At Cornerstone Financial Benefits, we believe a successful retirement starts with a strong foundation. That’s where our name comes from. Just as the cornerstone of a building helps support everything built upon it, a well-designed financial plan serves as the foundation for a secure and fulfilling retirement.
Founded in 2005 by Tim and Shiela Ward, Cornerstone Financial Benefits has helped individuals, families, and business owners throughout West Central Illinois prepare for the future with confidence. Our approach goes beyond simply accumulating assets. We help clients develop personalized strategies that coordinate retirement income, investments, insurance protection, tax-efficient planning, and wealth preservation.
Many people spend decades saving for retirement but never develop a plan for turning those savings into reliable income. We believe retirement planning is about more than building wealth—it’s about creating a strategy designed to help support the lifestyle you want while navigating life’s uncertainties.
Whether you’re preparing for retirement, already retired, growing your investments, or planning for future generations, our team is committed to providing personalized guidance and building long-term relationships based on trust, integrity, and service.
At Cornerstone Financial Benefits, our mission is simple: help clients build a strong financial foundation and pursue confidence in every stage of life.
Whether you are preparing for retirement, transitioning into retirement, or already retired, having a comprehensive financial plan provides the foundation for making life’s most important financial decisions. At Cornerstone Financial Benefits, our advisors work closely with clients to develop personalized strategies designed around their goals, priorities, and vision for the future.
As an independent financial services firm, we have access to a wide range of investment, insurance, and retirement planning solutions. This flexibility allows us to focus on what matters most—helping clients make informed decisions that align with their unique circumstances and objectives.
We believe successful retirement planning is about more than accumulating assets. It requires a thoughtful strategy for generating income, managing risk, addressing taxes, and adapting to life’s unexpected changes. Because retirement can last 20, 30, or even 40 years, having a plan in place is essential.
Our process begins by getting to know you—your goals, concerns, family, and financial situation. From there, we develop customized strategies designed to help you build wealth, create sustainable retirement income, protect what you’ve worked hard to earn, and pursue long-term financial confidence.
Our mission is simple: to help clients create clarity, confidence, and control as they prepare for and navigate retirement.
We are here to answer your questions and provide help when it comes to managing, saving, investing, growing and protecting your wealth. Browse the resource library here—we invite you to read, watch and learn more about the basics of finance and retirement. And remember, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Helping You Make Better Financial DecisionsWe offer a tool called Asset-Map to help give you more financial clarity. An Asset-Map report visually organizes all of your household’s finances in a clear graphical layout allowing you to visually see where you stand, and allowing us to apply professional insight in real-time. Asset-Map helps us collaborate in our efforts to work together with you to help you achieve your goals.
Browse through our animated videos to learn about financial principles that can help you whether you are busy accumulating and growing wealth, getting ready to retire in five to 10 years, or living in retirement now. One of our biggest goals is to educate consumers about financial matters, especially retirement, and we hope these videos help make things clearer.
The articles on our blog are designed to teach you about financial concepts that can help you in your pursuit of financial independence, attaining greater wealth, investing wisely, saving for retirement, retiring someday, paying for college for your kids, putting an estate plan in place, and many other topics. Be sure to bookmark it and come back regularly!
Are you ready to create a tangible plan to take you to and through retirement? Ideally, we will start at least five to 10 years prior to your desired retirement date. Our process will start with discovery—we will help you understand what you have in place and answer the question, “how much is enough” when it comes to how much income you will need in retirement and explore potential sources to meet those needs. Consultations are free and without obligation. Please call us at (217) 322-4969 or fill out and submit this form.
