Methodology: 2026 Forbes | SHOOK Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors

The next generation of wealth management is already here, and it is more accomplished than the term suggests.

SHOOK® Research has ranked the country’s leading wealth advisors since 2015, with our rankings published by Forbes. In 2017 we introduced the Next-Gen ranking to recognize advisors under 40, the ones already operating at the level of their most established peers.

Under 40 does not mean unproven. These advisors carry an average tenure of about 13 years, have managed client assets through full market cycles, and often work with families across three or more generations. The industry actively competes to recruit them, and a growing number now qualify for our Top Wealth Advisor ranking alongside advisors with decades more tenure.

We see the Next-Gen ranking as an early look at who will lead the profession a decade or two from now. These advisors set the standard, and in doing so they raise it for everyone.

Best-In-State Ranking

A national ranking tells only part of the story. The largest concentrations of wealth, and of top advisors, sit in markets like New York and San Francisco. But we find advisors of the same caliber in every state, including Arkansas, Montana, and other markets with far less wealth density.

Clients are often better served close to home. An investor who built her fortune in Houston oil may want an advisor who knows that industry; a startup founder may want one fluent in venture funding; a farmer may need expertise in the futures markets. Many of the clients we interview describe their advisor and team as part of the family, and proximity matters to that kind of relationship.

The Best-In-State ranking is how we surface those advisors, market by market, so clients can find the best representation where they live.

Research Process

SHOOK scours the financial services industry, including banks, brokerages, custodians, insurance companies, clearing houses and others for nominations. SHOOK accepts advisors who meet pre-determined minimum thresholds and acceptable compliance records.

Unlike other advisor rankings, SHOOK is not a “robo-ranker”. Numbers such as production and assets don’t tell the whole story, especially when much of the data is self-reported. SHOOK Research creates rankings of role models—advisors that are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients. A focus on both quantitative and qualitative factors imperative.

In-person interviews at advisors’ locations are central to SHOOK’s process, a level of direct due diligence that separates our rankings from those built largely on self-reported data.

Research Summary (as of August 2026)

We don’t want 300,000 nominations, so we set thresholds to minimize the quantity we receive, which in this case included:

• 53,000 nominations received, based on high thresholds and qualifications
• 31,443 invited to complete online survey
• 27,296 telephone interviews
• 7,722 in-person interviews at advisors’ locations
• 1,553 web-based interviews
• 36,571 total interviews
• 5,418 individuals considered for our Next-Gen ranking

Basic Requirements

• Minimum 1 year at current firm, with exceptions (acquisitions, etc.)
• Completed an online survey
• Primary focus on individuals, not institutions
• Acceptable compliance record

Quantitative Elements

• Assets under management—and the quality of those assets—both custodied and assets held away (although individual numbers are used for ranking purposes, we publish the entire team’s assets).
• Client-related trends and data, such as client retention rates.
• Portfolio performance is not a factor; audited returns among professionals are rare, and differing client objectives provide varying returns.

Qualitative Elements

• Telephone, virtual, and in-person meetings with advisors (Telephone interviews are required for all advisors as part of the evaluation process. In-person meetings are conducted as part of our ongoing due diligence process following an advisor’s inclusion in a ranking).
• Advisors that exhibit “best practices” and overall integrity in their approach to working with clients.
• Compliance records and U4s: Some “dings” can be overlooked such as firm or product failure beyond the scope of an advisor’s due diligence. The older a ding, the less we look. Since there are many gray areas, the SHOOK team is willing to listen to a firm that is willing to stand behind the advisor with written support from leadership.
• Client “impact,” a measurement of the difference advisors make in their client’s lives.
• Client experience: service model; investing process; fee structure; breadth of services, including extensive use of firm’s platform and resources (e.g. liabilities); use of team & team dynamics.
• Credentials (years of service can serve as proxy).
• Advisor’s community involvement.
• Conversations with management, peers, and competing peers.

Ranking Algorithm

The Forbes | SHOOK Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors rankings are formulated using an algorithm designed to fairly compare the business practices of a large group of advisors based on quantitative and qualitative elements. Data is weighted to ensure priorities are given to dynamics such as preferred “best practices,” business models, recent business activity, etc. Each variable is graded and represents a certain value for each measured component. This data is fed into an algorithm that measures thousands of advisors against each other. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data.

Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receives compensation in exchange for placement on the rankings.

SHOOK Disclosures

The Forbes | Shook® Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors and Forbes | Shook Best-in-State Next-Gen Wealth Advisors rankings are the product of Shook Research, LLC’s independent research and due diligence and its proprietary ranking methodology. The rankings are published and distributed by Forbes. Data as of March 31, 2026. Published by Forbes (August 2026).

Shook Research’s proprietary methodology and ranking algorithm incorporates in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor across criteria such as client impact, industry experience, client retention, review of best practices, credentials, compliance records, and firm nominations, as well as quantitative factors including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Shook considered advisors born from 1987 to present with a minimum of four years of experience as an advisor.

Investment performance is not a criterion, as client objectives and risk tolerances vary and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Shook Research’s rankings are intended to help investors identify and evaluate financial advisors and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The rankings are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation or endorsement to hire any specific investment advisor. Shook Research does not assume any liability for actions taken based on the rankings.

Neither Shook Research nor Forbes receives compensation in exchange for placement on the rankings. For a full description of Shook Research’s methodology, please visit www.Shookresearch.com. Shook® is a registered trademark of Shook Research, LLC.