Recognition Disclosures

The USA TODAY’s 2026 Best Financial Advisory Firms list was researched in partnership with Statista.  Firms had to meet the following criteria:

1. The firm is registered as an RIA firm with the SEC or at state level for at least one year

2. The firm has a principal office in the United States

3. The firm has a clean disciplinary record

4. The firm offers financial planning services or portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses

5. The firm’s AUM must be greater than $500,000

The ranking of the best registered investment advisory firms is based on two dimensions: recommendations by clients, industry experts, and financial advisors, and a firm’s development of Assets under Management (AUM).  Recommendations were collected via an independent survey among over 30,000 individuals.  Clients, industry experts, and financial advisors working for an RIA firm could recommend the RIA firms they find commendable.  Self-recommendations were prohibited and were therefore not included in the evaluation.  AUM development was calculated by combining short- and long-term trends, with short-term development measured over the twelve-month period from January 2025 to January 2026 and long-term over the five-year period from 2021 to 2026, using a 30/70 weighting.  The rankings are comprised exclusively of advisory firms that are eligible regarding the scope described in this document. A mention in the rankings is a positive recognition based on client and peer recommendations and data points collected from publicly available sources at the time. The rankings are the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, is a reflection of the past years. Furthermore, events preceding or following the 02/11/2026 were not included in the metrics. As such, the results of these rankings should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information provided in these rankings should be considered in conjunction with other available information about advisory firms. The quality of advisory firms that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.

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InvestmentNews 5-Star Wealth Management Team 2026 Methodology and award disclosure. InvestmentNews recognized leading wealth management firms in the United States that demonstrated exceptional success in client growth and retention over the preceding 12 months.

Eligibility. Eligible participants were US-based advisory teams consisting of three (3) or more advisors. Teams were required to operate within a registered wealth management or financial advisory firm.

Nomination process ‍

• Advisory teams were invited to nominate their firms through a structured submission process. ‍
• No independent third-party judging panel was utilized. ‍
• The IN research and editorial teams independently reviewed and assessed all submissions.

Population disclosure

• Total number of entries: 772 ‍
• Total number of recipients: 97 ‍
• Percentage of nominees receiving recognition: 12.65% ‍
• Providing nominee and recipient totals ensures transparency regarding selectivity and avoids overstating exclusivity.

Editorial review. The IN editorial team conducted a structured qualitative and quantitative review of all submissions to evaluate measurable client impact and broader industry contributions. Selection was based solely on the stated methodology below.

Evaluation criteria and scoring. Submissions were evaluated across multiple weighted categories. While exact scoring weights are proprietary, the evaluation included both qualitative and quantitative assessment of:

A. Client impact and contributions

• Demonstrated meaningful contributions to clients ‍
• Evidence of enhanced client outcomes, service innovation, or engagement initiatives ‍
• Examples of fiduciary-focused practices and client-centric strategies

B. Understanding of client needs

• Clear articulation of client demographics and planning complexities ‍
• Customized service models ‍
• Retention strategies and relationship management approach

C. Notable achievements (past 12 months)

• Strategic growth initiatives ‍
• Expansion of services or capabilities ‍
• Operational improvements or leadership within the profession
  

What the award measures

• Demonstrated client growth and retention over the prior 12 months ‍
• Team-level operational success ‍
• Evidence of meaningful client impact ‍
• Contributions to advancements in the financial services industry ‍
• Business scale indicators such as AUM and overall team result

The award reflects a combination of quantitative metrics and qualitative editorial assessment based on submitted information.

What the award does not measure or represent

• Investment performance history ‍
• Portfolio returns relative to benchmarks ‍
• Client testimonials or satisfaction surveys (unless explicitly included in submitted materials as contextual information) ‍
• A ranking of all U.S. wealth management firms ‍
• Future performance or guaranteed client outcomes ‍
• An evaluation of regulatory standing beyond publicly available information ‍
• Recognition is based solely on the information provided in submissions and the stated evaluation methodology

Fee and promotional disclosure. No fee was required for nomination or selection consideration. Selection was independent of any advertising, sponsorship, or marketing relationships.

If optional marketing or promotional packages are offered:

• Recipients may choose to purchase marketing enhancements or promotional materials. ‍
• The purchase of promotional services does not influence selection.

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The USA TODAY’s 2025 Best Financial Advisory Firms list was researched in
partnership with Statista.  Firms had to meet the following six criteria:

• The firm is registered as an RIA firm with the SEC or at state level for at least one year.
• The firm has a principal office in the United States
• The firm has a clean disciplinary record
• The firm offers financial planning services or portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses
• The firm’s AUM must be greater than $500,000.
• The firm achieved an overall score among the top 500.

The ranking of the best registered investment advisory firms is based on two
dimensions: recommendations by clients, industry experts, and financial advisors, and a
firm’s development of Assets under Management (AUM).  Recommendations were
collected via an independent survey among over 30,000 individuals.  Clients, industry
experts, and financial advisors working for an RIA firm could recommend the RIA firms
they find commendable.  Self-recommendations were prohibited and were therefore not
included in the evaluation.  AUM development was analyzed both in the short- and long-
term using publicly available data.  Short-term AUM development was calculated over a
twelve-month period from January 2024 to January 2025, while long-term development
spanned a five-year period from 2020 to 2025.  The final score was calculated by
weighting recommendations at 20% and AUM development at 80%.  Within the AUM
growth metric, short-term and long-term growth were each weighted 30/70. The
selection of the firms and the definition of the evaluation criteria were based on
independent journalistic criteria of USA TODAY and Statista.  The evaluation was
carried out by the statistics and research company Statista.  USA TODAY and Statista
make no claim to the completeness of the firms examined.  The ranking only includes
firms that qualify according to the criteria described in this disclaimer.  A position in the
ranking is a positive recognition based on research of publicly available data sources at
the time and extensive surveys.  In addition, events after February 13, 2025 were no
longer considered in the analysis.  As such, the results of this list should not be
considered in conjunction with other available information about a financial advisory
firm.  The quality of financial advisory firms that are not included in the ranking is not
disputed.

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The RIA Edge 100 list was developed by Wealthmanagement.com's WMIQ research
team in partnership with ISS MI using data from its Discovery Data MarketPro platform.
Qualifying firms were limited to SEC-registered investment advisory firms that provide
financial planning services, have high-net-worth individuals as more than half of their
client base, and manage at least $500 million in assets. Analyzing that subset of RIAs,
WMIQ ranked firms by several other metrics, including AUM growth over both one- and
five-year periods, the ratio of employees to total clients, the percentage of employees
with the CFP certification, and average client account size, among other factors. Each
metric was given an equal weighting and, on balance, is intended to provide a clear
picture of firm growth as it relates to client service and internal talent. RIA Edge 100
firms are those with the most impressive growth rates combined with the best
employee-to-client ratios and highest CFP certifications. The RIA Edge 100 is not a
ranking. Nor is it a subjective “best advisor” list based on business relationships,
influencer status or social media popularity. Firms cannot apply for the list, nor is there a
cost to be included. Instead, the RIA Edge 100 was designed to surface a premier
group of well-managed firms that reinvest in their businesses, maintaining a high level
of client service, and continuing to grow by design, not by default.

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Worth Magazine’s 2025 Top RIA Firms uses a rigorous selection process using the
following stringent benchmarks:

1. AUM of Over $500 Million: Demonstrates substantial experience and trust in handling significant wealth.
2. Predominantly High-Net-Worth Clients: Shows specialized expertise in managing the complex financial situations typical of wealthier clients.
3. Substantial Planning Clientele: Indicates a focus on comprehensive financial planning rather than simple asset management.
4. Independence from Broker-Dealers: Ensures advice is unbiased and purely client-centric.

The rankings were developed in collaboration with Institutional Shareholder
Services (ISS), a proxy advisory firm that helps investors comply with SEC rules for
ADV Forms disclosure of proxy voting records. The Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) requires companies to compile and present financial and business
information, reports, and disclosures to provide transparency to investors and the
public.  Leading Advisor assessments are based on the data that firms submit to the
SEC in these disclosures. The public can review SEC filings through the commission’s
online database, EDGAR.