Top Financial Professionals in the USA Excel Amid Market Volatility in 2025
InvestmentNews’ Top Financial Professionals 2026 highlight expertise and sophisticated strategies
February 25, 2026 — The year 2025 proved that simply making money was no longer the benchmark for success in wealth management. With the S&P 500 posting a 16 percent gain—the best three-year return since the dotcom boom—and the Nasdaq Composite achieving an even stronger 20 percent annual return, many investment indexes reflected impressive growth. However, for leading financial professionals, the true challenge lay in skillfully navigating market volatility and evolving client expectations.
Against this challenging backdrop, InvestmentNews’ Top Financial Professionals 2026 demonstrated not only ability to grow client assets but also an emphasis on strategic, thoughtful portfolio management delivered with foresight and sophistication. The elite group of 100 industry leaders was rigorously evaluated based on three weighted factors: total assets under management (AUM) for 2025 (50%), AUM growth during the evaluation period (25%), and client growth over the same timeframe (25%).
Growing Assets in a Consolidating Market
A key trend impacting asset growth was the dominance of the largest registered investment advisors (RIAs) and scalable platforms, which captured a disproportionate share of new assets through consolidation, alternative investments, and advanced technology-enabled operating models. These models offer economies of scale that free advisors’ time for business development and help attract more high-net-worth clients.
Notably, active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) gained momentum in 2025. As reported by McKinsey, about half of active ETF flows substituted legacy products such as mutual funds, while the remaining flows reflected new demand for active strategies, sometimes at the expense of passive investments. Andrew Blake, associate director of wealth management at Cerulli Associates, emphasized that top advisors increasingly educate themselves about alternative products that behave differently from traditional equity or fixed income securities. Such alternatives often provide steadier performance during turbulent market phases.
Market participants who understand that valuations remain elevated and the cycle is late saw the critical importance of discipline and risk management. Terri McGray, president of Longevity Capital Management LLC, stressed, “In this type of market, discipline, risk management, and thoughtful portfolio construction matter far more than blind participation because protecting capital is often the difference between a plan that works and one that doesn’t.”
Success Stories: Strategies of the Top Financial Professionals
Several award winners exemplified the tactics essential for navigating uncertainty while achieving growth and maintaining client trust.
Jerry Davidse – Presilium Private Wealth
Jerry Davidse, CEO of Presilium Private Wealth, credited his firm’s success to disciplined planning and rules-based portfolio adjustments backed by an Investment Policy Statement. This approach ensured portfolios were rebalanced systematically, not on emotional whims, allowing clients to weather volatile periods and capitalize on buying opportunities during sudden selloffs, such as the tariff-driven market dip in April 2025. Davidse highlighted the benefits of operating as an independent RIA, which enables the firm to provide comprehensive tax and estate planning alongside investment management—an approach that serves clients’ multigenerational wealth holistically.
- AUM growth: 29%
- Client growth: 21%
Scott Van Den Berg – Century Management Financial Advisors
Scott Van Den Berg, president of Century Management, attributes his firm’s 8% asset growth largely to broad participation across various strategies, sectors, and holdings rather than reliance on any single standout position.
“We do not use model portfolios, and that level of tailoring builds both performance alignment and client trust,” said Van Den Berg. The firm managed portfolios ranging from aggressive equity to conservative fixed income, with gold contributing notably to client returns, alongside diversified exposure to communication, technology, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy sectors.
Van Den Berg’s philosophy integrates risk management by structuring client investments into different time “buckets,” preserving capital needed for near-term goals in conservative allocations while allowing longer-term funds to focus on growth irrespective of market swings.
- AUM growth: 8%
- Client growth: 6%
Trevor Scotto – Fiduciary Financial Group
Trevor Scotto has distinguished himself through an integrated tax and planning framework that resonates with business owners, successful retirees, and tech professionals holding concentrated stock positions. His proactive approach includes running tax projections multiple times a year and emphasizing actionable tax strategies over generic planning.
“We avoid big tactical bets based on news, instead adhering to a disciplined plan through market drawdowns and volatility,” Scotto explained. His firm’s emphasis on Roth conversion planning and tax-loss harvesting enhances client outcomes by aligning tax considerations tightly with investment moves.
The fidelity of Fiduciary Financial Group’s approach draws many new clients dissatisfied with less proactive advisors.
- AUM growth: 34%
- Client growth: 13%
Thomas Ruggie – Destiny Wealth Partners
Thomas Ruggie focuses on managing client psychology amid volatility, rather than reacting to short-term market fluctuations. His wealth management strategy offers clients exposure to public securities with a mix of alternative investments, supported by his firm’s proprietary alternative fund investing at qualified purchaser levels.
These alternative holdings provide access to hedge funds, private equity, and direct investments typically available only to ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Notable investments include stakes in companies such as SpaceX, Anthropic, xAI, Databricks, Stripe, Anduril, Agility Robotics, and Crusoe, offering clients unique growth opportunities.
Ruggie’s focus on steady strategy helps clients avoid emotional decision-making during market extremes.
- AUM growth: 24%
- Client growth: 5%
Insight into Future Wealth Management
The experiences of these top financial professionals exemplify how success in 2025 was tied less to market timing and more to structure, planning, risk management, and client education. The integration of tax strategies, alternative investments, and technology-enabled operations has become increasingly critical.
As financial markets evolve, the firms leading the way are those that emphasize holistic, tailor-made client solutions—balancing growth aspirations with preservation and foresight during turbulent times.
For a detailed list of winners and methodology, InvestmentNews provides a comprehensive PDF showcasing the 2026 Top Financial Professionals recognized for their excellence and innovation in wealth management.