Welcome to the Cornerstone Community – A Family Committed to Your Retirement Journey
We are the Cox family, and we know the importance of being worthwhile and having a more personal touch with your retirement planning. That’s why we founded Cornerstone Retirement Resources: to improve the way people experience retirement.
Built on the same values we live by as a family: integrity, transparency, and compassion, Cornerstone was born out of frustration with an industry that too often overlooks the individual. We were disheartened to see people being taken advantage of and clients not being put first—so we knew it was time to do things differently.
About Us
After relocating from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Chris set out to build a Local Retirement Team for the people of Arizona, one that offered more than just money management. After over 30 years in the industry Chris realized many of his clients had moved to Arizona for retirement and needed local, face-to-face connections with trustworthy professionals in every area of their lives. That’s when the vision became clear: to go beyond transactions and create a community of care and value.
Cornerstone is proudly family-owned and operated. Together, we are committed to creating a retirement experience built on trust, relationships, and real value.
We can’t wait to meet you, hear your story, and walk with you on this journey. We would love to have you as part of the Cornerstone Community.
We are Cornerstone; we’re in your corner and we believe everyone deserves a trusted resource in retirement.
– Chris, Beth and Kaylor
Favorite quote: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar
Chris Cox-
Founder & Managing Director Director
Chris Cox is the Founder and Managing Director of Cornerstone Retirement Resources, LLC, an independent retirement firm dedicated to helping retirees and pre-retirees build a strong foundation for their future. With over 30 years in the financial services industry, Chris brings more than just experience, he brings a deep commitment to relationships, integrity, and service.
Chris began his financial career in 1995 with Franklin Life Insurance Company, where he quickly recognized the power of life insurance as a foundational financial tool. His early work helping clients build solid financial “homes” laid the groundwork for his holistic approach today. In 2002, Chris became an independent financial professional and shifted his focus to retirement planning. Since then, he has specialized in retirement income strategies, long term care planning, risk management, tax efficiency, and legacy planning.
Chris grew up in the small town of York, Nebraska, where his mother was a schoolteacher and his father ran a clothing business for nearly four decades. From them, he learned the lasting value of customer service, hard work, and treating people with respect. Early in his career in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Chris was mentored by influential leaders in the financial arena who helped him realize that trust and integrity are the true cornerstones of any successful relationship.
In 2007, after 14 years of serving clients in the Midwest, Chris and his family relocated to Tucson, Arizona, a move inspired by his desire to better serve his “snowbird” clients. In Arizona Chris became a Certified Senior Advisor and still holds that designation today. What started as a practical decision to move to Arizona soon became a mission to serve the Arizona retirement community with heart and purpose.
Chris established Cornerstone Retirement Resources to be a relationship-based firm, rooted in family values and guided by a higher calling: to serve others well. He’s proud that Cornerstone is family owned and operated, with his team working by his side to provide clients with the care and attention they deserve.
Beyond the office, Chirs has been married to his wife Beth for over 30 years. They have two children together, Kaylor & Trey. Chris is deeply committed to youth sports and mentorship. Having coached his son throughout childhood, he now coaches high school baseball at Canyon Del Oro High School, continuing to invest in the lives of young adults as an assistant coach. His belief in teamwork inspired the formation of Cornerstone’s Local Retirement Team, a group of trusted local professionals who serve clients with the same standards of care and integrity that Cornerstone was founded upon. As Chris often says, “We can’t do it all; it takes a team.” Chirs calls Beth’s family farm in South Dakota his “happy place” and this is where he escapes yearly to experience his love for the outdoors.
Throughout his career, Chris has remained focused on building lifelong relationships with people who want to be treated as individuals—not just numbers. He believes that everyone has a story, and every story matters. Whether it’s providing peace of mind through financial guidance or simply being a trusted resource in other areas of life, Chris sees it as an honor to make a meaningful difference.
Favorite quote: “It’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice.” – John Templeton
Beth Cox-
Business Operations Manager
Beth Cox is the Business Operations Manager at Cornerstone Retirement Resources, where she ensures the daily operations run smoothly and the office remains a warm, welcoming environment for every client. As the wife of Founder Chris Cox, Beth plays a key role in maintaining family values Cornerstone was built upon—integrity, care, and personal connection.
Beth grew up in the small town of Hoven, South Dakota (population: 500) as the youngest of seven children. Raised on a farm, she learned early the importance of hard work, resilience, and compassion. Beth watched her father build a life of stability and pride through farming. She saw firsthand how financial stability impacts every part of life. For her family, “fortune” meant having a happy, healthy farm. Wealth to the Rausch family was well-being and family values over being financially well-off.
Determined to create a path of her own, Beth moved to Sioux Falls, where she began her career as an elementary school teacher. She married Chris in 1995, and after starting their family, chose to step away from teaching to raise their two children full-time. After relocating to Arizona in 2007, Beth devoted herself to supporting her kids’ busy schedules of school, sports, dance, and music, earning what she fondly calls her “chauffeur degree.”
As her children grew older and became more independent, Beth felt the pull to return to work. With perfect timing and a natural fit, she joined Cornerstone full-time in 2019. Her organizational strengths, love for people, and deep familiarity with the Cornerstone mission made her an asset to the team from day one. Having supported Chris behind the scenes since his early days in Sioux Falls and having connected with many of his clients over the years at holiday events, Beth already felt like part of the Cornerstone Community long before her official title.
Beth is passionate about helping others protect their hard-earned money, and she’s deeply committed to maintaining a firm where integrity and personal relationships come first. Her childhood experiences shaped a deep respect for financial security, and she brings that perspective into everything she does at Cornerstone.
Outside the office, Beth enjoys reading, listening to music, and organizing. There may be no bigger Shania Twain fan than Beth Cox. She’s incredibly proud of Chris and their two children, and she cherishes daily walks with their two dogs, against the stunning backdrop of the Oro Valley mountains.
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”
-Theodore Roosevelt
Ryan Jackson-
Financial Professional
Ryan Jackson is a Financial Professional with Cornerstone Retirement Resources, LLC and operates as an Investment Advisor Representative through Gradient Advisors, LLC. After passing his Series 65, the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam, he created Cornerstone Enhanced Planning, LLC to run investment advisory services through. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Grand Canyon University, bringing a strong foundation in client engagement, service, and strategic planning to his role.
Ryan’s early career spanned over a decade in the wine and liquor industry, where he served a diverse clientele, and he also spent years working in the restaurant industry. These experiences helped shape his people-first approach and instilled in him a deep appreciation for communication, service, and teamwork. Ryan has a background as a lifelong athlete. Having played both baseball and lacrosse at the collegiate level, he carries a strong “It Takes a Team” mindset into every aspect of his work that he developed from team sports.
Ryan’s path into the financial services industry began with the recruiting and mentorship of Chris Cox. Chris quickly recognized Ryan’s dedication to building meaningful relationships and guided him toward a career in holistic financial planning. With Chris’s mentorship and support, Ryan founded Cornerstone Enhanced Planning, LLC—an independent firm that operates in close collaboration with Cornerstone Retirement Resources. While the two firms remain separate entities, they share the same office space and are united by a common mission: to serve clients with trust, authenticity, and personalized care.
Ryan’s approach is grounded in the principles of diversification, responsible money management, and client education—values instilled early on by his grandfather, who was in the banking industry. Ryan vividly remembers his grandfather frequently stating, “You must pay yourself first and invest wisely, because no one else is going to save for you.” Today, Ryan applies those lessons by helping clients navigate both current and future financial goals through a comprehensive, holistic planning model.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Ryan is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys traveling, food, and spending quality time with his wife, Jazmin, and their daughter, Savannah. He believes every financial journey is unique and is committed to being a trusted partner in helping clients build the future they envision through personalized retirement/investment goals.
Favorite quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller
Kaylor Cox-
Creative Director
Kaylor Cox is the Marketing Director at Cornerstone Retirement Resources and the daughter of founders Chris and Beth Cox. Working remotely from Nashville, Tennessee, Kaylor leads all marketing initiatives and coordinates events to ensure everything runs seamlessly and reflects the heart of the Cornerstone mission.
Kaylor often says, “I grew up in the financial services industry,” thanks to years of listening to her dad talk about his work and observing the impact he had on client’s lives. As a naturally curious child, she frequently asked questions about Chris’s business and as she got older, those questions turned into hands-on learning. After high school, Kaylor joined the Cornerstone office and began forming meaningful relationships with many of the firm’s clients.
While she has always nurtured creative passions like music, art, and writing, Kaylor eventually discovered her greatest joy lies in serving others, especially through the Cornerstone lens of authenticity, care, and trust.
In 2017, Kaylor moved from Tucson to Nashville to pursue a career in music. This is where Kaylor met her fiancé, Alex Smith. While she still enjoys music as a creative outlet, she soon realized it was better suited as a hobby than a profession. While working at a financial firm in Tennessee to make ends meet, Kaylor uncovered a true passion for marketing and client service—and when the opportunity arose to rejoin Cornerstone remotely in 2020, she enthusiastically came back to Cornerstone, the family business.
Today, Kaylor combines her creative eye, organizational skills, and genuine care for people to enhance the Cornerstone experience for clients and their families. She loves working with her family and feels that their shared values allow them to truly make a difference in clients’ lives.
Outside of work, Kaylor enjoys singing and playing music alongside Alex, spending time with their two dogs, and caring for over 100 plants in their home and garden.
“Kindness is one thing you can’t give away. It always comes back” -George Skolsky
Laura Miller-
Client Services
Laura Miller is the Client & Office Support Coordinator at Cornerstone. With over 30 years of experience as an educator, Laura brings a unique blend of communication skills, empathy, and professionalism to her role in client services. Her passion for teaching has seamlessly transitioned into the financial services field, where she excels at making complex retirement topics clear, relatable, and approachable.
At the heart of Laura’s work is her ability to build trust and form genuine connections. Whether talking with clients about new developments or engaging in community outreach, she is committed to creating lasting, meaningful relationships. Her background in education has honed her talent for listening deeply, simplifying information, and building a positive rapport with clients.
Laura is longtime friend of Chris and Beth Cox, having first met shortly after the Cox family moved to Arizona. Over the years, their friendship grew, built on shared values and mutual respect. When Laura made the decision to retire from her teaching career, Chris immediately recognized that her warmth, professionalism, and organizational skills would make her a perfect addition to the Cornerstone team.
Outside of work, Laura is a proud wife and mother. She and her husband, Chad, have been happily married for over 26 years. Despite both attending college on sports scholarships, they somehow ended up with two children in the engineering field, a fact they still find amusing and a little mystifying. In her free time, Laura enjoys reading, cooking, and playing competitive pickleball.
