Cornerstone Advisor Group

08/28/2026

Behind every successful team is someone who keeps everything moving.

For Cornerstone Advisor Group, that person is Tyler Tillman.

As our Operations Director, Tyler is the one working behind the scenes to keep the show running. He helps solve problems, supports our team, manages countless details, and is always ready to step in wherever he is needed.

He is dependable, steady, and often the first person people turn to when they need help.

Tyler may not always be the person standing at the front of the room, but his work can be felt throughout everything we do. He is truly the backbone of the Cornerstone team, helping our team stay focused on serving their clients and moving our organization forward.

Tyler, thank you for your leadership, your commitment, and your service to Cornerstone Advisor Group. We are grateful for everything you do and proud to have you on our team.

08/25/2026

"How do I do a Roth conversion?" is the easy question. It's the wrong one.

The mechanics take about thirty seconds to explain.

Move money from a pre-tax account — 401(k), 403(b), TSP, traditional IRA. Pay ordinary income tax on the amount you moved, that year. Done. That's a Roth conversion.

Genuinely that simple.

The hard part was never the how.

It's the how much, and the when. Because that converted amount stacks on top of your income for the year, and where it lands can touch more than your tax bracket. Medicare premiums.

Other income-based thresholds. And unlike a lot of financial moves, this one doesn't come with an undo button.

The mechanics are simple. The timing is the strategy.

So the better question: if you converted this year, do you know what bracket that dollar would land in?

08/24/2026

It all starts with a question.

Not always a question about money.

Sometimes it sounds like:

“Will my spouse be okay if something happens to me?”

“How do I help my parents without putting my own future at risk?”

“Can we afford to help our children with college?”

“Am I making the right decisions, or am I missing something important?”

“What would happen if I could not work tomorrow?”

“Can I enjoy retirement without constantly worrying about running out?”

“Is there a way to make life easier for my family?”

Behind every financial question is usually something much more personal: a person you love, a responsibility you carry, a dream you are trying to protect, or a fear you have not said out loud.

A financial professional may not have every answer in the first conversation. But they can help you organize the questions, understand your options, identify what may be missing, and create a plan that reflects the life you are actually trying to build.

You do not need to have everything figured out before you reach out.

Sometimes the first step is simply asking the question.

08/20/2026

Welcome to Cornerstone, Matt Ledbetter, Managing Associate!

Matt Ledbetter brings more than 23 years of experience in the financial services industry to his role as Managing Associate for Tennessee at Cornerstone Advisor Group.

His background spans commercial lending, retail banking, leadership, and financial services, giving him a broad perspective on the financial challenges individuals, families, and business owners face. Throughout his career, he has been passionate about helping others navigate important financial decisions with clarity and confidence.

Outside of work, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, Kate, and their children, Cooper and Sloan. Much of his free time is spent cheering them on at their activities, and he also enjoys cooking, staying active, spending time with the family dogs, and listening to music. He is also active in his community, serving with organizations including United Way, the Center for the Arts, TN REIN, and several local nonprofits and advisory boards.

At Cornerstone Advisor Group, Matt combines more than two decades of financial services experience with a passion for serving others and building lasting relationships. He is committed to helping individuals, families, and business owners make informed financial decisions while providing the personal service and guidance they deserve.

Matt Ledbetter
615-857-9560
[email protected]

08/18/2026

Enjoy the life you're building for tomorrow, today.

There’s a story behind these empty chairs.

Last evening, the weather was turning stormy, and I came outside to sit on the porch and watch it roll through. I’ve always enjoyed a good rainstorm—the sound, the cool air, and just taking a few minutes to slow down.

A little while later, my daughter came outside, pulled up a chair beside me, and joined me. We sat there together, watched the storm, and had one of those conversations that you don’t always plan but end up remembering.

This morning, I walked outside and noticed the chairs were still sitting side by side.

It caught my attention because, in a way, those empty chairs were telling a story.

But the chairs aren't what matter.

The memories made in them are what matter.

It reminded me of something I see in my work as a financial advisor. We spend a lot of time talking about numbers—investments, retirement accounts, income, rates, and planning for the future. And those things are important.

But ultimately, money is a tool.

The goal isn't simply to accumulate a bigger number. The goal is to create the freedom and security to enjoy the moments that matter most—sitting on a porch with your daughter, watching a storm, having a conversation, and making memories that will last long after the chairs are empty.

Plan for the future. Protect what you've built. But don't forget to enjoy the life you're working so hard to provide for.

Because one day, all we may have left in a place are the empty chairs—and the memories made sitting in them. ❤️

08/17/2026

One Event. A Whole Team. 104 Years of Experience.

Not every financial question has a one-size-fits-all answer.

That is why our events are designed to look beyond a single product, account, or concern. We look at the whole picture—retirement income, taxes, insurance, estate planning, investments, and the goals that matter most to you.

We also bring a team.

Instead of relying on one perspective, attendees have the opportunity to hear from professionals with different areas of experience and ask questions that may cross more than one part of their financial life.

Together, our team brings 104 years of combined experience to the room.

That experience does not mean we assume we already know your answer. It means we know the right questions to ask, the details that are often overlooked, and how one financial decision may affect another.

Our events are built to help you see how the pieces work together—so you can leave with greater clarity, better questions, and a more complete view of your financial future.

Find an upcoming event in your area:
https://bit.ly/4qqhSF9



Disclosure: ESI does not offer legal or tax advice. Tax services are provided by CAG Tax Services.

08/14/2026

Every person who walks into one of our events brings a different story—and a different question.

Some are preparing to retire and wondering whether they have saved enough.

Others want to understand how taxes could affect their retirement income, how to protect the assets they have worked hard to build, or how to make things easier for their families in the future.

Some attend because retirement is approaching quickly. Others simply want to feel more informed before making an important financial decision.

Whatever brings them through the door, most are looking for the same thing: greater clarity about what comes next.

Our educational events offer a welcoming place to ask questions, learn about important financial topics, and hear practical information that may help you approach your future with more confidence.

You do not need to have everything figured out before attending. That is often the reason to come.

Find an upcoming Cornerstone Advisor Group event in your area:
https://bit.ly/4zhaMGX

08/11/2026

Have you ever asked AI a question you already knew the answer to — and watched it get it wrong?

Most of us have.

Which is worth remembering before we hand it our life savings.

AI in investing isn't silly.

Dismissing it outright is its own kind of mistake. But the output is only ever as good as the input, and the input can't account for everything that actually moves markets.

An AI model might identify what's likely to be popular. It can't tell you how people will react to that popularity. Or to the reaction. There are variables layered on variables, and most of them are human.

Real certainty comes from looking three directions at once — back at what's happened, forward at what might, and squarely at what's happening right now.

You wouldn't put every chip in one basket.

An algorithm is a basket.

So — is AI one input in how you make decisions about your money, or has it quietly become the input?

08/06/2026

Everything in your house is insured. The person who paid for it usually isn't.

The roof. The car in the driveway. The ring.

All covered.
And the one thing the entire house actually runs on — the paycheck, the person behind it — is often the last thing anyone gets around to.

Here's what nobody tells fathers:

You are the asset.
Not the equity in the home. Not the balance in the 401(k). Those exist because you get up every morning and go to work. Take that away and the rest of it starts unwinding faster than most families expect.
So when we sit down with a father, we don't start with a number. We start with the house he already built.
Here's how we would approach a situation like this:
First, the part you can count.
Mortgage. Auto loans. Credit cards. Parent PLUS loans. Student loans.
These are documented figures. Pull the statements, total them up. That's the floor — the obligations a family shouldn't have to carry alone.
Then, the part nobody counts.

Your income isn't a number. It's a timeline.
Does it need to continue for ten years so a spouse can steady herself? Until the youngest walks across a stage? All the way through a spouse's own retirement?
Different answers build very different policies.

Then, how it arrives.

A single check addresses one moment. A structured design addresses the years that come after it — the mortgage payments in year three, the tuition bill in year eleven.
Same coverage amount. Very different experience for the family living it.
Then, what it does while you're here.

The right design isn't only about the day you're gone. Depending on the structure, it can carry value the family can use along the way.
This is what we do.

Most conversations start with "how much do I need?"
Ours start with a harder question: what would have to keep happening if you weren't here to make it happen?

You've spent years being the reason your family's life works.

The policy should be built so that reason doesn't disappear with you.

📌 If you'd like to see how we'd approach a situation like this, the conversation is complimentary.

08/03/2026

Behind every strategy we deliver is a room like this one — a financial team comparing notes, challenging each other's thinking, and sharpening how we serve the families and business owners who count on us.

Over a century of combined experience, and we still show up to learn.

Because when your financial team keeps getting better, so does your plan.

That is the team approach. 🤝