Top Financial Professionals in the USA for 2026 Recognized by InvestmentNews
February 25, 2026
In a year where market growth was abundant yet volatility tested the mettle of investors and advisors alike, InvestmentNews has unveiled its list of the Top Financial Professionals in the USA for 2026. These 100 financial advisors and wealth managers distinguished themselves not just by growing client assets during a strong market rally but by demonstrating sophistication, discipline, and forward-thinking strategies much needed in the unpredictable financial landscape of 2025. ### Market Landscape: Growth Amid Volatility
The year 2025 saw remarkable returns across key indices with the S&P 500 climbing 16%, marking the best three-year return since the dotcom boom era, and the Nasdaq Composite outperforming with a 20% annual return. Other indexes followed similar upward trajectories. However, financial experts note that the period’s true challenge was handling the significant market volatility that accompanied these gains.
Clients expected their assets to grow, but they simultaneously sought advisors who could manage this growth prudently. InvestmentNews underscored that it was the ability to navigate market uncertainties with expertise and foresight that set this group apart.
Methodology Behind the Rankings
The selected professionals were evaluated using a weighted system based on three key metrics:
- 50% weight on total assets under management (AUM) in 2025
- 25% weight on AUM growth over the evaluation period
- 25% weight on client growth over the evaluation period
This approach reflects not only the scale of their business but also their growth and ability to expand their client base.
Industry Trends Shaping Success
The financial advisory industry saw bigger Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and scalable technology-driven platforms capturing a disproportionate share of new assets, mainly through consolidation, alternative investments, and enhanced operational models. Technology’s economies of scale freed advisors to focus more on business development and client service, also helping attract more high-net-worth clients.
A notable trend highlighted by a 2025 McKinsey report is the integration of active ETFs, with roughly half of the flows substituting legacy investment vehicles like mutual funds. The rest represent new demand for active strategies, occasionally gaining ground at the expense of passive allocations.
Andrew Blake, Associate Director of Wealth Management at Cerulli Associates, observed that top advisors are educating themselves about alternative products that behave differently from traditional equities or fixed income. These alternatives tend to offer steady performance during volatile markets, a crucial feature for client portfolios now.
Insights from Leading Advisors
Jerry Davidse — Presilium Private Wealth
Jerry Davidse, CEO of Presilium Private Wealth and one of the 2026 honorees, attributes his firm’s success to disciplined planning and managing downside risk. Amid a turbulent 2025, the firm’s proactive approach enabled them to respond to the April tariff-driven selloff strategically by purchasing stocks at discounted prices rather than reacting emotionally.
Presilium’s Investment Policy Statement ensured portfolio shifts were rules-based, emphasizing holistic wealth planning beyond investments, including tax, estate, gifting, and generational wealth transfer.
- AUM growth: 29%
- Client growth: 21%
Scott Van Den Berg — Century Management Financial Advisors
Scott Van Den Berg, president of Century Management, achieved an 8% AUM growth and 6% client growth by avoiding model portfolios and tailoring portfolios for each client. His strategy involved diversification across broad sectors such as communication, technology, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy, with gold being a standout contributor.
Van Den Berg employs a “bucket” approach, investing short-term funds conservatively and longer-term funds aggressively, insulating clients from market volatility related to short-term liquidity needs.
- AUM growth: 8%
- Client growth: 6%
Trevor Scotto — Fiduciary Financial Group
Trevor Scotto’s ensemble model integrates sophisticated tax and financial planning catered to business owners, retirees, and tech professionals facing stock concentration risks. His firm stands out for proactive and actionable tax advice, including strategies like Roth conversions and tax-loss harvesting, helping clients see a detailed and integrated financial picture.
His client base grew by 13%, with AUM increasing by 34%, driven significantly by this comprehensive planning approach.
- AUM growth: 34%
- Client growth: 13%
Thomas Ruggie — Destiny Wealth Partners
Thomas Ruggie, CEO of Destiny Wealth Partners, prioritizes managing clients’ psychological responses to volatility, helping them avoid emotional decision-making at market highs and lows. For core clients with $1–$5 million portfolios, Ruggie favors public securities mixed with alternative investments. His firm also uniquely offers access to alternative funds containing investments typically reserved for qualified purchasers (QPs), including pre-IPO private companies such as SpaceX, Anthropic, xAI, Databricks, Stripe, Anduril, Agility Robotics, and Crusoe.
This differentiated offering appeals to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients seeking strategies beyond traditional markets.
- AUM growth: 24%
- Client growth: 5%
Conclusion
The financial professionals celebrated by InvestmentNews in 2026 have demonstrated that thriving in today’s market requires much more than capitalizing on bull markets. It necessitates a careful balance of growth, risk management, personalized client strategies, and an integrated approach embracing tax, estate, and alternative investment solutions. As the market cycle matures and volatility persists, these advisors set the benchmark for managing wealth with discipline and a forward-looking perspective that clients can trust.
For full details on all 100 top financial professionals and the complete methodology, readers are encouraged to visit InvestmentNews and access the accompanying PDF report.