What McCarthy & Cox does

McCarthy & Cox is a fee-based registered investment adviser providing comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services primarily to individuals in or approaching retirement. Founded in 1999 by Tom McCarthy in Marysville, Ohio, the firm has grown into a 20-person organization with primary offices in Marysville and Dublin, Ohio. Over 90% of the firm's clientele is over age 50, reflecting a deliberate focus on retirement-age planning needs. The firm delivers five integrated service lines — retirement planning, wealth management, tax minimization planning, estate planning, and insurance auditing — through CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals and supporting investment, operations, and marketing staff.

The firm employs proprietary investment products via its MC Select Portfolios tactical asset allocation models, which hold diversified exposures across domestic and international equity, fixed income, and alternative asset classes including commodities, real estate, structured investments, and liquid alternatives. Client account access and portfolio management run on the Orion wealth platform (replacing the prior Investor360° portal), with Fidelity/National Financial Services providing custody and brokerage. Advisory services are formally offered through Kintra Wealth, an advisor-owned RIA platform in which McCarthy & Cox became a founding member in April 2026; Kintra manages $4 billion in AUM across 74 employees in eight states.

Revenue is generated through subscription-based advisory fees on financial planning, wealth management, and related services rather than product commissions, with billing on an annual cadence. Client acquisition is relationship-driven, leveraging local community presence in Marysville and central Ohio, referrals, content marketing (website resource center, bi-monthly 'The Good Life' newsletter, 'Toast to Retirement' vodcast series), and client appreciation events. The firm also maintains distinct community engagement vehicles, including the McCarthy & Cox Cares Fund (over $70,000 donated to date through the Union County Foundation) and the Elizaveta Adoption Fund (nearly $80,000 assisting 17 families in adopting 22 children), which double as brand-building and referral-generation mechanisms.

Name

McCarthy & Cox

Legal name

McCarthy & Cox Retirement & Estate Specialists LLC

Website

https://mccarthyandcox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McCarthy & Cox is a fee-based registered investment adviser in Marysville and Dublin, Ohio providing retirement planning, wealth management, tax minimization, estate planning, and insurance auditing services to individuals, with over 90% of clientele over age 50.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory & Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Discretionary Portfolio Management (Retail) (FSAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Retirement planning
• Wealth management
• Estate planning
• Tax minimization
• Insurance auditing

Headquarters

HQ city

Marysville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fee-Based Financial Planning and Advisory Services: Advisory services offered through Kintra Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. The firm operates on a fee-based model for financial planning, wealth management, retirement planning, estate planning, and insurance auditing services. Revenue is generated through advisory fees rather than product commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McCarthy & Cox is a fee-based financial planning and wealth management firm offering integrated advisory services to individuals close to or in retirement. The firm's core offering comprises five service lines—Retirement Planning, Wealth Management, Tax Minimization Planning, Estate Planning, and Insurance Auditing—delivered by CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals through the MC Select Portfolios tactical asset allocation models and supported by the Orion wealth platform.

Product overview

McCarthy & Cox is a fee-based financial planning and wealth management firm offering a unified suite of financial advisory services focused on individuals close to or in retirement. The core offering comprises five integrated service lines: Retirement Planning, Wealth Management, Tax Minimization Planning, Estate Planning, and Insurance Auditing. The firm also offers proprietary investment products through its MC Select Portfolios (tactical asset allocation models), educational content via its Toast to Retirement vodcast series, and community charitable programs through the McCarthy & Cox Cares Fund and The Elizaveta Adoption Fund. Services are delivered through a 20-person team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals leveraging the Orion wealth platform for client account access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kintra WealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026McCarthy & Cox became a founding firm of Kintra Wealth, an advisor-owned wealth management platform formed through the merger of six independent firms across the United States. Kintra Wealth brings together experienced advisory firms creating a stronger platform designed to deliver expanded resources, innovative solutions, and institutional-level support while preserving local relationships. Kintra manages $4 billion in assets under management with 74 employees across eight states. Orion serves as the wealth platform provider.
• OrioncoreTechnology or IntegrationOrion serves as McCarthy & Cox's preferred wealth platform provider, replacing the previous Investor360° client portal. Orion allows clients to view account details and monthly consolidated statements online, available as mobile app for iOS and Android.
• Fidelity InvestmentsminorOthersFidelity Investments provides clearing, custody, or other brokerage services through National Financial Services LLC or Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Members NYSE, SIPC. Fidelity is an independent company, unaffiliated with McCarthy & Cox. Listed as service provider for custody and brokerage functions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group: Large RIA platform and broker-dealer supporting independent financial advisors with technology, practice management, and back-office resources. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox as a peer platform model that supports advisor-owned firms, similar to the role Kintra Wealth plays for McCarthy & Cox.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Advisor-owned RIA platform partnering with high-net-worth financial advisory firms. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox as an alternative platform structure for independent wealth managers seeking institutional resources while retaining ownership and brand identity.
• Cetera Financial Group: Large broker-dealer and RIA platform serving independent financial advisors across the U.S. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox in serving independent advisors with retirement and wealth management practices, though as a much larger institutional counterpart to Kintra Wealth.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large RIA specializing in retirement planning, 401(k) advice, and wealth management for individuals. Directly comparable to McCarthy & Cox because of its focus on retirees and pre-retirees and its fee-based fiduciary model, though it operates nationally with thousands of advisors versus McCarthy & Cox's 20-person team.
• Creative Planning: Large national RIA serving high-net-worth and mass-affluent clients with comprehensive financial planning and wealth management. Comparable because it operates a fee-based fiduciary model with retirement planning as a core service line, similar to McCarthy & Cox, though at significantly greater scale and across broader geographies.

Direct peers

• Waldron Private Wealth: Boutique fee-only RIA providing personalized wealth management and retirement planning for affluent individuals and families. Highly comparable to McCarthy & Cox in fee-based fiduciary model, retirement-income specialization, and relationship-driven service for mass-affluent clientele.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Mid-sized RIA offering fee-only financial planning and investment management, with a strong retirement-income and tax-planning orientation. Highly comparable to McCarthy & Cox in business model, target client (retirees and pre-retirees), and emphasis on evidence-based portfolio construction.
• Mercer Advisors: National RIA specializing in retirement income planning, tax planning, and estate planning for affluent retirees. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox in service mix and target demographic, though Mercer operates a multi-office roll-up model across many U.S. states.
• Modera Wealth Management: Mid-sized fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals and households. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox in scale (similar headcount), business model (fee-only fiduciary), and service mix focused on retirement and life-stage planning.
• Plante Moran Financial Advisors: Mid-market RIA affiliated with a top accounting firm, offering fee-based financial planning and wealth management to individuals and business owners. Comparable to McCarthy & Cox in mid-market fee-based advisory model and retirement planning focus, though with broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/McCarthy-Cox-Retirement-Estate-Specialists-LLC-189274267818599

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCarthy & Cox