What You Should Know

About Meld Financial

Your Situation Melded With Our Experience

Financial Fingerprint™: Everything starts with developing your Financial Fingerprint™. Your Financial Fingerprint™ is a comprehensive financial plan that details your projected income, expenses and investments from now throughout retirement.

Situational Investing™: We take the time to get to know you and all the specifics of your situation so we can make certain that every dollar invested is invested with a specific purpose in mind.

Discipline: Over any extended period of time, the markets will experience both euphoric highs and distressing lows. These experiences can invoke an investor’s fear or greed, tempting them to abandon a well thought out investment plan. Our experience has taught us to remove emotions from the process, so together we maintain a disciplined and defined approach to managing your financial assets.

Suitability: It is widely accepted that a portfolio’s asset allocation is the most important determination of the long-term performance of a portfolio. Therefore, the percentage of your portfolio invested in various asset classes will be in accordance with your financial situation, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Cost-Effectiveness: Our structured mutual fund selection process compares thousands of mutual funds against each other net of fees. This way we are able to gain a true picture of the performance of the funds and ensure that our selections are cost-effective.

Rebalancing: Given the importance of selecting an appropriate asset allocation, it is also vital to maintain that allocation over time. Since investments produce different returns over time, a portfolio can drift from its target allocation, creating new risk and return characteristics which may be inconsistent with the original plan. At Meld, we examine each client’s portfolio on a regular schedule and recommend changes as needed.

At Meld Financial, We Work Together With Every Client, Each Of Us Adding Our Particular Knowledge To The Development And Execution Of A Complete Strategy.

Tax-Awareness: Tax efficient portfolio construction minimizes the impact of taxes by holding tax-efficient investments, such as equities, in taxable accounts, and taxable bond assets in tax-deferred accounts. Tax efficiency can create benefits which compound with time.

Withdrawals: Withdrawal strategies involve managing your cash flow needs while taking into consideration your portfolio, pension benefits, social security benefits, and taxes. Our goal is to implement tax-efficient withdrawal strategies to minimize your tax burden.

Our Clients Are The Driving Force Behind Everything We Do

man and kids hiking through woods

Families & Individuals

We work with a wide variety of individual clients, including corporate executives, self-employed individuals, and a wide range of professionals.

Our typical clients have saved diligently over the years. They believe their time is best spent focusing on their job and their family, and thus have not focused on developing a strategic financial plan. Because of this, they have concerns about the best way to meet their long-term, post-retirement financial needs.

man and kids hiking through woods

Large & Small Companies

We work with companies large and small to help them review, implement, maintain, and monitor their executive benefit and qualified retirement plan programs. We also provide educational services to new and existing employees.

Whether you are a small business owner looking to provide yourself and your employees with the best retirement plan for a business of your size, or are a larger corporation seeking either an alternative to your current plan or the optimal executive benefits package, we can help.

Meet Our Team

Meld Financial Team

At Meld Financial, We Work Together With Every Client, Each Of Us Adding Our Particular Knowledge To The Development And Execution Of A Complete Strategy.

Kyle Whittington, CFP®, Partner, Vice President Client Advisory Services
Kyle B. Whittington, CFP®

Managing Partner

Kyle has been in the financial services business since 2006, joining Meld Financial in January 2007. Kyle was promoted to President of Meld Financial in 2021 and continues to service Meld’s individual clients with their investment portfolio needs. In addition, Kyle oversees Meld’s Investment Department, focusing on design and implementation of investment plans for clients. Kyle also maintains our investment platforms, including Meld’s mutual fund portfolios, bond ladders, and stock portfolios.

Education:
M.S. Human Environmental Sciences (Financial Planning), University of Alabama – 2006
B.S. Commerce and Business Administration (Finance), University of Alabama – 2005
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ – 2009
Securities Licenses: Series 7, 24 and 66

Blake May, CFP®
Blake May, J.D., CFP®

Partner

Blake has been in the financial services business since 2014, joining Meld Financial in November 2018. As an Associate Wealth Manager, he assists clients in organizing, developing, implementing and maintaining a plan for meeting their financial goals, including investing, retirement planning and education saving, as well as insurance, tax and estate planning.

Education:
Auburn University, B.A. Liberal Arts (Journalism), 2006
Cumberland School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2014
Securities Licenses: Series 6, 63 and 65
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ - 2019

Jamie Cornehlson, CFA® - Partner at Meld Financial
Jamie Cornehlson, CFA®

Partner

Jamie started in the financial services business in 1994. Jamie worked with the Gartner Group, then Soundview Financial and Bear Stearns before starting his own Registered Investment Advisory practice, Capstone Investment Financial Group (Initially Dunn Warren) in 2000. Capstone provided portfolios to advisors to use with their clients. As advisors, and subsequently their business owner clients wanted help with getting what they want from their business, Jamie took his knowledge and experience of running a business to other businesses to help them implement tools to become more effective and accountable. Jamie first started working with Meld in a coaching capacity in 2014. Jamie is an implementer of the Entrepreneurs Operating System ® (EOS), a complete proven system of simple practice tools to help business owners achieve three things: Vision, Traction and Health.

Education:
MBA University of Rochester, William E. Simon School of Business
B.A. Economics, University of Colorado
Chartered Financial Analyst Designation

Patricia L. Burris, CFP® Vice President Corporate & Retirement Plan Services at Meld Financial
Patricia L. Burris, CFP®

Social Security and Medicare Specialist

Pat joined Meld Financial in 1997 serving as Vice President Corporate and Retirement Plan Services. In
February 2021 she transitioned to a part-time consulting role serving as Meld’s resident Social Security
and Medicare Specialist. She has over 40 years in the financial services industry and more than a decade helping clients navigate the maze of Social Security and Medicare.

Education:
B.S. Accounting, Western New England University, Springfield, MA – 1978
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ – 2002
Life and disability insurance license

William Burt Caldwell - Vice President of Marketing at Meld Financial
Burt Caldwell

Vice President Marketing

Burt joined the Meld Financial team in June 2018 after two decades of being a client. Burt heads up our marketing department with his key focus on developing new business initiatives. In addition, Burt manages Meld’s advertising and promotion efforts. Prior to joining Meld Financial, Burt worked with U.S. Steel Corporation for 35 years before retiring in 2016. His diverse commercial experience provides a new approach to expanding the Meld Financial brand.

Education:
B.S. Management Engineering, Grove City College, Grove City, PA – 1980
35+ years of work experience with U.S. Steel - including leadership positions in marketing, sales and customer service

Michael Guilsher, Senior Financial Advisor at Meld Financial
Michael Guilsher

Senior Financial Advisor

Michael has been in the investment advisory business since 1983, joining Meld Financial in March 2014. A tenured financial advisor, Michael incorporates experience developed over three decades of navigating uncertain times and difficult financial markets. Clients trust Michael to focus on their specific goals and appreciate that he applies an objective perspective to help simplify their financial plans. Tactical asset allocation gets clients into stronger sectors while risk management is applied via a proactive sell-side discipline. A consultative approach allows him to provide a financial road map for individuals, families, small business owners, and medical sales professionals.

Education:
B.S. / B.A. Finance, Boston University – 1980
Securities Licenses: Series 7, 24, 63
Life, disability insurance and variable annuity license

Dwight Reynolds - Senior Financial Advisor at Meld Financial
Dwight Reynolds

Senior Financial Advisor

Dwight has been in the financial advisory services since 1997. Prior to Meld, he held positions at two major advisory firms. Dwight’s emphasis is on income planning and managing investments.

Education:
B.S. Commerce and Business Administration (Finance), University of Alabama – 1977
Securties Licenses: Series 7, 66
Life, disability insurance and variable annuity license

Tami McDonald, CFP®
Tami McDonald, CFP®

Senior Financial Advisor
Brookstone Wealth Management

Tami has over 30 years in finance and investing experience. In 2017, she founded Brookstone Wealth Management in Columbus, GA, as an affiliate of Meld Financial, to share her wealth and experience with the people – and most importantly, the women – in her area. Tami is active in her community and gives her time to several organizations including Kiwanis of Columbus, Phenix City Youth Football & Cheerleading League, and The United Way of Chattahoochee Valley, to name a few.

Education:
B.A. Business Administration, Columbus State University
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Securities Licenses: Series 7 and 66

Matthew Gensler
Matthew Gensler

Managing Director, Portfolio Management and Chief Investment Strategist

Matthew has more than 20 years of investment management experience, serving as a Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist at three money management firms before his tenure at Meld. Matthew is a practitioner of the value investing philosophy made famous by Warren Buffet and Benjamin Graham.

Prior to his investment management career, Matthew spent 17 years as a mergers and acquisitions investment banker. He headed the Mergers & Acquisitions Department of Europe’s largest bank, HSBC, and was a Managing Director at Deloitte, Arthur Anderson, and Hill Thompson Capital Markets.

For ten years, Matthew was a Trustee of Touro University and now serves on the Board of the Institute of World Politics, a graduate school of National Security and Diplomacy.

Matthew’s investment focus is on understanding client needs and objectives and developing an optimal investment strategy specific to each individual client.

Education:
BA – Anthropology, Magna Cum Laude, Brown University, 1976 MBA – Finance & International Business, Beta Gamma Sigma, Columbia Business School, 1979

Holly Criss - Associate, Client Advisory Services at Meld Financial
Holly Criss, FPQP®

Associate Client Advisory Services

Holly joined Meld Financial in 2007 and provides operational support to all areas of the firm. She provides integral services in the financial planning process, servicing of client accounts, and heads up our client service commitment.

Education:
Financial Planner Qualified Professional – 2012

Ashley Burrell, CFP - Associate Wealth Manager at Meld Financial
Ashley Burrell, CFP®

Investment Operations Manager
Financial Advisor

Ashley began her career in the financial services industry in 2015, joining Meld Financial in February of 2016. Ashley provides integral support in client advisory service and investment portfolio needs. She focuses on design and detail in investment plans for clients. She also maintains Meld Financial’s investment platforms and portfolios.

Education:
M.S. Human Environmental Sciences (Financial Planning), University of Alabama – 2016
B.S. Human Environmental Sciences – Human Development & Family Studies, University of Alabama – 2014
Securities Licenses: Series 7
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ – 2019

Madison Caswell - Associate Wealth Manager at Meld Financial, Inc.
Madison Caswell

Associate Wealth Manager

Madison provides essential support in client advisory service and investment portfolio needs. He focuses on detail in investment plans for clients and plays a key role in maintaining our investment platforms and portfolios. Madison has been in the financial services industry since 2018, joining Meld Financial in January of 2021.

Education:
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, B.S. Business Administration Finance, December 2019

Justin Tackett
Justin Tackett

Associate Wealth Manager

Justin provides essential support in trade operations and client advisory service. He focuses on detail in investment plans for clients and plays an integral role in maintaining our investment platforms and portfolios. Originally an Illinois native, Justin joined the Meld team in June of 2024.

Education:
B.A. in Finance, St. Ambrose University, 2024 B.A. in Sports Management, St. Ambrose University, 2024

Whitney Clifton - Executive Assistant at Meld Financial
Whitney Clifton

Operations Specialist

Whitney joined Meld Financial in 2015 and provides administrative support to everyone in the firm. She manages the servicing of client accounts, and manages Meld Financial’s social media channels.

Meld Headshot Stevie Fleming
Stevie Fleming, FPQP®

Administrative Assistant

Stevie joined Meld Financial in 2021, and she provides administrative support to the team.

Education:
B.S. Human Services, Troy University — 2020
Financial Planner Qualified Professional – 2024

About Our Founder

Mark McGarvey, CFP® - President Meld Financial

Mark McGarvey began working in the financial services business in 1976, and he founded Meld Financial in 1984. He is now enjoying retirement as he has helped so many others to do during his career.

Mark’s vision for Meld was to “provide independent and objective services melded with customer-driven financial goals.” Today Meld Financial continues Mark’s vision and his charge that we “always recommend the same course of action we would choose for ourselves, given the same circumstances.”