ADVSR Rankings · Methodology
How the Breakaway Teams of the Year list is built
The largest advisor teams to leave a wirehouse, regional or bank-owned firm for independence this year, by the client assets reported at the time of the move.
- Ranked by
- Client assets reported at the time of the move
- Data as of
- October 21, 2026
- Source
- The Financial ADVSR Moves tracker
- Updated
- Updated through the day as moves are reported; final after December 31
Who qualifies
A team or individual advisor qualifies when a news report in our Moves tracker says they left a firm we classify as a wirehouse, regional or bank-owned firm (Morgan Stanley, Merrill, UBS, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan, Raymond James, RBC, Stifel, Janney, Baird, Edward Jones, Ameriprise, Rockefeller, Truist, Oppenheimer, Equitable, Citi, Northern Trust) and joined a firm outside that group: an independent RIA, a hybrid RIA, an independent broker-dealer, or a firm of their own.
Moves are counted in the calendar year in which they were first reported, in New York time. The list for the current year is a year-to-date list until December 31.
How teams are ordered
Teams are ranked by the client assets reported at the time of the move, as stated in the news report we cite for each entry. Moves reported without an asset figure are not ranked. Ties share a rank.
Asset figures are what the team, its new firm or the reporting outlet said. They are not audited by Financial ADVSR and can include assets that do not follow the team.
Where the data comes from
The Moves tracker reads every wire story we carry and records a move only when the story's own words name the team (or its assets) and the firm it joined; each entry links to the report it came from. A move reported by several outlets is counted once.
Independence
No one pays to be considered for or included in an ADVSR ranking. Financial ADVSR does not charge nominees, honorees or their firms, and inclusion is not tied to advertising.
The list measures what this page describes and nothing more. It is not a recommendation of any advisor or firm, says nothing about whether one suits a particular person, and is not based on client reviews or investment performance. See our editorial standards.
Questions
Do advisors or firms pay to be on the Breakaway Teams of the Year list?
No one pays to be considered for or included in an ADVSR ranking. Financial ADVSR does not charge nominees, honorees or their firms, and inclusion is not tied to advertising.
How often is the list updated?
Updated through the day as moves are reported; final after December 31. The current data date is October 21, 2026.
Can an adviser cite this list in marketing?
Financial ADVSR doesn't give legal or compliance advice. Advisers who cite a third-party ranking under the SEC Marketing Rule generally disclose the ranking's date, the period it covers, who created it and whether compensation was paid. Each list page carries those facts: “Breakaway Teams of the Year” is published by Financial ADVSR, an independent news outlet. Data as of October 21, 2026; period covered: January 1, 2026, to date. Criteria: client assets reported at the time of the move. No compensation was paid, directly or indirectly, by anyone to be considered for or included in the list. Inclusion is not indicative of future performance or of any client's experience.
How do I correct an entry?
Email the desk through our contact page with the entry and a link to the record that shows the correction. We fix verified errors and note material corrections.