Exams Passed:

Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam

Series 66 -Uniform Combine State Law Exam

Connect with Gretchen Monteleone

Gretchen joined the firm in 2015. As Staff Accountant, Gretchen handles all revenues, expenses, and payroll. She has over nine years of experience in accounting with small to mid-size companies. Prior to joining Cornerstone Wealth, Gretchen held the position of Accountant for a mid-size company in Charlotte for many years.

Gretchen has a proven and practiced track record of experience working with accounts, customers, and employees.

Gretchen is an avid reader and enjoys the outdoors. She has a passion for animals and adopts highways/beach accesses for litter clean up. She gives back through several charities to families who have lost loved ones to cancer.

Connect with Andrea Pine

Andrea has been working in the financial services industry since 2000. Her primary responsibilities consist of supporting the Greensboro staff and managing the day-to-day operations of the Greensboro office. Andrea also supports all Cornerstone advisors with 401(k) plan clients.

She started her career in the mortgage and real estate sector before transitioning to personal and business investments in 2000. Her previous positions include Institutional Services Manager and Operations Manager for Alaska USA Trust Company. She moved to North Carolina in 2006 from Anchorage, Alaska. Andrea joined Cornerstone Wealth in 2013.

Andrea supports the operations department and works with the partners and wealth advisors to maintain new and existing client accounts.

Professional Credentials

Securities Exams Passed:
Series 7- General Securities Representative Exam
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam

Connect with Jason Rippy

As a Compliance Specialist, Jason works on compliance matters for the firm. Jason has 17 years of experience in the banking and financial industry with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and LPL Financial.

Jason’s comprehensive and diversified experience affords him a holistic perspective in the wealth management industry. Accuracy, efficiency and earning a client’s trust and respect are goals Jason strives to meet with every interaction.

Jason works with the firm’s principals and specializes in implementing internal controls to ensure the firm stays up-to-date with all rules and regulations.

Jason supports Hands on Charlotte.

Professional Credentials

Securities Exams Passed:
Series 7 – General Securities Representative Exam
Series 63- Uniform Securities Agent State Law Exam

Connect with Tiffany Welshans

Tiffany joined Cornerstone Wealth in April of 2019 at the Huntersville, NC office and provides support to clients and the rest of the Cornerstone team. Tiffany brings a high level of professionalism to the firm along with a strong drive to enhance productivity and the client experience.

Tiffany has over 15 years of experience in customer service and sales support in various roles including the mortgage and loan industry.