Steward Partners Deepens National Standing With Seven Teams on Forbes 2026 Best-In-State List

New updates have been reported about Steward Partners.

Steward Partners has further reinforced its position as a leading independent, employee-owned RIA by securing seven team placements on the 2026 Forbes | SHOOK Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams list, underscoring the firm’s nationwide bench strength and advisor quality. The honored groups span key regional markets—Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Missouri—highlighting the firm’s broad geographic footprint and the scalability of its client-first, partner-owned model. The Forbes | SHOOK methodology emphasizes advisor quality, client retention, experience, and assets and revenue, indicating that Steward Partners’ growth is being driven by durable client relationships and institutional-grade practices rather than short-term performance metrics. Commenting on the recognition, Head of Wealth Management Jeff Gonyo linked these awards directly to the firm’s culture and ownership structure, noting that advisor equity and collaboration enable more customized strategies and deeper client engagement.

The Forbes recognition adds to a run of third-party validation that is strategically important for Steward Partners’ brand, recruiting, and retention as competition in the RIA and wealth management space intensifies. Since its launch in 2013, the firm has grown to nearly $50 billion in client assets as of December 2025 and recently climbed to #9 on Barron’s 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms list, up from #18 in 2024, while also appearing on AdvisorHub’s RIA Firms to Watch, the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2025 Top RIA rankings, and USA TODAY’s Best Financial Advisory Firms list. Multiple leaders and advisors have been featured on InvestmentNews’ Hot List and Top Financial Advisors in the USA, signaling both depth in leadership and a robust next-generation talent pipeline. Taken together, these rankings enhance Steward Partners’ credibility with high-net-worth and institutional clients, strengthen its recruiting narrative for elite advisors seeking equity and independence, and support continued organic and inorganic growth as the firm competes with larger platforms in a high-cost, consolidation-driven environment.