Tom is a well-known CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional in Central Ohio who specializes in retirement and estate planning issues for mature adults. Tom created what is now McCarthy & Cox in 1998 to help clients link their faith, values, and finances through objective, comprehensive financial planning. Tom focuses his practice on those who are committed to improving their financial situation and realizing the life goals to which God has called them.

Tom is a lifelong resident of Union County, Ohio, where he graduated valedictorian at Marysville High School, class of 1976. He graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Capital University in 1980, majoring in economics and political science. In addition to having the CFP^® certification, Tom is also an investment adviser representative affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network^® and a member of the National Financial Planning Association.  

Tom is very active in our community. Over the years, he has volunteered hundreds of hours to a number of different committees and charities, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Union County Chamber of Commerce, and Community Care Train. Tom served on the UCO Board of Directors for six years, with two of those years acting as President. UCO provides meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. Tom stepped down from the board in March of 2019. He also served as an elected Union County Commissioner for 14 years.

Tom and Amy, his wife of more than 40 years, live in Marysville, Ohio, and have three children (Michael, Megan, and Matthew) and four grandchildren (Ben, Elizabeth, Liam, and Amelia). 

Ryan, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, joined the McCarthy & Cox family in September 2009. Prior to joining McCarthy & Cox, Ryan worked as an associate financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial for three years. He was a National Merit finalist and graduated from Ball State University with a BS in business administration. Ryan holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations, as well as Ohio life, health, and annuity licenses. He has the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® designation and passed the CFP^® examination in November 2011.

Ryan lives in Marysville, Ohio with his wife, Kelly, and their five children.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
Spending time out on my grandparents’ farm in northwest Iowa exploring the huge barn, playing baseball and croquet in the yard with my cousins, watching Andy Griffith reruns when we’d come inside, eating Grandma Ruth’s incredible apple dumplings, and making hundreds of laps up and down the long gravel lane on the same old bikes my dad and his brothers rode when they were kids.

What are three things that most people don't know about you?

• My current hobby is collecting and restoring fountain pens from the 1920s–1970s. I also accumulate loads of paper, ink, wax seals, and other items related to personal correspondence because I find these old ways of communicating so fun.

• My dream hobby is falconry (hunting with a hawk or falcon); it has been an interest since I read My Side of the Mountain as a kid. Time-wise, it’s not realistic right now, but someday . . . .

• If I had to name a favorite author, it would be Ernest Hemingway. I love his books, but his life and breadth of experience are just as fascinating. A flawed man, for sure, but talk about somebody who squeezed every last drop out of life!

Megan, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and partner in McCarthy & Cox, joined McCarthy & Cox in 2017. Megan has more than 10 years of experience as a retirement specialist, including leadership roles while working at Nationwide Insurance.

Megan has a passion for serving others. After college, she was a member of the AmeriCorps VISTA program and worked with the Cleveland Foodbank in northeast Ohio. In the past, she volunteered with Alpha Phi Fraternity and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Today, Megan serves as the 2021-2022 United Way of Union County Campaign Chair as well as a board member of the Marysville Uptown Theatre. She is excited to see the Avalon open as a home for the arts in Union County. In her spare time, she enjoys thrifting, musical theatre, and spending time with her family.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
I have many wonderful memories of growing up in Marysville, but if I had to choose just one it would be the joy of visiting my grandparents at McCarthy Pharmacy where they served up warm cinnamon toast, ice cream sundaes, and cups of 5-cent coffee at the soda fountain. It was a community gathering place and it was fun to engage with the many regulars who frequented the drugstore.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Christmas is my favorite! Growing up, my family taught us the importance of sharing our own gifts and blessings. The past few years we have participated in Besa’s Adopt a Senior event at Christmas in Columbus. Our daughters enjoy “helping Santa” shop for an individual so more of our neighbors can have a happy holiday.

Megan holds the FINRA Series 6, Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network^® and is a licensed insurance agent in the state of Ohio. She earned her BS in business administration from Ashland University, where she graduated with honors, majoring in finance and minoring in political science. At Ashland, she was a member of the Eagle Elite Dance Team, Eagle Investment Group, and Ashbrook Scholar Program.

Megan is the 5^th generation of McCarthys to serve our community. Megan and her husband, Jarrod, along with daughters, Eliza and Mia are proud to call Marysville home.

Quinn joined McCarthy & Cox in January 2019. A graduate of Marysville High School, Quinn obtained his BS in business administration from the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business with a marketing specialization. Previously, he had been a production coordinator with Abercrombie & Fitch. Quinn holds the FINRA Series 7 and NASAA Series 66 securities and advisory registrations, Ohio Life & Health insurance license and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary.^® 

Quinn enjoys spending time with his family, playing the guitar, and hitting the links whenever he has the time.

Quinn was born in Iowa but raised in Marysville from the age of four. Quinn currently lives in Dublin with his wife, Sarah, and their dog, Yuki (a shiba inu).

What is your favorite childhood memory?
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to swim competitively with three of my (six) brothers from ages 5 to 18. That experience really gave us a close, and often overly competitive, connection growing up.

What's your favorite activity to do locally and why?
My favorite local activity is golf since there are a plethora of courses to choose from in the Marysville area. It’s also a great excuse to spend time with family and friends!

Tony, FSCP^®, LUTCF^®, joined McCarthy & Cox in May 2017 and serves as the chief operating officer. Tony has been in the industry for more than 26 years and most recently worked for MetLife in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tony holds his FINRA Series 6, 7, and 24 securities registrations, as well as life, health, property and casualty, and variable product insurance licenses.

Tony has a BBA in management and a BBA in marketing from Valdosta State University. Tony is a Certified Lay Speaker and enjoys delivering the message (sermon) at a church whenever the opportunity presents itself. Within the community, he is involved with the Walk to Emmaus organization and his church. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, hiking, and spending time with his family.

Tony and his wife, Caryn, were married in 2002 and have three children: Chelsey, Emma Lita, and Seth. They recently moved back to Marysville after being in North Carolina for three years.

What is the best gift you have been given?
My family gave me a tissue box labeled The Box of Sweet Things filled with small slips of folded paper with sweet endings to the phrases “I love you because…  I like you because …  I like how …”

What is your favorite childhood memory?
One of the many is related to something with my mother. At night just before bedtime, she would rub Jergens lotion on her hands. Then she would take my hands in hers and rub the extra lotion (which she always seemed to have) on each of my hands. I can remember that bottle and the way it smelled along with my hands wrapped in hers like it was yesterday. My kids know this story and now they ask me to do the same for them … legacy happens in many forms!

Brenda came to work at McCarthy & Cox in June 2007. She has previous administrative assistant experience with the Union County Court system, and prior to that, she worked as an administrative assistant at Emerald Crossings.

Brenda provides administrative support as Diane’s assistant in the Business Processing Department. Brenda completed her Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional^™ certification (formerly titled Registered Paraplanner^®) in 2015 and has earned her FINRA Series 6 securities registration.

Brenda and her husband, Neil reside in Marysville, and together they have four children.

Mindy joined McCarthy & Cox in May 2015 as our bookkeeper and has grown with the company, now working as an advisor’s assistant. Mindy completed her Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional^™ certification (formerly titled Registered Paraplanner^®) and has earned her FINRA Series 6 securities registration. Mindy has more than 10 years of bookkeeping experience and most recently worked at Marmon Valley Farm. Mindy homeschooled both of her children from kindergarten through high school and considers that her first career. Mindy taught math and science classes in the local homeschool co-op while her children were in school.

Mindy recently purchased a home in Logan County and is enjoying making it her own. She enjoys frequent visits with her children and granddaughter. She has been involved for numerous years in 4-H, Girl Scouts, church ladies’ group, and Bible study. Mindy enjoys reading and making any craft with a pattern included—no creativity needed.

What is your favorite childhood memory? ​
Running and playing cops and robbers at dusk throughout our neighborhood with about 20 or so neighborhood kids.

What are three things most people don’t know about you?

• I’m very shy and uncomfortable in new situations.
• I’m claustrophobic.
• I play multiple musical instruments (piano, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, baritone, and trumpet).

Melissa joined McCarthy & Cox in 2021 as a client relationship manager and advisor assistant. Melissa has six years of experience in the industry and lives in central Ohio with her husband, T.J., and her daughters Adrienne, Lylah, and Josie.

In her spare time, Melissa enjoys hiking, drawing and painting, reading, and attending her childrens' basketball and soccer games.

Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken?
“If it’s meant to be, it will be.”

What are three things most people don’t know about you:

• My husband and I have been together since high school.
• My parents' names are Mary and Joseph and I was born one week before Christmas.
• Both of my grandparents were lucky enough to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversaries together. 

Blake joined McCarthy & Cox in 2020 as an investment research analyst. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Heidelberg University, and he interned with us in 2019. Before interning at McCarthy & Cox, Blake worked at the Columbus Zoo for six years in the Warehouse Department. Blake holds the FINRA Series 7 registration through Commonwealth Financial Network^®. 

Blake serves on the Trust Committee at his church and is a Transformation Zone volunteer. He enjoys golfing, fishing, working on cars, and working out in his spare time.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
Our family went on a Disney cruise. For breakfast, there was a soft-serve ice cream machine, and you could get as much ice cream as you wanted. 

Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken?
“The sun will come up tomorrow.” My grandpa used to say this to us whenever we had a bad day or if I had a bad game and it would instantly make things a little better knowing that tomorrow is a new day!

Olivia joined McCarthy & Cox in 2021 as director of first impressions. Recently married, she lives in Champaign County with her husband, Luke. She has a BS in criminology from The Ohio State University and is an asset to the McCarthy & Cox team, helping you "solve" your questions.
 
What was your first job?
My first job was at Tim Horton's during my senior year of high school—unbeknownst to me, it is where I would meet my husband!

What are three things most people don't know about you?

• I was president of both the German Club and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at OSU.
• I am directly descended from Patrick Henry – known for his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech during the American Revolutionary War.
• I was on my high school’s tennis and bowling teams.