McCarthy & Cox Retirement & Estate Specialists

The firm restricts its advisory work to retirement income and estate transfer coordination. This means it handles IRA distribution sequencing, trust funding instructions, and spousal beneficiary elections rather than cash-flow budgeting or college savings plans. The narrow scope allows deeper technical engagement on required minimum distributions, tax-efficient withdrawal ordering, and portability elections, which generalist firms often outsource to external specialists.

As a registered investment adviser, McCarthy & Cox likely holds discretionary authority over client accounts used for retirement asset management. The exact scope would be defined in each client's investment advisory agreement. Firms of this type commonly manage qualified accounts (IRAs, rollover accounts) on a discretionary basis while providing non-discretionary guidance on trust assets held elsewhere.

The firm reviews existing estate documents to confirm that beneficiary designations, trust titles, and account registrations align with the client's stated intentions. McCarthy & Cox flags inconsistencies — such as a 401(k) naming a former spouse or a trust that was never funded — and works with the drafting attorney to resolve them. The firm does not draft legal documents itself but serves as the implementation arm for the estate plan.

The firm is neither. It is a registered investment adviser structured as a limited-liability company and serves multiple unrelated clients. Its LLC structure and narrow service scope place it in the traditional RIA category rather than the family-office space, which typically involves consolidated reporting, bill pay, and lifestyle management services that McCarthy & Cox does not advertise.

Public records do not currently list named principals or their designations. Firms in this specialty commonly hold the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designations. An SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure filing would identify the individuals with majority ownership and their disclosed industry exams and licenses.