1. % The dow jones business and Financial weekly
The Top
www.barrons.com FebRuaRy 22, 2010
1,000
By providing
smart guidance
during the
financial crisis,
the nation’s best
advisors proved
their mettle.
advisors
John Dykes for Barron’s
Top 1,000
Here are America’s best financial advisors, organized by state. The rankings are based on data provided by over 4,000 of the nation’s most productive advisors.
Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice, and philanthropic work. Institu-
tional assets are given less weight in the scoring. Investment performance isn’t an explicit component, because not all advisors have audited results and because
performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment-picking abilities. A ranking of “N” in the 2009 column
denotes “not ranked last year.”
U S T O M E R S
C
High Ultra-High Total Typical Typical
RANK Individuals Net Worth Net Worth Found- Endow- Institu- Assets Account Net Worth
2010 09
’ Name Firm City (Up to $1mil) ($1-10 mil) ($10 mil+) ations ments tional ($mil) ($mil) ($mil)
NEW YORK
22. N Rick Van Benschoten Lenox Advisors New York City § § § § 1,150
2.2 16
(over p lease)
The Publisher ’ s sale Of This rePrinT DOes nOT COnsTiTuTe Or imPly any enDOrsemenT Or sPOnsOrshiP Of any PrODuCT, serviCe, COmPany Or OrganizaTiOn.
Custom Reprints (609)520-4331 P.O. Box 300 Princeton, N.J. 08543-0300. DO NOT EDIT OR ALTER REPRINT•/REPRODUCTIONS NOT PERMITTED #41834
•
!

2. Across the country, great financial advisors
are finding new ways to help investors.
2010 Top 1000 Advisors
By Suzanne McGee
The following has been excerpted
Extraordinary times call for extraordi- bad marks on their regulatory records. and dividend-paying blue chips. But over-
nary people. Investment performance isn’t an explicit all, we found more diversity of opinion
In today’s topsy-turvy markets—a his- criterion, because most financial advisors than at any other time since we began
toric crash one year, a monster rally the don’t have audited performance records; tracking financial advisors six years ago.
next—the leading financial advisors across but advisors who meet our requirements The advisors are quite literally all over
the country are pulling out all the stops, tend to get strong investment results. the map.
and then some, to get an edge for their The 1,000 advisors have a number of The divergence isn’t entirely surpris-
clients and themselves. And by at least other things in common, too. Most hail ing, given the tumult of the past two
one important measure, they are succeed- from big brokerage houses and banks. years. People everywhere are still trying
ing: Their client-retention rate clocked in The advisors are thoroughly seasoned: to get their bearings.
at 97% last year. Doctors and contractors On average, they are 51 years old, and
But that doesn’t mean the advisors can
should be so lucky. have been in the business for some 25
afford to get it wrong.
The high retention level is one of the years. The advisors are remarkably loyal
“They really caught a break last year,”
most striking findings from Barron’s an- to their employers, putting in an average
of 19 years at their current firms. says Simon Johnson, an economist at the
nual state-by-state roundup of the top
1,000 financial advisers. This is the larg- This data—and more—came from an MIT Sloan School of Management. “Ev-
est of four advisor rankings we publish extensive survey filled out by more than eryone was so relieved by the recovery
each year. 4,000 nominees, 25% more than last year. that they weren’t going to worry as much
To make this list, advisors need to be After reviewing the information and talk- if their broker didn’t do as well as he or
leaders in their states in assets under ing with advisors and their firms, we had she might have done. Going forward, cli-
advisement—and some have billions. They the final list. ents will be more demanding; the job gets
also must generate ample revenue for What the group absolutely does not harder.”
their firms, and run provably high-quality have is a unified outlook for the markets. Still, the top advisors will have the
practices. And of course, they can’t have Yes, they tend to like emerging markets benefit of that bedrock, investors’ trust. n
Inclusion on the Barron’s Top 1,000 list is not indicative of a financial adviser’s future performance. Working with a financial adviser identified
on the Barron’s Top 1,000 list does not guarantee future investment success. Assets under management managed by, or offered through, MML
Investors Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Financial information is as of January 31, 2010. Rick Van Benschoten is a registered
representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, Inc., 530 5th Avenue, 14th Floor, New
York, NY 10036, 212-536-6000. CRN201204 - 131476