The list was developed by Wealthmanagement.com’s WMIQ research team in partnership with ISS MI using data from its Discovery Data MarketPro platform. 

Here is how we found them: Qualifying firms were limited to SEC-registered investment advisory firms that provide financial planning services. They have high-net-worth individuals as more than half of their client base and manage at least $500 million in assets.

WMIQ then filtered that subset of firms by several metrics, including AUM growth over five years, the ratio of employees to clients, AUM per advisor and the percentage of employees with the CFP certification, among a handful of others.

Each WMIQ metric was given equal weighting and, on balance, is intended to give a clear picture of firm growth as it relates to client service and internal talent. RIA Edge 100 firms are those with impressive growth rates, the best employee-to-client ratios, the highest CFP certifications and the most efficient use of AUM-based revenue.

Important to note: The RIA Edge 100 is not a hierarchy or ranking, nor is it a subjective “best advisor” list. It is not based on business relationships, influencer status or social media popularity. Firms cannot apply for the list, and there is no cost to be included. It is not meant to be a static list—as we continue to refine the metrics, ratios and weightings we use, many of the names here will change.

Instead, the RIA Edge 100 was designed to surface a representative group of well-managed firms that are reinvesting in their businesses, maintaining a high level of client service and, as we say here, growing by design, not by default.