ADVSR Rankings · Methodology
How the Top Recruiting Firms list is built
The firms that recruited the most advisor assets this year, net of the assets they lost, as reported in the press.
- Ranked by
- Net client assets recruited: assets of teams joining minus assets of teams leaving
- 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
What is counted
Every advisor or team move in our Moves tracker reported during the calendar year (New York time). A firm is credited with the assets reported for each team that joined it and debited for each team that left. Firm deals (acquisitions and mergers) are not counted.
Only moves with a reported asset figure move the totals; team counts include every recorded move. Firms are ranked by net reported assets, and a firm must have recruited at least one team to appear.
Limits
Press coverage is uneven: large teams and some firms are reported more often than others, and asset figures are what the team, its firm or the outlet said, not audited figures. Treat the totals as a record of reported moves, not a firm's full recruiting results.
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 Top Recruiting Firms 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: “Top Recruiting Firms” is published by Financial ADVSR, an independent news outlet. Data as of October 21, 2026; period covered: January 1, 2026, to date. Criteria: net client assets recruited: assets of teams joining minus assets of teams leaving. 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.