Top Financial Professionals in the USA Demonstrate Sophistication and Foresight Amid Market Volatility
February 25, 2026 – InvestmentNews
While 2025 proved a lucrative year for many investors, with the S&P 500 climbing 16 percent and the Nasdaq Composite outperforming with a 20 percent gain, the period’s true challenge was navigating volatile market conditions. Against this backdrop, InvestmentNews’ Top Financial Professionals of 2026 have distinguished themselves not just by growing assets, but by applying advanced strategies, prudent risk management, and comprehensive planning that resonate with clients seeking both growth and security.
Evaluating Excellence in Financial Advisory
The 100 winners were selected based on a weighted formula combining three key metrics: total assets under management (AUM) in 2025 (50 percent), AUM growth over the evaluation period (25 percent), and client growth during the same timeframe (25 percent). This methodology highlights professionals who excel not only at growing wealth but also at expanding and retaining their client base.
Industry dynamics reveal that the largest Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and technology-enabled platforms have captured a significant share of new asset flows, driven by consolidation efforts and the adoption of alternative investment strategies. These scalable models leverage economies of scale to free advisors for strategic growth and attract high-net-worth individuals.
Embracing Alternatives and Active ETFs
Alternative investments and active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have increasingly become integral to portfolio construction. According to a 2025 McKinsey report, about half of active ETF inflows substitute legacy investment vehicles, primarily mutual funds, while the other half represent demand for new active strategies, sometimes at the expense of passive allocations.
Andrew Blake, Associate Director of Wealth Management at Cerulli Associates, notes that leading advisors have educated themselves extensively on alternative products. “Those using certain alternative products may highlight their steady performance, particularly during broader market volatility,” he observes.
Discipline and Risk Management at the Forefront
With most market indicators showing growth but elevated valuations and a late-cycle economic environment, top advisors prioritize discipline, risk management, and thoughtful portfolio construction over blind market exposure. Terri McGray, President of Longevity Capital Management LLC, underscores this approach: “Protecting capital is often the difference between a plan that works and one that doesn’t.”
Highlighting the Tactics of Top Professionals
Jerry Davidse
CEO of Presilium Private Wealth, Jerry Davidse, exemplifies a carefully structured approach based on disciplined planning and downside preparation. Presilium’s rule-based portfolio management, anchored in an Investment Policy Statement, facilitates proactive responses to volatility without emotional reactions. When the April 2025 tariff-driven selloff occurred, the firm was poised to capitalize on buying opportunities. Davidse emphasizes that their RIA status enables expanded services beyond investments, incorporating tax and estate planning to address multigenerational family wealth.
- AUM Growth: 29%
- Client Growth: 21%
Scott Van Den Berg
President of Century Management Financial Advisors, Van Den Berg reports that 85 percent of the firm’s AUM growth in 2025 was due to portfolio appreciation, with the remainder from new deposits. The firm deploys a highly tailored investment approach without relying on model portfolios, enabling performance alignment and client trust. Gold was a standout performer, typically making up 6–10 percent of client portfolios, complemented by diversified gains across multiple sectors. His investment philosophy focuses on margin of safety in valuations, with segmented “buckets” for short-, medium-, and long-term money to manage volatility effectively.
- AUM Growth: 8%
- Client Growth: 6%
Trevor Scotto
A co-founding partner at Fiduciary Financial Group, Scotto is known for his integrated tax and planning framework that appeals to business owners, retirees, and tech professionals with concentrated stock holdings. His team proactively runs tax projections and manages tax returns to provide actionable strategies, including Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, and rebalancing that add real-time value. Scotto notes, “The majority of our new clients are joining specifically because they are not getting proactive planning nor tax planning.”
- AUM Growth: 34%
- Client Growth: 13%
Thomas Ruggie
CEO of Destiny Wealth Partners, Ruggie focuses on managing the psychological impact of volatility for clients. His firm’s disciplined strategy mitigates emotional decision-making during market peaks and troughs. For core wealth management clients, investments emphasize public securities with an allocation to alternatives, while high-net-worth clients benefit from access to mid- and late-stage pre-IPO private company investments unavailable to most investors. Notable private holdings include SpaceX, Anthropic, xAI, and Stripe, marking a distinctive feature of the firm’s offerings.
- AUM Growth: 24%
- Client Growth: 5%
A Market for the Sophisticated Advisor
As the investment landscape evolves with greater integration of alternatives, active management, and technology, top financial professionals continue to prove their value by combining market acumen with tailored client solutions. Their success stories highlight the importance of proactive planning, disciplined execution, and the ability to guide clients confidently through both prosperous and turbulent times.
For more detailed profiles of InvestmentNews’ Top Financial Professionals 2026, including methodology and additional insights, visit InvestmentNews or download the full report in PDF format.