Michael McCarthy
CFP®, CPA/PFS
Financial Consulate, Inc.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Michael McCarthy
CFP®, CPA/PFS
Financial Consulate, Inc.
President & Chief Executive Officer
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Michael McCarthy, CFP®, CPA/PFS
Fee-Only financial planner located in Hunt Valley, MD, serving clients locally and across the country
Michael McCarthy CFP®, CPA/PFS is a fee-only wealth advisor at Financial Consulate, based from the firm’s Hunt Valley, Maryland office. He serves clients from across the nation in pursuit of Financial Consulate’s mission: to help lessen the worry and burden of wealth management and enhance financial wellness so the firm’s clients can pursue relationships and true fulfillment.
Financial Consulate offers comprehensive financial planning, which includes tax planning, investment planning, and retirement planning. Advisors at Financial Consulate are bound by legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice and are never paid a commission of any kind.
Michael McCarthy is President & Chief Executive Officer, Wealth Advisor and Chief Compliance Officer at Financial Consulate, Inc.
Role at The Consulate:
My role at The Consulate involves leading a dynamic team of skilled advisors and service team members to deliver on the firm’s mission. As a wealth advisor myself, I specialize in helping small business and entrepreneurial clients financially plan for their future. I also serve as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer.
Educational Background:
I am a graduate of Towson University’s accounting program. I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) practitioner, and a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS™). Additionally, I have completed the Charles Schwab Executive Leadership Program.
Why I Became a Financial Advisor:
My financial education began when I was in elementary school. After school, but before my mother got home, I would sit with my grandfather and watch the stock market ticker on television while he made entries in his ledgers. Fast forward to high school when my now sister’s now father in-law, a restaurant entrepreneur, would educate me about saving and about values surrounding money. He gave me the book “The Richest Man in Babylon,” a book about saving and investing told in the form of parables. At that age, I was not one to sit around reading a book, but I read that one cover to cover and would pick it back up from time to time. It felt like a book of secrets from the wealthy.
Outside the Office:
I was introduced at a young age to waterfowl hunting and the entire culture that comes with it. One such aspect of that culture is a group called Ducks Unlimited that represents responsible hunting practices and wetland conservation. I have been a member since I was a child and am proud to have served as Chairman of the local chapter and to have raised funds for conservation for about 8 years until my second child’s birth signaled a rightful change in priorities. I am still involved with Ducks Unlimited today, but to a lesser extent.
Michael McCarthy is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Our mission is to help lessen the worry and burden of wealth management and enhance financial wellness so our clients can pursue relationships and true fulfillment.
We know how important it is to have someone you trust for financial advice.
That’s why Financial Consulate follows an ethical standard held by less than 1% of financial advisors in the US as members of the National Association of Professional Financial Advisors (NAPFA).
- Under their watch, we work as fiduciary advisors on a fee-only basis.
- We work without commissions and are oath-bound by a code of ethics to put your interests first.
- All our advisors are Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) and maintain a level of continuing education that exceeds the normal requirements.
- Almost half of our advisors are also Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) which allows for complete coordination of your financial plans and goals.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- Estate Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Families with the "Millionaire Next Door" Mentality
- Those Aiming to Reach Financial Independence
- Individuals Who are Engaged with and Trusting of Our Advisors
- Business Owners and Executives
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Processes Designed to Earn Client Trust
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Michael McCarthy is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Michael McCarthy is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Michael McCarthy is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a professional accountant who has met the education and experience requirements set by their state's Board of Accountancy and has passed the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs are licensed to provide a wide range of accounting services, including financial statement preparation, tax planning and preparation, auditing, consulting, and other financial advisory services.
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Michael McCarthy is a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)The Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) credential is granted solely to CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) with considerable personal financial planning education and experience. All areas of personal financial planning—including estate, retirement, investments, and insurance—have tax implications, and the PFS professional has the experience, ethics, and expertise to get the job done right.
Contact Michael McCarthy
Office Locations:
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11019 McCormick Road
Suite 200
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
