Disclaimer
The rating is not indicative of Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors future performance. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors did not pay a fee to participate in the survey; however, HH did pay to license the CNBC FA 100 logo.
Methodology
2025: CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 list is determined through a blend of data analysis and editorial review.
As an initial screening, data provider AccuPoint Solutions analyzes core data points from its proprietary database of registered investment advisors, or RIAs, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulatory database. Firms that don’t meet CNBC’s proprietary criteria are removed from the list.
This year’s analysis used an initial list of 40,563 RIA firms. The list was eventually cut to 1,015 RIAs that met CNBC’s proprietary criteria.
CNBC sends an extensive email survey to all those firms that meet the initial criteria to gather more details about their practice. CNBC applies a layer of editorial review, clarifying firm entries as needed and verifying responses against the SEC regulatory database and other publicly available resources.
AccuPoint Solutions then applies CNBC’s proprietary weighted criteria to refine the list and rank the firms.
A firm’s inclusion on the list is based solely on this methodology. CNBC receives no compensation from placing financial advisory firms on the list. Additionally, a firm’s or advisor’s appearance on the ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm or advisor.
Data that goes into CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100
AccuPoint Solutions uses a variety of primary data points, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, to eliminate those firms that do not meet CNBC’s requirements. For example, any firm that has a disclosure with the SEC such as a regulatory violation or customer dispute is automatically disqualified from the ranking.
Once the initial list is compiled, weightings are also applied accordingly.
These data points include:
- Advisory firm’s regulatory/compliance record
- Number of years in the business
- Number of certified financial planners
- Number of employees
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm
- Ratio of investment advisors to the total number of employees
- Total assets under management
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management
- Total accounts under management
- Number of states where the RIA is registered
- Country of domicile
2024: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with the ranking of registered investment advisors for this year’s FA 100 list.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint Solutions’ proprietary database of registered investment advisors.
This analysis used an initial list of 40,896 RIA firms from the Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory database. Through a process, the list was eventually cut to 903 RIAs meeting CNBC’s proprietary criteria.
CNBC staff sent an extensive email survey to all those firms that met the initial criteria to gather more details. In turn, those advisory firms filled out a comprehensive application in regard to their practice. The CNBC team verified that data with those firms and with the SEC regulatory database. AccuPoint once again applied CNBC’s proprietary weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100 firms.
CNBC receives no compensation from placing financial advisory firms on their list. Additionally, an advisor’s appearance on their ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet CNBC’s requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
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- Advisory firm’s regulatory/compliance record. (Editor’s note: Each advisory firm’s CRD number was checked for validity. Any firm that had a disclosure on its SEC ADV was automatically disqualified from the ranking.)
- Number of years in the business.
- Number of certified financial planners.
- Number of employees.
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm.
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees.
- Total assets under management.
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management.
- Total accounts under management.
- Number of states where the RIA is registered.
- Country of domicile.
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2023: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with the ranking of registered investment advisors for this year’s FA 100 list.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint Solutions’ proprietary database of registered investment advisors. This analysis started with an initial list of 40,646 RIA firms from the Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory database. Through a process, the list was eventually cut to 812 RIAs with those firms meeting CNBC’s proprietary criteria.
CNBC staff sent an extensive email survey to all those firms that met the initial criteria to gather more details. In turn, those advisory firms filled out a comprehensive application in regard to their practice. The CNBC team verified that data with those firms and with the SEC regulatory database. AccuPoint once again applied CNBC’s proprietary weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100 firms.
CNBC receives no compensation from placing financial advisory firms on their list. Additionally, an advisor’s appearance on their ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet CNBC’s requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
- Advisory firm’s regulatory/compliance record. (editor’s note: Each advisory firm’s CRD number was checked for validity. Any firm that had a disclosure on its SEC ADV was automatically disqualified from the ranking)
- Number of years in the business.
- Number of certified financial planners.
- Number of employees.
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm.
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees.
- Total assets under management.
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management.
- Total accounts under management.
- Number of states where the RIA is registered.
- Country of domicile.
2022: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with the ranking of registered investment advisors for this year’s FA 100 list.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint Solutions’ proprietary database of registered investment advisors. This analysis started with an initial list of 39,818 RIA firms from the Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory database. Through a process, the list was eventually cut to 904 RIAs, with those firms meeting CNBC’s proprietary criteria.
CNBC staff sent an extensive email survey to all those firms that met the initial criteria to gather more details. In turn, those advisory firms wishing to be ranked filled out the comprehensive application in regard to their practice. The CNBC team verified that data with those firms and with the SEC regulatory database. AccuPoint once again applied CNBC’s proprietary weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100.
CNBC does not charge any type of fee to advisors to be listed in the annual ranking.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet CNBC’s requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
- Advisory firm’s regulatory/compliance record (editor’s note: Any firm that had a disclosure on its SEC ADV was automatically disqualified from the ranking)
- Number of years in the business
- Number of certified financial planners
- Number of employees
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees
- Total assets under management
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management
- Total accounts under management
- Number of states where the RIA is registered
- Country of domicile.
2021: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with the ranking of registered investment advisors for this year’s FA 100 list.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint Solutions’ database of registered investment advisors. This analysis started with an initial list of 38,302 RIA firms. Through a process, the list was eventually cut to 749 RIAs, with those firms meeting CNBC’s proprietary criteria. (All the data collected from the RIAs was information culled from the firm’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.)
CNBC staff sent an email survey to all those firms that met the initial criteria to gather more details. AccuPoint again applied CNBC’s proprietary weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet CNBC’s requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
- Advisor’s compliance record
- Number of years in the business
- Number of employees
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees
- Total assets under management
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management
- Total accounts under management
- Number of states where the RIA is registered
- Country of domicile
2020: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with the ranking of registered investment advisors for this year’s FA 100 list.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint’s database of financial services firms. This analysis started with an initial list of 37,369 RIA firms.
AccuPoint then applied weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet our requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
- Disclosures
- Number of years in the business
- Number of employees
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees
- Total assets under management
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management
- Total accounts under management
- Number of states where the RIA is registered
- Country of domicile
2019: CNBC enlisted data provider AccuPoint Solutions to assist with delivering the CNBC FA 100 ranking of registered investment advisors.
The methodology consisted of first analyzing a variety of core data points from AccuPoint’s database of financial services firms. This analysis started with an initial list of 35,511 RIA firms.
AccuPoint then applied weighted categories to further refine and rank the firms, ultimately creating the list of the top 100.
The primary data points used in the analysis were reviewed, either as a minimum baseline or within a range, eliminating those firms that did not meet our requirements. Once the initial list was compiled, weightings were also applied accordingly. These data points included:
-
-
- Disclosures
- Number of years in the business
- Number of employees
- Number of investment advisors registered with the firm
- The ratio of investment advisors to total number of employees
- Total assets under management
- Percentage of discretionary assets under management
- Total accounts under management
- Number of states where the RIA is registered
- Country of domicile
-