Here's what our research has found: the very best advisors are laser focused on making a difference in their clients' lives; they want to add meaning and help them live better lives.

This is how we think about our research process every day. If we're going to recommend advisors to the public, we have to make sure every advisor is high quality. When we meet with an advisor in person or on the telephone, we are thinking to ourselves: Is this someone that can offer impact? And would we recommend this advisor to a friend or family member?'

Our Top Wealth Advisor rankings are published annually, but they don’t tell the whole story: most of these advisors are concentrated around the bigger markets such as New York and San Francisco. We've uncovered great advisors in all markets—South Carolina, Oklahoma, and other states with smaller concentrations of wealth.

It is our belief that clients are oftentimes better served by local representation. For example, a Houston-based investor who made her fortune in oil may prefer a local advisor with experience in that sector; a tech entrepreneur may want an advisor well-versed in start-ups and funding; or a farmer may seek an advisor with expertise in the futures markets. Many of the clients we talk to say they consider their advisors and teams like a part of their families, so it's nice to have them close by.

The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Wealth Advisors and Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria learned through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data such as revenue trends and assets under management. The algorithm additionally weighs factors such as service models, compliance........

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