Top Financial Professionals in the USA Showcased for Excellence in 2026 by InvestmentNews
February 25, 2026 — InvestmentNews has announced its list of the Top Financial Professionals in the USA for 2026, recognizing outstanding achievement and leadership among wealth advisors during a notably volatile market environment in 2025. The accolade celebrates professionals who not only grew assets under management (AUM) but who also demonstrated foresight, sophistication, and disciplined portfolio management amid significant market fluctuations.
Market Performance Sets the Stage
The investment landscape in 2025 was marked by robust gains across major indexes. The S&P 500 climbed 16 percent over the year, marking the best three-year performance window since the dotcom boom, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 20 percent. Despite broad market gains, the principal challenge for financial advisors was effectively managing volatility so clients could see steady growth without undue risk exposure.
Evaluation Criteria for Winners
InvestmentNews evaluated more than 100 financial professionals using a weighted formula integrating three key factors:
- 50%: Total 2025 Assets Under Management (AUM)
- 25%: Growth of AUM over the evaluation period
- 25%: Client growth during the evaluation period
The evaluation highlighted how the largest Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and scalable platforms successfully captured new assets through consolidations, alternative investments, and employing technology-enabled operating models. These economies of scale enabled advisors to dedicate more time to business development and enhanced operational efficiency, simultaneously attracting more high-net-worth clients.
Adoption of Alternative Investments and Active ETFs
Reflecting evolving client demand, there was increased integration of alternative investment products and active ETFs. According to a 2025 McKinsey report, roughly half of active ETF flows represented substitution from legacy vehicles such as mutual funds, while the other half was new demand for active management strategies, in some cases at the expense of passive allocations.
Andrew Blake, Associate Director of Wealth Management at Cerulli Associates, notes that successful advisors have educated themselves on alternative products that behave differently than traditional equities or fixed income, often offering steady performance through volatile periods—an attribute clients increasingly value.
Navigating Late-Cycle Market Conditions
With broad growth trends continuing in major indexes, many advisors recognize that valuations appear elevated, signaling late-cycle conditions. Terri McGray, President of Longevity Capital Management LLC, underscores the importance of discipline and thoughtful portfolio construction in such markets: "Protecting capital is often the difference between a plan that works and one that doesn’t."
Highlighted Advisors and Their Strategies
Several top-ranked professionals embody this disciplined and strategic approach:
Jerry Davidse, CEO of Presilium Private Wealth
Davidse reports a 29% growth in AUM and 21% growth in client base. Presilium thrived in 2025 by having proactive plans that allowed for opportunistic buying during market declines, such as the tariff-driven selloff in April. Their investment philosophy is anchored in an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) which ensures rules-based portfolio adjustments and embraces holistic planning—covering tax, estate, gifting, and multigenerational wealth transfer beyond pure investment management.
Scott Van Den Berg, President of Century Management Financial Advisors
His firm grew AUM by 8% and client numbers by 6%. Van Den Berg attributes performance success to broad and diversified portfolio participation rather than reliance on narrow sector bets. Their highly customized, non-model portfolio approach ensures alignment with clients’ risk-return preferences, offering tailored solutions ranging from aggressive equity to conservative fixed income strategies. Gold was notably a strong contributor, typically comprising 6–10% of client portfolios.
Trevor Scotto, Co-Founder of Fiduciary Financial Group
With an AUM growth of 34% and client growth of 13%, Scotto stands out for his integrated tax and planning framework. He emphasizes actionable, real-time tax advice over generic planning, helping clients take advantage of opportunities such as Roth conversions and tax-loss harvesting during market downturns. This disciplined approach and tax-focused service have attracted many new clients seeking proactive wealth management.
Thomas Ruggie, CEO of Destiny Wealth Partners
Ruggie’s client-focused strategy prioritizes managing the psychology of volatility to prevent emotional decision-making. His clients, typically with $1–$5 million portfolios, benefit from diversification into public securities and proprietary alternative funds that include investments usually reserved for qualified purchasers, such as hedge funds, private equity, and direct investments in pre-IPO companies like SpaceX and Stripe. He achieved AUM growth of 24% and client growth of 5% during the year.
Key Takeaways
The professionals recognized by InvestmentNews in 2026 demonstrate the importance of:
- Proactive and disciplined planning
- Integration of alternative investment products
- Comprehensive tax and estate planning services
- Customized portfolio construction grounded in risk management
- Psychological support for clients during volatile markets
These attributes have differentiated top advisors, enabling them to successfully grow assets and client bases despite a challenging investment environment.
For a detailed list of winners, methodology, and insights in PDF form, readers can refer to the official InvestmentNews publication.
InvestmentNews continues to spotlight the expertise and innovation of top financial professionals who provide critical guidance to clients navigating complex and evolving markets with confidence and clarity.