Rankings

Barron’s publishes four individual advisor rankings, as well as three firm/team rankings each year. The goal is to shine a spotlight on the nation’s best financial advisors and practices, with an eye towards raising standards in the industry. The rankings serve two distinct types of Barron’s readers. For wealth management professionals, they serve as an industry scorecard. For investors, the rankings are a tool that can help in the process of finding financial guidance.

Advisors and practices who wish to be ranked must fill out a comprehensive application. Our ranking formula features three major categories of calculations: (1) assets (2) revenue (3) quality of practice. In each of those categories, we perform multiple sub-calculations. More information on our methodology can be found here.

To learn more about the application process, please complete this form.

Requirements

Top 100 Financial Advisors
Top 100 Independent Advisors
Top 100 Women Financial Advisors
Top 1,200 Financial Advisors
Top 100 RIA Firms
Top 100 Private Wealth Management Teams
Top 100 Institutional Consulting Teams

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FAQs

Are your rankings open to everyone?
Yes, but we have minimum requirements for each list. Click the rankings listed above for specific requirements.

Is there an application fee?
The rankings are an ad-supported editorial product for our readers. There is no fee for participation.

What is the deadline for applying to the rankings?
We publish rankings throughout the year. Click on the relevant ranking above for specific dates.

How do you determine the final list of top advisors?
Advisors complete a comprehensive application which is vetted by their compliance department. That data is entered into a ranking formula that is refined year over year to improve its fairness and accuracy. For more information on our methodology, visit here.

Can I still be ranked if I have a U4 violation?
Yes. We consider the number and severity of any violations against the length of your career and adjust scoring accordingly.

If I attend Barron’s events, will it help me make the list?
Conference attendance/participation has no bearing on the rankings. Our rankings are based on verified data. There is no subjective ranking criteria.

Why do the rankings publish team assets?
These are individual advisor rankings, not team; although we publish the team assets as, from our readers’ perspective, this is a better gauge of the ranked advisors’ practices.

Are the rankings just a list of advisors with big AUMs?
The ranking is not a descending asset/revenue list. Instead we use a complex formula with various weightings of all the data (excluding the obvious Name, Firm, etc. questions) that is submitted by each advisor.

Where can I find the rankings?
Our rankings are published in print in Barron‘s and The Wall Street Journal. They are also available online at Barrons.com.

How do I get featured in the section in Barron's?
Any Barron‘s content is created at the discretion of our editors and is meant to highlight high level trends in wealth management. Suggestions or feedback on our coverage can be directed here.