Financial planning and investment management based in Colorado Springs, CO

Many wealth management firms primarily focus on growing investment accounts, and most advisors are compensated based on the amount of assets they manage under the traditional assets-under-management model. At Cornerstone, the focus is on more than just investment management. My goal is to help you align your financial life with what matters most through proactive planning, wise stewardship, thoughtful investing, and ongoing guidance.

That is why Cornerstone is independent, fee-only, and flat-fee. I believe those decisions better align my incentives with my clients and allow me to provide more objective advice focused on long-term stewardship and wise decision-making, not simply gathering and managing as many assets as possible.

Planning is a verb; a plan is a noun. Planning requires action, while plans simply require paper. I believe financial planning should be an ongoing relationship, not a one-time transaction. Life changes, priorities evolve, and new investment opportunities arise, so my goal is to walk alongside you with proactive guidance, thoughtful analysis, and ongoing planning over time.

Practically, that means there will be seasons when we meet more frequently, or you have more questions, and other seasons when things are quieter, and there is less to address beyond my normal service calendar. At a minimum, I like to meet twice per year for updates and reviews, but many conversations throughout the year revolve around financial decisions, investment opportunities, life changes, or anything else where you would value guidance and perspective.

Not necessarily. I do not have a strict asset minimum requirement because many clients hold a significant portion of their wealth in real estate, businesses, or other assets outside of traditional investment accounts. Instead, I charge a minimum annual flat fee (see the Services page) to ensure I am fairly compensated for the level of planning, analysis, and ongoing guidance I provide.

Because of that, there are certainly situations where the fee may not make sense relative to someone’s financial situation. However, I always want to have an open conversation. If you strongly connect with my philosophy and would like to explore working together, feel free to reach out, and we can discuss whether it might be a good fit.

I work best with clients who value ongoing financial planning, proactive advice, and thoughtful decision-making, regardless of whether their wealth is primarily in investments, real estate, business ownership, retirement accounts, or other assets.

As a fiduciary, I am legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest at all times. That means recommendations are made based on what is best for you, not commissions, product sales, or outside incentives. Beyond the legal obligation, I genuinely enjoy helping clients gain clarity around their values, goals, and financial decisions so they can live more intentionally and build their ideal life today, not just at some arbitrary point in the future.

I believe financial advice should be objective and as free from conflicts as possible. As a fee-only advisor, I do not earn commissions for recommending investments, insurance, or financial products. My compensation comes directly from clients, helping align our interests and reduce many of the conflicts that often exist in traditional financial advisory relationships.

I believe advice should be based on the complexity of your financial life, not simply how much money you have invested with me. Because I work extensively with real estate investors and provide in-depth analysis and guidance on investment properties, a flat fee based on investable net worth allows me to be compensated for the full scope of planning, strategy, and value I deliver, which goes far beyond merely managing a traditional stock and bond portfolio. This fee structure allows us to focus on comprehensive planning, stewardship, and wise decision-making without creating incentives to gather more assets or discourage investments outside my direct management. 

As I have grown in both my faith and wealth journey, I have wrestled with bigger questions about what I am building, why I am building it, and how I should use it. I believe wealth should be about more than accumulation. Good stewardship means using your resources wisely to support your family, live intentionally, give generously, and make a meaningful impact, all while planning thoughtfully for the future.

I also believe many people, including people of faith, struggle to fully think through these questions. Many have never been challenged to approach stewardship intentionally, and they are unsure how to balance generosity, providing for their family, creating meaningful experiences, and making a lasting impact in the lives of others all at the same time. I want Cornerstone to help people navigate this tension with the confidence that they're not alone, that none of us are perfect or have it perfectly figured out, and that there's incredible opportunity to do better regardless of your stage of life!

I believe investing should be disciplined, evidence-based, tax-efficient, and aligned with your long-term goals, not driven by headlines, speculation, or short-term market predictions.

My investment philosophy is grounded in academic research and factor-based investing, emphasizing broad diversification, long-term thinking, prudent risk management, and maintaining discipline through changing market conditions.

Rather than simply focusing on generating retirement income, I believe investing should support a broader purpose: creating long-term flexibility, financial independence, generosity, and the ability to live more intentionally over time.

Buying a home is one of the largest financial decisions most families will ever make, yet many people overlook the role real estate investing can play within a broader wealth-building strategy. I do not push real estate investing, but for clients who are interested and for whom it makes sense, I help them thoughtfully evaluate and integrate real estate into their financial plan.

One reason I feel strongly about offering both financial planning and real estate guidance is that real estate decisions are often disconnected from the broader financial plan. Many financial advisors are not experienced in real estate investing, and traditional assets-under-management fee models can create conflicts of interest when clients move money from investment accounts into real estate opportunities.

As both a financial planner and real estate investor, I help clients evaluate real estate decisions through the lens of taxes, cash flow, opportunity cost, retirement planning, risk management, and long-term wealth building so those decisions fit thoughtfully within their overall financial life.