At a glance
- None of the list's top 10 appeared, and the other 16 firms showed up in about 0.5% of answers.
- On Barron's Top 100 RIA list, 78 firms were named at least once and 22 never appeared, with 69% of all mentions going to the top 10.
- For advisors, the figures suggest a ranking placement does not carry into AI-assisted search: a prospect's question can surface a firm with no ranking at all.
84 of the 100 firms on CNBC's 2026 Financial Advisor 100 were never named in AI-generated answers to questions about financial advice, according to an analysis by public relations firm Gregory reported by WealthManagement.com. None of the list's top 10 appeared, and the other 16 firms showed up in about 0.5% of answers.
On Barron's Top 100 RIA list, 78 firms were named at least once and 22 never appeared, with 69% of all mentions going to the top 10. Only 10 firms from that list appeared in more than 1% of answers. Gregory analyzed 8,389 AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews to 248 questions mirroring how eight groups of affluent professionals, including physicians, attorneys and business owners, would seek advice.
For advisors, the figures suggest a ranking placement does not carry into AI-assisted search: a prospect's question can surface a firm with no ranking at all. Mercer Advisors appeared in 26.6% of answers, Creative Planning in 18.1% and Mariner Wealth Advisors in 15.4%, while LPL Financial, first on Barron's Mega RIA list, appeared in 0.4% of answers.
The No. 1 Mega RIA appeared in 0.4% of AI answers
Share of 8,389 AI-generated answers naming each firm
- Mercer Advisors26.6%
- Creative Planning18.1%
- Mariner Wealth Advisors15.4%
- LPL Financial0.4%
Show as table
| Item | Value (%) |
|---|---|
| Mercer Advisors | 26.6% |
| Creative Planning | 18.1% |
| Mariner Wealth Advisors | 15.4% |
| LPL Financial | 0.4% |
Reported by the Practice management desk from WealthManagement.com. Published . Corrections