Our Team

Ben Toben has always been passionate about his community and the people who live and work near his hometown of Manchester, Missouri. As an independent financial advisor, he serves the individuals and families in that area through objective guidance and clear advice.

He enjoys being able to ease clients’ minds by taking on the burden of planning and managing their financial lives, so they feel confident they’re on the right path toward their goals. From investment management to financial planning, Ben helps clients understand their options, advise on a course of action and stay on course toward their long-term plan. His greatest reward is seeing the smiles on his clients’ faces when they get to retire, knowing he helped them reach that milestone with confidence about life after work.

Ben serves clients through Cornerstone Wealth Management, a registered investment advisory firm founded in 2005 that now has over 100 independent advisors in 17 states and more than $6 billion in assets under management (as of 5/1/21). Advisors who are part of Cornerstone share best practices to better serve their clients allows, and shift many administrative and regulatory duties to other professionals, freeing up time to focus on clients’ needs.

As a registered investment professional with over 10 years of experience, Ben started his career with a large brokerage firm but joined Cornerstone as an independent advisor through LPL Financial, a leading financial services firm. He made the move so he could offer clients more investment options and serve as a fiduciary, offering objective investment advice.

With a deep desire to serve his community, Ben was elected in 2018 to the Board of Alderman for the City of Manchester as a representative for Ward 3. He employs his financial expertise in assisting with the city’s budget and his business experience in increasing relations between the city and its small business owners. He currently leads the Manchester Business Association, which brings together small business owners with ties to the area to discuss business-building techniques.

Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and holds his Series 7 through LPL Financial and Series 66 through both LPL Financial and Cornerstone Wealth Management. He earned the Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ designation from the College for Financial Planning. A lifelong St. Louisan, Ben grew up in Manchester and met his wife, Jennifer, at the local municipal pool. They’ve been together for more than 10 years and, deeply dedicated to their hometown, they still live in Manchester with their son, Jacob.

Allison joined Cornerstone Wealth Management in 2014 in client service. She serves as a first point of contact for clients with questions, account needs and appointments. Allison has deep experience with LPL’s account management system, ensuring client information is correct and any needs are efficiently addressed.

The combination of an easygoing nature and inherent Southern hospitality makes Allison well-suited to her role in providing exceptional service. She enjoys working with clients because it offers her an opportunity to help others and make their experience as smooth as possible.

Previously, Allison worked as a manager in scheduling and inventory control for an automotive supplier. She holds a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems from the University of North Alabama.

Allison has three boys who keep her busy and she can often be found cheering them on at baseball, golf, basketball, soccer and football. Originally from a small community in Tennessee, she now calls St. Louis home and enjoys spending time with family, traveling and outdoor activities.

Leslie Garrison joined Cornerstone Wealth Management in 2018 to lead marketing and communication efforts for the firm. She shares her marketing expertise with advisors in the Cornerstone community to help them stay connected with current clients and reach prospective clients.

Before joining Cornerstone, Leslie led the marketing team for a St. Louis-based RIA. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University and lives in St. Louis with her husband, John, and two children. When she’s not serving as a chauffeur for her kids, you can usually find Leslie running, reading a book, planning a fundraiser for her kids’ school, or having fun with family and friends.