Our Qualifications

The principals and associates of Carolina Financial Partners & Associates, LLC bring over 80 years of investment and retirement, and estate planning experience to the table for our clients.

John R. Kirwan, President and Principal of Carolina Financial Partners, has over 37 years of investment planning, financial planning, and retirement planning experience and is a Certified Investment Specialist and has been securities licensed since 1985. Currently, he is a registered representative with United Planners Financial Services. He also holds Life/Health, Medicare Supplement and Long-Term Care Insurance licenses. Mr. Kirwan has been a member of the Financial Planning Association since 2001. (FPA)

A resident of Matthews, North Carolina since 1988, John is involved with several civic and community activities including the Matthews Kiwanis Club, Matthews Christian Youth Basketball League, Upward Basketball, MARA Sports and he is a Butler High School Marching Band booster. He has been an instructor for the Charlotte chapter of the Institute of Financial Education and an instructor for the local Junior Achievement program. John was featured in the May 1999 issue of Registered Representative and in the Charlotte Observer on January 29, 2002.

John is also a NCHSAA registered basketball referee and has been refereeing for 32 years.

J. Trent Busby is a resident of Salisbury, NC and a graduate of Woodberry Forest School and Wake Forest University. Trent has been a licensed  registered representative since 1999 and came to Carolina Financial Partners from the mutual fund arm of Bank America Investment Services. He is currently a registered representative with United Planners Financial Services. Trent is a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and an avid golfer.

Dennis Lynch is a resident of Waxhaw, NC and a graduate of Eastern Carolina University. Dennis has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry and his main specialty is the corporate and municipal bond markets and retirement income strategies.

Dan Sullivan is now a resident of Morganton NC. Dan graduated from the University of South Carolina and has been a successful small business owner for over 25 years. Dan's main focus at Carolina Financial Partners will be helping small businesses with their retirement planning and financial planning needs along with developing financial plans and investment strategies for our high net worth clients.