I am thrilled that Ritholtz Wealth Management has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the top 100 RIAs in the country. They report there are 15,870 independent registered investment advisory firms (RIAs); Top 100 means better than the top 1% of all firms.1
When we launched in 2013, twelve years ago (today!), as four advisors and an amazing admin who ran the place (Erika!), Kris Venne convinced all of us that an ensemble practice was the way to go. That turned out to be the best decision we made, as each of us gravitated to what we did best. A flywheel effect followed, with all of the founders expanding their expertise, creating momentum and high double-digit growth for more than a decade. All organically, without outside capital or M&A.2
None of this could have happened without that decision, nor could it have taken place without the 80 fantastic people who make RWM the very special place it is today. This is not false modesty; it is simply an acknowledgement of how proud I am to get to work with so many amazing people.
Barron’s has always been special to me personally (I am old school). When I started as a trader 30 years ago(!), every Saturday morning was spent with a big mug of coffee and the print edition of the weekly Barron’s. I was thrilled to be quoted in August 2007 (Placid Times Ahead?), with the GFC looming.3 The first thing I ever published in a mainstream media outlet was a Memo to DC from Wall Street4 – the precursor to Bailout Nation. Thomas Donlan taught me what a great editor can do for your writing – make it all sinew and no fat.
I have spoken at multiple Barron’s conferences, seminars, and events; they have always been wonderful experiences. When Barron’s ran a special article on Josh and me in 2020,5, it was thrilling. I was utterly delighted when Batnick was the focus of a profile in 2022.6 Over just this past year, my RWM colleagues and I have been quoted in Barron’s 20 times.
To say this is meaningful to me dramatically understates the matter…
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If you are an investor and would like to learn more about how we work with clients, please contact us at Info-AT-RitholtzWealth-DOT-Com.
And if you are an advisor or in the financial industry and need some career guidance, we would love to chat with you. Please reach out to the same address, with ‘CAREER’ in the subject line.
See also:
Here Are America’s Top RIA Firms and Independent Advisors
By Matt Barthel
Barron’s, Sept 12, 2025
Barry Ritholtz: How Advisors Can Create Killer Content
By Greg Bartalos
Barron’s May 16, 2023
Ritholtz Wealth Management Is Expanding Fast. Why M&A Isn’t in the Cards.
By Andrew Welsch
Barron’s, April 22, 2024
Michael Batnick: Crushing It With Content
By Steve Garmhausen
Barron’s Feb. 4, 2022
Barry Ritholtz and Josh Brown Won’t Predict The Market, But They’ll Talk About Anything Else.
By Leslie P. Norton
Barron’s, Dec 18, 2020
Previously:
Barron’s: Placid Times Ahead? August 6, 2007
A Memo Found in the Street (*Mirror)
By Barry L. Ritholtz
Sept 29, 2008
Batnick: Crushing It With Content (February 6, 2022)
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1. Top 0.62% to be precise. There are ~17,000 firms, of which 15kish are registered with the S.E.C. That is to say nothing of all of the hybrid Broker-Dealers, and all the advisors at wire houses. FINRA reports there are 634,500 registered representatives in total.
2. When Blackrock decided in 2022 that their 2015 purchase of Future Advisor (their robo) was no longer their core focus, we agreed to purchase the book in 2023 and service those clients in our digital platform, with a live human advisor included.
3. Placid Times Ahead? By Jim McTague, Aug 06, 2007
4. A Memo Found in the Street
By Barry L. Ritholtz
Barron’s, Sept 29, 2008
As I wrote at the time, “It was a pleasure working with Thom Donlan on this, who turned my blunt, meandering scribbles into a razor-sharp scalpel.”
5. Barry Ritholtz and Josh Brown Won’t Predict The Market, But They’ll Talk About Anything Else.
By Leslie P. Norton
Barron’s, Dec 18, 2020
6. Michael Batnick: Crushing It With Content
By Steve Garmhausen
Barron’s Feb. 4, 2022
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Disclosure:
Barron’s ranked Ritholtz Wealth Management (RWM) #100 in their 2025 “Barron’s Top RIA Firms” in September, 2025. The annual ranking is based on data compiled for RWM’s registered investment adviser and was based on June 30th data, including annual figures for the previous three years. No fee was paid for participation in the ranking.
The ranking is based on firm surveys, and filings with the regulatory databases were used to cross-check the data provided. The rankings are based on assets managed by the firms, growth, technology spending, staff diversity, succession planning, and other metrics. The formula Barron’s uses to rank firms is proprietary. The formula features three major categories of calculations: (1) Assets (2) Revenue (3) Quality of practice. The number of firms included in the 2025 ranking was 100. For the first time, Barron’s is ranking the largest registered investment advisor firms separately from its broader RIA ranking.
For our list of mega RIAs, we selected firms that manage 2% or more of the total assets of all ranking applicants. This year, that creates a threshold of $70 billion in assets. For additional information, visit https://www.barrons.com/articles/barrons-methodology-for-ranking-financial-advisors-51615843316. The ranking does not indicate future performance, and there is no guarantee of future success.
