Moran Wealth Management, an SEC-registered investment adviser based in Naples, Florida, has been ranked the #1 RIA firm in Southwest Florida, #5 in the state of Florida, and #118 nationally in Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2026 RIA Ranking, based on assets under management (AUM) as of December 31, 2025.^1,2 It’s the third consecutive year the firm has held the #1 spot in Southwest Florida and #5 in Florida.² Rankings like this one are common in advisor marketing, but the criteria behind them, and what they leave out, are rarely explained. This guide covers how Florida RIA rankings are actually compiled, what Moran Wealth Management’s placement in the Financial Advisor Magazine survey reflects, and what else is worth checking before choosing an adviser.

What Do Florida RIA Rankings Measure?

Florida RIA rankings compare participating firms using publisher-specific criteria such as AUM, survey data, and regulatory records.¹ Each publisher sets its own eligibility rules, data sources, and scoring method, so a firm’s placement on one list isn’t directly comparable to its placement on another.^1,2

Moran Wealth Management’s 2026 Ranking

Financial Advisor Magazine, published by Charter Financial Publishing Network, ranked Moran Wealth Management #1 among RIA firms in Southwest Florida, #5 in the state of Florida, and #118 nationally in its 2026 RIA Ranking, based on AUM as of December 31, 2025.^1,2 The firm, led by Chairman, CEO, and CIO Tom Moran, AIF®, has now held the #1 Southwest Florida spot and #5 Florida spot for three consecutive ranking cycles, even as its national rank has shifted alongside its peer set’s asset growth:²

A national rank that moves while a regional rank holds steady is typical of AUM-based surveys: it usually reflects how quickly other participating firms’ assets grew, not a change in Moran Wealth Management’s own standing within Southwest Florida.¹ The full 2026 RIA ranking is published online by Financial Advisor Magazine.³

What the Financial Advisor Magazine RIA Ranking Measures

Financial Advisor Magazine’s RIA Ranking, published annually in the magazine’s July/August issue, orders participating firms from largest to smallest by total AUM as of the prior year-end.¹ To be eligible, a firm must be an independent registered investment adviser, file its own Form ADV with the SEC, and provide financial planning and related services to individual clients; hybrid RIAs, corporate RIAs, and individual investment adviser representatives don’t qualify.¹ Firms submit AUM figures through a voluntary survey, and Financial Advisor Magazine checks the reported numbers against each firm’s Form ADV filing.¹

What the Ranking Doesn’t Measure

The ranking universe is limited to firms that chose to complete the survey. Financial Advisor Magazine doesn’t publish how many firms were invited or how many responded, so the ranking isn’t a comparison against every RIA in Florida or Southwest Florida, only against the firms that participated.^1,2 It’s also worth being clear about what a single AUM-based figure can’t tell you: it says nothing about a firm’s investment performance, the quality of its advice, its clients’ experience, or how it’s likely to perform in the future.^1,2

Was Moran Wealth Management Paid for This Recognition?

No. There’s no fee to participate in Financial Advisor Magazine’s RIA survey, and Moran Wealth Management paid nothing to be considered for, or to receive, its 2026 ranking.² After being notified of its placement, the firm entered a separate arrangement to license the official ranking badge for its own marketing materials; that fee was paid only after the ranking was already granted, not as a condition of receiving it.² Because that kind of post-award payment gives the publisher a financial incentive tied to the firms it ranks, it’s worth weighing alongside the ranking itself when deciding how much to factor it into your own evaluation of a firm.²

How to Evaluate an RIA Beyond a Ranking

A magazine ranking is a reasonable starting point for finding names to research, but it isn’t a substitute for direct diligence. A few places to look:

• Form ADV and IAPD. Every registered investment adviser’s Form ADV, including its fee schedule, services, disciplinary history, and conflicts of interest, is searchable for free through the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database.⁴
• Fee structure. Fee-only advisers are compensated solely by their clients; commission-based and hybrid advisers may also be paid by product providers, which can create incentives worth understanding upfront.
• Fiduciary obligation. Confirm whether the firm, and the specific person you’d work with, is legally required to act in your best interest at all times, or only in certain contexts.
• Designations like CFP®, CFA®, and AIF® each carry their own education, examination, and continuing-education requirements, and it’s reasonable to ask an adviser to explain what theirs involved.
• A direct conversation. A short list of questions to ask a financial adviser about how they’re paid, how they’re regulated, and how they’d approach your specific situation tends to reveal more than any ranking.

Other Independent Recognition

Moran Wealth Management and its advisors have also been named to rankings compiled by Barron’s and Five Star Professional, along with Financial Planning’s RIA Leaders list. Each uses its own methodology, some ranking individual advisors rather than firms, some based on regulatory filings and others on survey responses, so they shouldn’t be read as reinforcing or duplicating the Financial Advisor Magazine result described above. Full detail on each program’s criteria, including whether any fee was paid, is maintained on Moran Wealth Management’s disclosures page².