It’s no secret that the financial landscape is changing rapidly. To stay ahead of the curve, financial advisors must identify and align themselves with the top influencers in the field.
Here are 36 financial advisor influencers who will likely have a big impact on the industry in 2022.
1. Bill Cates
If you need help figuring out how to identify the best niche for your firm, Bill Cates is your guy. He’s a referral coach for top advisors, bestselling author, hall of fame keynote speaker, and one of my top mentors. He’s coached thousands of financial service professionals on how to identify and serve more ideal clients.
I recommend listening to his Top Advisor Podcast to hear some of his insights and recommendations. You can also sign up for a free workshop webinar he and I hosted together, How to Choose Your Niche & Create a Radically Relevant Marketing Message.
2. Steve Sanduski
Steve Sanduski is a CFP® professional and personal coach to financial professionals. He hosts the ever-popular podcast Between Now and Success, where he brings in top achievers and visionaries in the financial services industry and invites them to share their journey to success.
3. Ron Carson
Ron Carson…need I say more? Ron is a household name among financial advisors and one of my personal heroes and mentors. He founded Carson Group in 1983, which now has over $15 billion assets under advisement. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author of Avalanche and The Sustainable Edge. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Ron was also a guest on my podcast, The Marketing Podcast for Financial Advisors. You can listen to our episode on Preparing to Sell Your Financial Advisory Firm here.
4. Samantha Russell
Samantha Russell is the “Chief Evangelist” at FMG Suite and Twenty Over Ten. She’s a marketing queen who’s passionate about helping financial advisors switch their digital marketing mindset from an “outbound cold sales” to a “warm inbound” approach. She’s given over 600 presentations to more than 10,000 financial professionals since 2015. You can check Sam out on YouTube here.
5. Michael Kitces
Michael Kitces is another household name among financial advisors who needs no introduction. He’s probably THE top influencer for financial advisors thanks to his blog, Nerd’s Eye View, and his Twitter—both of which have cult-like followings.
6. Bob Veres
Bob Veres is a top influencer for financial advisors mostly known for his monthly newsletter, Inside Information, which labels itself as “the most important information resource in the financial planning space.” Bob is also a speaker and author of the bestselling book The New Profession.
7. Daniel Crosby
Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who’s passionate about helping financial advisors understand the intersection of mind and markets. A self-dubbed shrink, he’s the go-to person if you want to learn more about behavioral finance and investor psychology.
Daniel is also the co-author of a New York Times bestselling book, Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
8. Vikram Mansharamani
Vikram Mansharamani is an author, academic, and advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs. He’s been named LinkedIn’s #1 Top Voice for Money, Finance, and Global Economics, as well as one of the 100 most powerful people in global finance.
Vikram’s background is nothing short of mesmerizing. He holds a Ph.D. and two master’s degrees from MIT, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He’s also a lecturer at Harvard and previously Yale. Follow him on LinkedIn to learn more.
You can also check out his two latest books, Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence and Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst.
9. Joshua Brown
Joshua Brown is a financial advisor and the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. He also runs a successful blog, The Reformed Broker, where he uses facts, statistics, satire, and pop culture to discuss markets, finance, and economics. You can check out his podcast and books for more info.
10. Jody Padar
Jody Padar, otherwise known as The Radical CPA, is on a mission to bring the accounting profession into the digital age. She’s also passionate about helping more CPAs develop a work–life balance where they can go home on time and give more to their clients at the same time.
Jody is a three-time author and has been named in the Top 100 Most Influential People to the Accounting Profession for over 10 years in a row. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
11. Barry Ritholtz
Barry Ritholz is the co-founder and CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, which has over $2.3 billion in AUM and is the fourth fastest-growing RIA in the U.S. He also runs The Big Picture, a Weblog with over half a million page views per month.
Barry has been named one of the 15 Most Important Economic Journalists in the United States and has columns in both Bloomberg Opinion and The Washington Post. He’s also the creator and host of Masters in Business, a popular podcast on Bloomberg Radio. You can follow him on Twitter.
12. Mike Shedlock
Mike “Mish” Shedlock is a registered investment advisor for SitkaPacific Capital Management. He talks about global macroeconomics, politics, central bank policy, and more on his blog, MishTalk. Follow him on Twitter.
13. Cullen Roche
Cullen Roche is on a mission to help people make smarter, more disciplined decisions with their money. He’s the CIO of Discipline Funds, a global macro ETF; the founder of Orcam Group, a low-fee financial services firm offering multi-asset investment management, financial planning, institutional consulting, and educational services; and author of Pragmatic Capitalism. You can connect with Cullen on Twitter.
14. Jim Blankenship
Jim Blankenship is a CFP® professional who specializes in Social Security, income tax, and personal finance. A self-proclaimed “technogeek from the old school,” Jim also runs a successful blog called Getting Your Financial Ducks in a Row. He’s been in the finance industry since 1985 and has a wealth of knowledge and insights to share. You can follow him on Twitter.
15. Jeff Rose
Back in 2008, CFP® professional Jeff Rose set out with one intention: create the best financial planner blog in the world. Guess what? He did it. In 2018, a company even offered to pay him $10 million for his website. His YouTube channel is equally entertaining and inspirational and has 374,000 subscribers and counting. Check out Jeff at Good Financial Cents and Wealth Hacker Labs to get inspiration for your own financial advisor blog.
16. Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey is known for helping thousands of families get out of debt and achieve financial freedom. The author of seven national bestsellers, he does an excellent job of breaking complex topics down into plain language. So check out his platform, Ramsey Solutions, if you want inspiration.
17. Rachel Cruze
Rachel Cruz is the daughter of Dave Ramsey. She’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and financial expert who hosts her own show, The Rachel Cruz Show. She’s passionate about helping others take control of their money and build a life they love.
18. Jim Marous
Jim Marous is a speaker, publisher, and one of the most influential people in banking. He advised the White House on banking policy and has been named one of the Top 5 Fintech Influencers to Follow. His podcast, Banking Transformed, is one of the top 10 banking podcasts available today.
19. Ron Shevlin
Ron Shevlin is the Managing Director of Fintech Research at Cornerstone Advisors. He’s also a Senior Contributor for Forbes, where he writes about cutting-edge technology in financial services. If you’re looking to stay on the cutting edge of the fintech industry, follow Ron on Twitter.
20. Colin Williams
Colin Williams is an Australian-based consultant who’s passionate about using data to help wealth and financial planning firms grow strategically. Follow him on Twitter or check out his website, Wealth Data, for more information.
21. Aaron Klein
Aaron Klein is the co-founder and CEO of Riskalyze—the company that invented Risk Number®, a financial risk management software used by many financial advisors, broker-dealers, and RIAs across the country. You can follow Aaron on LinkedIn for more information.
22. Bola Sokunbi
If you’re a financial advisor for women, Bola Sokunbi is an excellent person to follow in our industry. She’s a Certified Financial Education Instructor, money expert, bestselling author, and the CEO and founder of Clever Girl Finance. Bola’s mission is to empower women to achieve financial success, and it’s evident in every aspect of her online presence. She has a blog, a YouTube channel, books, free courses, and more to inspire you to make deeper connections with your female clientele.
23. Robin Powell
Robin Powell is an award-winning journalist best known as “The Evidence-Based Investor” (TEBI). He’s a passionate champion of global investing and the head of client education for Rock Wealth UK and Evidence Advisers. If you’re in the UK, Robin is a great financial advisor influencer to follow. You can check him out on Twitter.
24. Douglas A. Boneparth
Douglas Boneparth is a New York-based CFP® professional and the president of Bone Fide Wealth—a wealth management firm that provides effective and relatable advice to New York’s hardest-working Millennials. He was named a Top Most Influential Financial Advisor by Investopedia four years in a row and sits on the CNBC Advisor Council.
He’s also the author of The Millennial Money Fix, which teaches young professionals everything they need to know about budgeting, college debt, and finding financial freedom. Follow him on Twitter to see what he’s up to next.
25. Gregory Silberman
Gregory Silberman is a CFA® charterholder and the CIO of Atlanta-based ACG Investment Management LLC, a firm dedicated to scouting alternative investments and making them available to clients. You can learn more about him on Twitter.
26. Tony Vidler
Tony Vidler is best known as “The Advisor to Advisors.” As a New Zealand-based speaker, business advisor, and sales training coach, he spends most of his days helping advisors build better businesses. You can check out Tony’s website to learn more about him and what he does.
27. Jonathan Chevreau
Jonathan Chevreau is the CFO of the Financial Independence Hub, a finance platform dedicated to helping pre-retirees and retirees get more out of their wealth. If you’re a financial advisor whose target niche is retirement-aged families, Jonathan is a great person to follow for inspiration.
28. Ilyce Glink
Do a lot of your clients have questions about real estate or home buying? If so, you may want to follow Ilyce Glink of Think Glink. She’s a real estate and financial wellness expert, and author of 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask.
29. Chris Chen
Chris Chen is a CFP® professional, dad, sailor, and wealth strategist who specializes in retirement planning, investment management, and divorce planning at Insight Financial Strategists. He’s also the CEO of Freedom Point, a firm that helps business owners maximize the value of their business and prepare for retirement. If you’re a financial advisor who serves divorcees or business owners, follow Chris on Twitter for inspiration.
30. Rick Ferri
Rick Ferri is a retired Marine, CFA® charterholder, and podcast host of Bogleheads on Investing. He was also named as one of Investopedia’s 100 Top Financial Advisors in 2019.
31. Bob Reynolds
Robert “Bob” Reynolds was the Vice Chairman and COO of Fidelity Investments for over 23 years! Today, he serves as the President and CEO of Putnam Investments He’s a pioneer in the financial services space and has had a direct hand in shaping America’s retirement saving system. You can follow Bob on LinkedIn or Twitter to see what he’s up to next.
32. Brittney Castro
Brittney Castro is a force to be reckoned with. As the in-house CFP® professional for Mint as well as the Head of Education for Altruist, she spends most of her days promoting financial literacy via media interviews, YouTube videos, TV experiences, and more. She’s also worked with top financial services companies like Chase, E-Trade, CNBC, and more. You can learn more about the fabulous Brittney Castro on her website.
33. Larry Fink
Larry Fink is the Chairman and CEO of BlackRock. He co-founded BlackRock in 1988 and helped grow it into a global leader in investment and technology. Barron’s has named him one of the World’s Best CEOs for 15 consecutive years and Fortune has named him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. He has almost 1 million followers on LinkedIn.
34. Steve Gresham
Steve Gresham is the CEO of The Execution Project, a consulting firm that helps financial companies rethink “retirement” and get better results. He’s worked with more than 50 financial services companies, including Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, and is an incredible person to follow if you’re looking to rethink retirement and grow your revenue as a financial advisor.
35. Simon Thorp
If you’re a financial advisor based in the UK, you need to follow Simon Thorp on LinkedIn. The CIO of Aperture Investors and named a Top Voice for LinkedIn in 2019, Simon writes extensively on current global markets.
36. Rose Han
Rose Han is a former Wall Street trader turned financial educator. She teaches people how to “get good with money” through her investing courses and wildly popular YouTube channel, which has over 1 million views and counting. Rose’s website is BEAUTIFULLY constructed, so I encourage you to check it out if you need some design inspiration.
That’s a Wrap on Our 36 Top Influencers!
There’s a lot of technical aspects that go into marketing today—from setting up your website, social media, and email marketing to writing, content creation, and knowing your message. If you want to be known as an industry expert like one of these featured financial influencers but don’t have the time to work on your digital presence all by yourself, consider outsourcing your marketing to a firm like ours that specializes in financial advisor marketing.
Schedule your free strategy call now and we’ll take a deep dive into your current marketing to figure out what’s working and what’s not. It’s totally free and is a great next step to get a custom approach to your own marketing.
Which of these top influencers for financial advisors will you follow first? Are there any we left off the list that you’d recommend? Email us and let us know!