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DESTINY FAMILY OFFICE, LLC
Recognition Disclosures
Investment advisory services offered through Destiny Family Office, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor.
InvestmentNews Top Financial Professionals 2026
To compile the third annual Top Financial Professionals (previously Top Advisors) list, InvestmentNews opened a public nomination process for eligible financial professionals. Nominations were accepted from advisors, colleagues, industry professionals, and clients. Only professionals who were formally nominated were considered for the 2026 list. All nominee information was required to be reviewed and verified by each professional’s compliance department before it was accepted into the evaluation process.
A total of 394 nominations were received, and 100 professionals were ultimately selected as recipients of the 2026 Top Financial Professionals recognition.
Evaluation criteria and scoring
Professionals were evaluated solely on quantifiable business metrics covering the period from August 2024 through August 2025. The ranking was based on the following weighted calculations:
- 50% – total 2025 AUM
- 25% – AUM growth over the evaluation period
- 25% – client growth over the evaluation period
InvestmentNews assigned each professional a ranking within each of the three categories and then applied the weighting formula above to calculate a combined score. Nominees were placed on the 2026 Top Financial Professionals list based on their final composite ranking.
What the award measures
This recognition is based only on the business metrics listed above: AUM, AUM growth, and client growth.
What the award does not measure
To comply with SEC advertising and anti-fraud rules, InvestmentNews confirms that the 2026 Top Financial Professionals list is not based on:
- investment performance or portfolio returns
- client experience, testimonials, or satisfaction
- qualitative factors such as leadership, service quality, or professional reputation
- any criteria not expressly stated in the methodology
Fee and promotional disclosure
No fees are required to be nominated or considered for this recognition. Some professionals may choose to purchase optional promotional or marketing packages from InvestmentNews after being selected. Such purchases do not influence the methodology, scoring, or selection in any way.
InvestmentNews Awards Excellence Winner 2025
Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments
Methodology
The call for nominations was open from December 2, 2024 to March 14, 2025 11:59 pm EST, to all wealth management professionals and organizations – including financial advisors, advisory brokerages, BDMs, fund providers and service providers – from across the USA.
Stage 2 – Research
Once all nominations are considered and research is complete, excellence awardees will be selected in each category (except the Lifetime Achievement category) and notified via e-mail or phone.
All excellence awardees were then invited to complete a detailed submission, which is an opportunity to address the category criteria in more detail. All submissions will remain confidential unless otherwise marked and will not be shared with any third parties other than the judges.
Excellence Awardees were announced in April 2025 on the event website and promoted in InvestmentNews magazine and online channels.
All submissions from our excellence awardees are forwarded to the independent judging panel comprising industry leaders and senior representatives. The panel will assess and vote for their winners in each category according to the relevant category criteria.
Voting will commence in May 2025 and their judgment will be impartial, balanced, incisive and fair. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a category will recuse themselves from judging that category.
InvestmentNews 5-Star RIA Firms 2025
Award based on data as of December 31, 2024
The 5-Star RIA Firms list recognizes the nation’s top-performing wealth management firms, setting a benchmark for excellence in the industry.
The 28 firms in the inaugural cohort were selected based on objective criteria including assets under management (AUM), AUM growth, and the number of new clients acquired organically over the past 12 months. All submitted data undergoes a rigorous verification process.
To qualify for inclusion, firms must manage a minimum of $1 billion in AUM in 2024. This recognition highlights best-in-class Registered Investment Advisors across the country who demonstrate consistent growth, strong client engagement, and overall excellence in wealth management.
InvestmentNews Awards Excellence Winner 2026
Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments
June 24, 2026
Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®, founder and CEO of Destiny Family Office, was named the 2026 InvestmentNews Awards winner for Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments. The recognition was issued by InvestmentNews, an unaffiliated third party.
Neither rankings nor recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that the client will experience a certain level of results if Destiny Family Office, LLC and/or Thomas Ruggie is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. No ranking or recognition should be construed as a current or past endorsement by any client of Destiny Family Office, LLC and/or Thomas Ruggie.
The ranking is based on specific criteria and methodology established by InvestmentNews. InvestmentNews states that winners were selected from Excellence Awardees using a points system to aggregate judges’ votes. The Excellence Awardee with the top score in each category was named the winner.
Alternative investments involve risk, may be speculative, may involve limited liquidity, and are not suitable for all investors. Alternative investments are generally intended only for investors who meet applicable eligibility requirements. No investment strategy or product should be assumed to be profitable, suitable for any particular investor, or successful.
Investment advisory services are offered through Destiny Family Office, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration with the SEC does not imply any level of skill, training, or favorable outcome.
Methodology and Awards Process
According to InvestmentNews, the awards process consisted of five stages:
Stage 1, Nominations: The call for nominations was open to wealth management professionals and organizations across the United States, including financial advisors, advisory brokerages, business development managers, fund providers, and service providers. Nominations were open from December 1, 2025 through February 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. InvestmentNews states that there was no fee to submit a nomination.
Stage 2, Research: InvestmentNews states that its awards team conducted research and drew on knowledge and information gained through InvestmentNews to support and supplement nominations received and to help ensure that deserving candidates were considered. Excellence Awardees were determined from both nominations and InvestmentNews’ research process.
Stage 3, Excellence Awardees: Once nominations and research were complete, Excellence Awardees were selected in each category, except the Lifetime Achievement category, and notified by email or phone. Excellence Awardees were invited to complete a detailed submission addressing the relevant category criteria. InvestmentNews states that those submissions remained confidential unless otherwise marked and were not shared with third parties other than the judges. Excellence Awardees were officially announced in April 2026 on the event website and promoted in InvestmentNews magazine and online channels.
Stage 4, Judging: Submissions from Excellence Awardees were forwarded to an independent judging panel made up of industry leaders and senior representatives. InvestmentNews states that judges assessed and voted for winners in each category according to the relevant category criteria, and that any judge with a conflict of interest in a category was required to recuse himself or herself from judging that category.
Stage 5, Winners: InvestmentNews states that winners were determined using a simple points system to aggregate judges’ votes, with the Excellence Awardee receiving the top score in each category named the winner. Winners were announced at the awards show on June 24, 2026 and on the InvestmentNews Awards website.
Newsweek and Plant-A-Insights
America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms 2025
Awarded December 6, 2024
Methodology
This study evaluated Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) with more than $220 million in assets under management, focusing on key factors like short- and long-term asset performance, advisor expertise, client ratio, service breadth, and an absence of conflicts of interest.
The 750 RIA firms with the highest score were awarded as America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms 2025
Plant-A-Insights Group and Newsweek have partnered to identify America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms 2025. They analyzed over 15,000 financial advisories registered with the SEC and applied the following methodology to identify the best of the best.
They began by shortlisting firms with more than $20 million assets under management (AUM), a minimum of three wealth advisors(1), at least five individual clients, and at least two years of SEC registration. Firms were also screened for clean disciplinary records and availability of portfolio management services to individual investors. These shortlisted firms were then analyzed and scored based on the following factors:
Asset Performance: Growth in assets under management indicates both financial performance and the health of a firm’s client base, the cornerstones of advisory excellence. We include both short-term (Sept 2024 vs Sept 2023) and long-term (CAGR Sept 2019 to Sept 2024) measures of asset growth in our scoring model.
Client Performance: Great advisories retain their clients and attract new ones. We again include both short and long-term measures of client base growth/shrinkage for short term (Sept 2024 vs Sept 2023) and long term (CAGR Sept 2019 to Sept 2024).
Adviser Expertise and Client Ratio: We include measures that capture the credentialed expertise of each firm as well as their client-to-adviser ratio.
Breadth of service offerings: Great firms offer a bundle of related services for their investors. We considered the number of other wealth advisory services in our scoring model, such as financial planning services and pension consulting services.
Conflicts of interests: The best advisories work to prevent conflicts of interest; firms with conflicts of interests are penalized in the scoring model.
They then calculated a score for each firm with the maximum being 100. The top 750 Financial Advisory Firms have been recognized as America’s Top Financial Advisory Firms 2025. The performance of firms not included in the ranking is not disputed.
Notes: (1) Wealth advisor is a professional who performs financial advisory functions (including research)
InvestmentNews Hot List 2025
November 11, 2025
Methodology
In July 2025, InvestmentNews invited wealth professionals from across the country to nominate their most exceptional leaders for the third annual Hot List. After receiving hundreds of nominations, InvestmentNews narrowed the list down to 100 movers and shakers whose contributions have helped shape the wealth industry over the past 12 months.
The InvestmentNews Hot List selection methodology is a research-based process that involves nominations from industry professionals and clients, followed by an internal evaluation by the InvestmentNews editorial team. The final list is not a ranking based on specific quantitative performance data like investment returns.
The process generally involves the following steps:
1. Nominations: InvestmentNews opens a call for nominations, accepting submissions from financial advisors, industry professionals, and clients across the US. Self-nominations are also welcomed.
2. Criteria: Nominees are typically required to have a certain amount of experience in the industry (e.g., at least 10 years for some lists). The nominations highlight accomplishments from the past 12 months, including major initiatives, leadership positions, innovation, and overall contributions to shaping the wealth management industry.
3. Research and Vetting: The InvestmentNews awards team and intelligence unit conduct research to support and supplement the nominations. All information on the nominees must be verified, often by their compliance team, before it can be accepted.
4. Final Selection: The editorial team then selects the final list of “movers and shakers” based on these qualitative and quantitative factors, focusing on those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact.
The result is a list of individuals recognized for their outstanding contributions and influence in the wealth management sector during the specified period. It is a merit-based selection, and no one can purchase inclusion in the list.
Forbes Top RIA Firms 2025
As published in the October 1, 2025 issue
As the world’s only advisor research firm in the world with a specialty in quality, SHOOK performs deep due diligence as the basis for its rankings.
Disclosure: SHOOK is completely independent and objective, and does not receive compensation in exchange for placement on its rankings.
What Qualities Does SHOOK Look For?
To start, every ranking of independent advisors we’ve seen focus on size—total assets under management, headcount, etc. But that’s like recommending a major bank—how does recommending an entire firm help anyone looking for a single trusted advisor?
For bigger firms, SHOOK focuses on individuals or teams. But for individuals looking for an independent advisor, SHOOK’s focus on quality skews its recommendations towards firms in which we can thoroughly understand how each client is actually treated. In doing so, we measure aspects like processes that are inherent in each client relationship, what is the team’s purpose, and what is the underlying culture that we see throughout all levels of employees.
When we meet with these independent firms, we take a close look at leadership and the senior principals since they tend to dictate every client’s experience. When we meet with a firm or an advisor for a due diligence meeting, we are always thinking to ourselves, “Would we recommend this firm (or individual) to a friend or family member?” Quality is always first; if we’re going to include a firm (or advisor) on our rankings, we have to make sure everyone is of the highest quality.
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top RIA Firms, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. The algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings.
(For the full list and more, visit www.forbes.com/lists/top-ria-firms; advisors can complete a survey for upcoming rankings at www.SHOOKresearch.com.)
Research Summary (as of October 2025)
We don’t want 300,000 nominations so we set thresholds to minimize the quantity we receive:
- 50,063 nominations received, based on thresholds
- 28,522 invited to complete online survey
- 24,647 telephone interviews
- 6,781 in-person interviews at advisors’ location
- 1,596 virtual interviews
- 33,024 total interviews
*Approximately 20% represent independent advisors.
The SHOOK Process
SHOOK scours the financial services industry for nominations. SHOOK accepts advisors who meet pre-determined minimum thresholds and acceptable compliance records. As of this date, SHOOK has received nearly 46,212 nominations—advisors who meet SHOOK’s thresholds. 23,103 of these nominees have taken an online survey.
Unlike other advisor rankings, SHOOK is not a “robo-ranker”—numbers such as production and assets don’t tell the whole story, especially when much of the data is self-reported. SHOOK Research creates rankings of role models—firms that are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients. A focus on both quantitative and qualitative factors, including telephone and in-person meetings, is imperative.
SHOOK Research is the only ranking firm that interviews firms and advisors via telephone and in person at the firm’s location.
Basic Requirements
- A minimum of 7 years as an advisor for 1 partner/principal
- Fully operational as a practice for a minimum of 1 year
- Must incorporate a fiduciary model
- Completion of online survey and interview with SHOOK
- Evaluations focused on wealth management
- Acceptable compliance record
Quantitative Metrics
- Revenues
- Assets under management—and quality of those assets
- Client-related data, such as retention rates
- Portfolio performance is not a factor; audited returns among advisors are rare, and differing client objectives provide varying returns
Qualitative Metrics
- Telephone, virtual and in-person meetings with firms (if an in-person meeting cannot be accomplished, exceptions are considered in which the interview will occur after a ranking has been published).
- Compliance records. Some “dings” can be overlooked (e.g., firm or product failure beyond the scope of an advisor’s due diligence; the older a ding, the less we look). Since there are many gray areas, the SHOOK team is willing to listen to a firm that is willing to stand behind the advisor with written support.
- Firms that provide a full client experience: Service model; investing process; fee structure; breadth of services (e.g., liabilities and other wealth management services)
- Credentials (years of service can serve as proxy)
- Use of team and team dynamics
- Community involvement
- Discussions with management, peers, competing peers
Compliance Issues
The following conditions will be considered in order to lessen weightings infractions:
- Infractions that are denied or closed with no action
- Complaint arose from a product, service or advice initiated by a previous advisor or another member or former member of team
- Length of time since complaint
- Complaints related to product failure not related to investment advice (some limited partnerships, adjusted-rate securities, etc.)
- Complaints that have been settled (must be proven) to appease a client who remained with the advisor for at least one year following settlement date
- Complaints that are proven to be meritless
- Actions taken as a result of administrative error or failure by firm
Once an advisor’s compliance rating falls into a tenable category, the following conditions must be met:
- An advisor’s rating must be among SHOOK’s highest qualitative measures including in-person interview
- Letters of recommendation
Ranking Algorithm
The algorithm is designed to fairly compare the business practices of a large group of firms based on quantitative and qualitative elements. Data are weighted to ensure priorities are given to dynamics such as preferred “best practices,” business models, recent business activity, etc. Each variable is graded and represents a certain value for each measured component. These data are fed into an algorithm that measures thousands of firms against each other.
SHOOK Disclosures
SHOOK is completely independent and objective and does not receive compensation from the advisors, Firms, the media, or any other source in exchange for placement on a ranking. SHOOK is funded through various sources, such as conferences and research partners. Since every investor has unique needs, investors must carefully choose the right advisor for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions for how to choose the right financial advisor and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Remember, past performance is not an indication of future results.
Financial Advisor (FA) Magazine Top RIAs 2025
As published in the July 11, 2025 issue
FA’s RIA survey is a ranking based on assets under management at year end of independent RIA firms that file their own ADV with the SEC.
FA’s RIA ranking orders firms from largest to smallest, based on AUM reported to them by firms that voluntarily complete and submit FA’s survey by their deadline. They do their best to verify AUM by reviewing ADV forms. To be eligible for the ranking, firms must:
- Be independent registered investment advisors and file their own ADV statement with the SEC
- Provide financial planning and related services to individual clients
- Have at least $500 million in assets under management as of December 30 of the year prior to the ranking to be included in the print edition of Financial Advisor magazine’s 2024 RIA survey. Firms with under $500 million are included in FA’s expanded online RIA survey.
Corporate RIA firms and investment advisor representatives (IARs) are not eligible for this survey. A corporate RIA is a registered investment advisor most often formed by a broker-dealer that files an ADV with the SEC. Advisors who are affiliated with the broker-dealer or other entity’s corporate RIA may offer investment advice. They are considered Investment Advisor Representatives (IARs) of the corporate RIA. All of the assets under management of the IARs are included in the corporate RIA’s ADV filed with the SEC.
Ruggie Wealth Management is unaware of any undisclosed facts that could potentially invalidate the appropriateness of the ranking. By virtue of disclosing this ranking, Ruggie Wealth Management is disclosing favorable ratings (to the extent that Ruggie Wealth Management is ranked above other advisors) and unfavorable ratings (to the extent that Ruggie Wealth Management is ranked below other advisors). The rankings may not be representative of any one client’s experience because of the way in which it is calculated. The rankings are independently granted. Inclusion on the FA Top RIAs is absolutely not indicative of Ruggie Wealth Management’s future performance, or any future performance pertaining to its clients’ investments; should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Ruggie Wealth Management is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services; and should not be construed as a current or past endorsement of Ruggie Wealth Management by any of its clients.
FA Magazine does not require membership or payment in order for award participants and/or applicants to be considered for an award designation. Moreover, neither Ruggie Wealth Management nor any other participating advisors paid a fee to be eligible for the “Top RIAs.”
InvestmentNews Awards RIA Team of the Year 2024
Methodology
Awarded June 20, 2024
About InvestmentNews
Published by Key Media, InvestmentNews provides investment news and analysis, extensive coverage and expert insights. They are dedicated to providing timely and accurate information that helps their audience make informed decisions, stay ahead of industry trends and grow their businesses, and to delivering value and innovation through their news coverage, research, events and multimedia platforms.
Stage 1 – Nominations
The call for nominations is open to all wealth management professionals and organizations – including financial advisors, advisory brokerages, BDMs, fund providers and service providers – from across USA.
Nominations were open from December 18, 2023 to March 1, 2024 11:59 pm EST.
There is no fee to submit a nomination.
Stage 2 – Research
The InvestmentNews Awards team will conduct research and draw on knowledge and information gained through InvestmentNews to support and supplement nominations received and to ensure that no one deserving of recognition is missed. Excellence awardees will be determined from both pools of information.
Stage 3 – Excellence Awardees
Once all nominations are considered and research is complete, excellence awardees will be selected in each category (except the Lifetime Achievement category) and notified via e-mail or phone.
All excellence awardees are then invited to complete a detailed submission, which is an opportunity to address the category criteria in more detail. All submissions will remain confidential unless otherwise marked and will not be shared with any third parties other than the judges.
Excellence Awardees will be officially announced in April 2024 on the event website and promoted in InvestmentNews magazine and online channels. Promo packages to leverage your achievement across your marketing and promotions will be available for purchase.
Stage 4 – Judging
All submissions from our excellence awardees are forwarded to the independent judging panel comprising industry leaders and senior representatives. The panel will assess and vote for their winners in each category according to the relevant category criteria.
Voting will commence in April 2024 and their judgment will be impartial, balanced, incisive and fair. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a category will recuse themselves from judging that category.
Stage 5 – Winners
Using a simple points system to aggregate judges’ votes, the excellence awardee with the top score in a category will be named the winner.
Winners will be announced at the awards show on June 20, 2024 and on this website. They will be promoted in InvestmentNews.
Barron’s Magazine – America’s Top 1500 Advisors 2026
As published in the March 23, 2026 issue
Award based on data reviewed from October of 2024 through September of 2025
Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. Advisors who wish to be ranked fill out a 102-question survey about their practice. Barron’s verifies that data with the advisors’ firms and with regulatory databases and then applies its proprietary rankings formula to the data to generate a ranking.
The formula features three major categories of calculations: (1) Assets (2) Revenue (3) Quality of practice. In each of those categories we do multiple subcalculations.
For instance, Barron’s takes into account not just the amount of assets an advisor manages, but also the type of assets—are they private-wealth assets or institutional? If they’re institutional, are they for a foundation or an endowment or are they corporate assets? They measure the growth of an advisor’s practice and their client retention. They also consider a wide range of qualitative factors, including the advisors’ experience, their advanced degrees and industry designations, the size and shape of their teams, their charitable and philanthropic work and, of course, their compliance records. Investment returns are not a component of the rankings because an adviser’s returns are dictated largely by the risk tolerance of clients.
Destiny Wealth Partners is not an affiliate of Barron’s. Destiny Wealth Partners applied for consideration, and the result was independently granted.
Destiny Wealth Partners is unaware of, nor has Barron’s published the number of nominees considered for the award ranking or the percentage that received the applicable rankings.
Barron’s does not require membership or payment in order for award participants and/or applicants to be considered for an award designation. Moreover, neither Destiny Wealth Partners nor any other participating advisors paid a fee to be eligible for “America’s Top 1500 Advisors.”
Destiny Wealth Partners is unaware of any undisclosed facts that could potentially invalidate the appropriateness of the ranking. By virtue of disclosing this ranking, Destiny Wealth Partners is disclosing favorable ratings (to the extent that Destiny Wealth Partners is ranked above other advisors) and unfavorable ratings (to the extent that Destiny Wealth Partners is ranked below other advisors). The rankings may not be representative of any one client’s experience because of the way in which it is calculated. The rankings are independently granted. Inclusion on the Barron’s Lists is absolutely not indicative of Destiny Wealth Partners’ future performance, or any future performance pertaining to its clients’ investments; should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Destiny Wealth Partners is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services; and should not be construed as a current or past endorsement of Destiny Wealth Partners by any of its clients.
Forbes “Best-in-State” Wealth Advisors 2026
As published in the April 7, 2026 issue
Award based on data as of June 30, 2024
Methodology
This year’s Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list spotlights the top advisors across the country who were nominated by their firms—and then researched, interviewed and assigned a ranking within their respective states and markets.
Ruggie Wealth Management is not an affiliate of Forbes or Shook Research. Ruggie Wealth Management applied for consideration, and the result was independently granted.
INSIDE THE RANKINGS
Each advisor—selected by SHOOK Research—is chosen based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including:
- In-person interviews
- Industry experience
- Compliance records
- Revenue produced
- Assets under management
The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years’ experience, and the algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes or SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings.
The Research Process
SHOOK scours the financial services industry—banks, brokerages, custodians, insurance companies, clearing houses and others for nominations. SHOOK accepts advisors who meet pre-determined minimum thresholds and acceptable compliance records.
Unlike other advisor rankings, SHOOK is not a “robo-ranker”—numbers such as production and assets don’t tell the whole story, especially when much of the data is self-reported. SHOOK Research creates rankings of role models—advisors that are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients. A focus on both quantitative and qualitative factors, including telephone and in-person meetings, is imperative.
SHOOK Research is the only rating firm that interviews advisors via telephone and in person at advisor’s location.
Basic Requirements
- 7 years as an advisor.
- Minimum 1 year at current firm, with exceptions (acquisitions, etc.).
- Advisor must be recommended, and nominated, by Firm.
- Completion of online survey.
- Over 50% of revenue/production must be with individuals.
- Acceptable compliance record.
Quantitative
- Revenue/production; weightings assigned for each.
- Assets under management—and quality of those assets—both custodied and a scrutinized look at assets held away. (Although individual numbers are used for ranking purposes, we publish the entire team’s assets.)
- Client-related data, such as retention.
- Portfolio performance is not a factor; audited returns among advisors are rare, and differing client objectives provide varying returns.
Qualitative
- Telephone and in-person meetings with advisors (if an in-person meeting cannot be accomplished, exceptions are considered in which the interview will occur after a ranking has been published).
- Advisors that exhibit “best practices” within their practices and approach to working with clients.
- Compliance records & u4s. Some “dings” can be overlooked (e.g., firm or product failure beyond the scope of an advisor’s due diligence; the older a ding, the less we look). Since there are many gray areas, the SHOOK team is willing to listen to a Firm that is willing to stand behind the advisor with written support from leadership.
- Advisors that provide a full client experience:
- Service model
- Investing process
- Fee structure (higher % of fee-based assets earns more points)
- Breadth of services, including extensive use of Firm’s platform and resources (eg, liabilities)
- Credentials (years of service can serve as proxy).
- Use of team & team dynamics
- Community involvement
- Discussions with management, peers, competing peers
- Telephone and in-person meetings
- U4/Compliance Issues
The following conditions will be considered in order to lessen weightings infractions
- Infractions that are denied or closed with no action.
- Complaint arose from a product, service or advice initiated by a previous advisor or another member or former member of team.
- Length of time since complaint.
- Complaints related to product failure not related to investment advice (some limited partnerships, adjusted-rate securities, etc.).
- Complaints that have been settled (must be proven) to appease a client who remained with the advisor for at least one year following settlement date.
- Complaints that are proven to be meritless.
- Actions taken as a result of administrative error or failure by firm.
Once an advisor’s compliance rating falls into a tenable category, the following conditions must be met.
- An advisor’s rating must be among SHOOK’s highest qualitative measures including in-person interview.
- Letters of recommendation from firm.
Ranking Algorithm
The algorithm is designed to fairly compare the business practices of a large group of advisors based on quantitative and qualitative elements. Data are weighted to ensure priorities are given to dynamics such as preferred “best practices”, business models, recent business activity, etc. Each variable is graded and represents a certain value for each measured component. These data are fed into an algorithm that measures thousands of advisors against each other.
Ruggie Wealth Management is unaware of any undisclosed facts that could potentially invalidate the appropriateness of the ranking. By virtue of disclosing this ranking, Ruggie Wealth Management is disclosing favorable ratings (to the extent that Ruggie Wealth Management is ranked above other advisors) and unfavorable ratings (to the extent that Ruggie Wealth Management is ranked below other advisors). The rankings may not be representative of any one client’s experience because of the way in which it is calculated. The rankings are independently granted. Inclusion on the Forbes’ Lists is absolutely not indicative of Ruggie Wealth Management’s future performance, or any future performance pertaining to its clients’ investments; should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Ruggie Wealth Management is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services; and should not be construed as a current or past endorsement of Ruggie Wealth Management by any of its clients.
SHOOK Disclosures
SHOOK is completely independent and objective and does not receive compensation from the advisors, Firms, the media, or any other source in exchange for placement on a ranking. SHOOK is funded through conferences, publications and research partners. Since every investor has unique needs, investors must carefully choose the right Advisor for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions for how to choose the right Financial Advisor. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Remember, past performance is not an indication of future results.
For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com.
Investment News
Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIAs 2023
As published in the Nov 30, 2023 issue
Methodology
InvestmentNews selected the Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIAs based on data reported to the Securities Exchange Commission on form ADV.
To qualify, firms must have met the following criteria: (1) latest ADV filing date is either on or after July 1, 2022, (2) total AUM is at least $100M, (3) does not have employees who are registered representatives of a broker-dealer, (4) managed assets for individual clients during its most recently completed fiscal year, (5) no more than 50% of amount of regulatory assets under management is attributable to pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies), (6) no more than 25% of amount of regulatory assets under management is attributable to pension and profit-sharing plans (but not the plan participants), (7) no more than 25% of amount of regulatory assets under management is attributable to corporations or other businesses, (8) does not receive commissions, (9) provides financial planning services, (10) is not actively engaged in business as a broker-dealer (registered or unregistered), (11) is not actively engaged in business as a registered representative of a broker-dealer, and (12) has neither a related person who is a broker-dealer/municipal securities dealer/government securities broker or dealer (registered or unregistered) not one who is an insurance company or agency.
To be considered for the list of fastest-growing AUM, firms must have met the criteria in each year (ending July) between 2020 and 2023. In cases where a firm filed more than one annual update to their ADV, the latest filing for the year was used.
Family Wealth Reports Finalist 2024
As published in the April 2, 2024 issue
Produced by ClearView Financial Media, publisher of Family Wealth Report
Award based on data reviewed from late 2023 through February of 2024
Methodology
The Family Wealth Report Awards 2024 pool of Judges consists of experts coming from family offices, private banks, trusted advisers, consultants and other service providers each of whom has in-depth wealth management knowledge and experience.
The judging process is organised in a way so as to avoid conflicts of interest. No judge will be asked to review a submission from an organization competitive to their own.
Each judge signs a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to ensure that all information they see remains confidential.
The awards recognize individuals, products, and services in three main areas: Experts (individuals and teams), Products, and Services for wealth managers and clients/institutions of all sizes and types.
USA Today Statista 500 Best Financial Advisory Firms 2023
As published in the April 25, 2023 issue
The full list of 500 firms can be viewed on the USA Today website.
Ranking Methodology
USA Today and Statista selected Best Financial Advisory Firms 2023 based on two dimensions: recommendations by clients and peers and a firm’s growth of Assets Under Management (AUM).
- Recommendations were collected via an independent survey sent to over 20,000 individuals. While clients were able to evaluate and recommend their RIA firm, financial advisors working for an RIA firm were asked to consider a scenario where their own firm could not take on a client and had to recommend another RIA firm they appreciate.
- The development of AUM was analyzed both, short and long term based on publicly available data. For the short-term view, the growth of AUM over a twelve-month period was calculated, from January 2022 to January 2023. For the long-term view, the growth of AUM over a five-year period was calculated, from 2018 to 2023.
- In the consideration for the top 500 RIA firms, recommendations had a weight of 20% while development of AUM had a weight of 80% (short term and long-term growth were equally weighted) to derive the final score.
Alternative investments are intended for Qualified Investors (defined as individuals or family-owned companies with a minimum $5M investment net worth), Accredited Investors (defined as individuals with a minimum $1M investment net worth), certain Trusts with specific limitations, a company with not less than $25m of investments or a company owned exclusively by a verified QP. The Destiny Alternative Funds are customized fund solutions that provide access to a diversified portfolio of private alternative investments within a single entity. Alternative Investments such as hedge funds, private equity funds, and funds of funds can result in higher return potential but also higher loss potential. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances may adversely affect your investments. Before you invest in alternative investments, you should consider your overall financial situation, how much money you have to invest, your need for liquidity, and your tolerance for risk. Alternative investments are speculative and involve a high degree of risk.
The website for Destiny Family Office www.destinyfamilyoffice.com, is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its advisory services, together with access to additional investment-related information, publications, and links. Accordingly, the publication of DFO’s website on the Internet should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as DFO’s solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the Internet. Any subsequent, direct communication by DFO with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. A copy of DFO’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing DFO’s business operations, services, and fees is available at https://destinyfamilyoffice.com/alternative-investments/. DFO does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to the DFO web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility, therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.
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Destiny Access Terms of Service
- Introduction and Acceptance
The information contained within this Platform is confidential and is for your use only. It may not be forwarded.
You must be at least 18 years of age and able to enter into a binding agreement to use the Platform
Destiny Access is a private-markets access platform offered by Destiny Family Office, LLC. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Destiny Access platform, including any related web pages, portals, applications, content, and communications (together, the “Platform”).
By creating an account, applying for access, or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.
- Definitions
“Destiny Access” or “Platform” means the private-markets access platform operated by Destiny Family Office, LLC, and all associated pages, features, and content.
“Content” means all information made available through the Platform, including descriptions of private investment opportunities, fund manager materials, educational material, documents, and communications.
“Qualified Purchaser” has the meaning given under Section 2(a)(51) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The thresholds test is “investments,” not net worth). These are the most used thresholds: 1)a natural person or family-owned company with at least $5 million in investments or 2) an entity investing for its own account or for other QPs with at least $25 million in investments.
“User,” “you,” or “your” means the individual or entity accessing or using the Platform.
“Membership” provides access to both public and confidential financial information. Confidential information is available exclusively to Qualified Purchasers. Members can also view their private investment history through the Destiny Access platform. Membership is free, and QP status is the minimum requirement to qualify; however, meeting that threshold does not guarantee membership. Access to the website is subject to additional criteria determined by Destiny Family Office, LLC, which reserves the right to terminate any membership at any time, for any reason, in its sole discretion.
- Eligibility and Qualified Purchaser Requirement
To be considered for access, you must complete Destiny Family Office, LLC’s verification process, which may include an intake compliance screening and a separate Qualified Purchaser questionnaire. You agree that the information you provide is accurate and complete, and you agree to notify Destiny Family Office, LLC if that information changes.
Destiny Family Office, LLC may verify, request additional information about, decline, or revoke eligibility at any time. Purchaser status is the threshold to apply, not a guarantee of access. Access follows suitability review and an advisor conversation.
- Access Is Not Guaranteed; Suitability Review
Destiny Family Office, LLC may verify, request additional information about, decline, or revoke eligibility at any time. Purchaser status is the threshold to apply, not a guarantee of access. Access follows suitability review and an advisor conversation.
Access to specific investment opportunities on the Platform is not guaranteed and remains subject to Destiny Family Office, LLC’s review. That review may include an assessment of suitability and a conversation with a Destiny advisor.
Destiny Family Office, LLC may limit, condition, or decline access at any time to any opportunity or feature for any reason permitted by law, including capacity limits, regulatory requirements, and suitability considerations.
- No Offer or Solicitation
The Platform and its content are provided for informational purposes only. Nothing on the Platform is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, and nothing on the Platform should be relied on as such.
Any investment in a private opportunity is made only through the definitive offering documents for that opportunity, which control in all respects. In the event of any conflict between the Platform and the offering documents, the offering documents govern.
The Content does not constitute a recommendation of any security or investment strategy.
- No Investment, Legal, or Tax Advice
The Content is general in nature and does not account for your individual circumstances. The Content is not investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult your own tax and/or legal advisors before making any investment decision.
- No Advisory Relationship Created
Destiny Family Office, LLC is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration does not imply a particular level of skill or training. Your use of the Platform does not, by itself, create an investment advisory, fiduciary, brokerage, or other client relationship between you and Destiny Family Office, LLC. An advisory relationship is established only through a separate written agreement with Destiny Family Office, LLC and not through a Subscription Agreement and/or A Private Placement Memorandum.
- Account Registration and Security
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree not to share your credentials or allow any other person to access the Platform through your account.
Notify Destiny Family Office, LLC promptly if you believe your account has been accessed without authorization. Destiny Family Office, LLC is not responsible for losses arising from your failure to protect your credentials.
- Confidentiality of Platform Content
The Platform contains confidential and proprietary information, including non-public information about private investment opportunities and fund managers. You agree to keep all such Content confidential, to use it only to evaluate a potential investment through Destiny Family Office, LLC, and not to reproduce, distribute, or disclose it to any third party without Destiny Family Office, LLC’s prior written consent.
Specific opportunities may also be subject to a separate confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement, which will control for that opportunity. This obligation continues after your access to the Platform ends.
- Third-Party Content and Fund Manager Information
The Platform may include information prepared by third parties, including fund managers and other providers. Destiny Family Office, LLC does not independently verify all third-party information and is not responsible for its accuracy or completeness. Reliance on third-party content is at your own risk. Inclusion of any third-party opportunity or material does not constitute an endorsement.
- Market Data Feed
The Destiny Access website may display market data, pricing, index levels, valuations, and other financial information supplied by one or more third-party market data providers (the “Market Data Feed”). The Market Data Feed is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a recommendation, offer, or solicitation with respect to any security or investment.
Market Data Feed information is furnished by third parties and is not independently verified by Destiny Family Office, LLC. Such information may be delayed, may not reflect real-time values, and may contain errors, omissions, or interruptions. Values shown through the Market Data Feed are estimates or indications only and may differ from actual, executable, or realized prices and from the valuations contained in the definitive offering documents for any opportunity, which control in all respects.
Destiny Family Office, LLC does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or availability of the Market Data Feed and shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on it or from any delay, interruption, or discontinuation of the feed. Access to the Market Data Feed is subject to any applicable terms imposed by the underlying data providers, and Destiny Family Office, LLC may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Market Data Feed at any time without notice.
- Risk Acknowledgment
Private investments involve significant risk, including the risk of loss of the entire amount invested. They are generally illiquid, are not publicly traded, may involve limited or no transparency, and are suitable only for investors who can bear those risks. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
- Intellectual Property and Trademarks
The Platform, its design, and its Content are owned by or licensed under membership to Destiny Family Office, LLC. “Destiny Family Office,” “Destiny Access,” and associated logos and marks are trademarks of Destiny Family Office, LLC.
You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable membership to access and use the Platform for your own evaluation purposes. You may not share, copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from the Platform or its Content.
- Acceptable Use
You agree not to use the Platform to violate any law; to circumvent access, verification, or security controls; to scrape, harvest, or extract data by automated means; to introduce malicious code; to interfere with the Platform’s operation; or to misrepresent your identity or eligibility. Destiny Family Office, LLC may investigate and take appropriate action, including suspension or termination, for any suspected violation.
15.Privacy
Your use of the Platform is subject to the Destiny Privacy Notice, which describes how we collect, use, and share information. Please review it.
- Electronic Communications and Consent
You consent to receive communications from Destiny Family Office, LLC electronically, and you agree that electronic agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing, consistent with the federal ESIGN Act and applicable state law. You may withdraw this consent as described in our communications or by contacting us, though doing so may limit your ability to use the Platform.
- Disclaimers of Warranties
The Platform and Content are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. Destiny Family Office, LLC does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.
- Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Destiny Family Office, LLC will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform.
- Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Destiny Family Office, LLC and its affiliates from claims arising out of your misuse of the Platform or your breach of these Terms.
- Termination and Suspension
Destiny Family Office, LLC may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, including for violation of these Terms, loss of eligibility, or at Destiny Family Office, LLC’s discretion. Sections that by their nature should survive termination, including confidentiality, intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution, will survive.
- Modification of Terms
Destiny Family Office, LLC may modify these Terms at any time. We will post the updated Terms with a revised “Last Updated” date and, for material changes, may require you to re-accept them before continuing to use the Platform. Your continued use after an update constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.
- Governing Law and Venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflictof-laws principles. Subject to the dispute resolution section below, the exclusive venue for any dispute is Orange County, Florida.
- Dispute Resolution
The parties will first attempt to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform (a “Dispute”) informally. Before initiating any formal proceeding, the party raising the Dispute will provide written notice to the other party describing the nature of the Dispute and the relief sought, and the parties will negotiate in good faith for at least thirty (30) days following delivery of that notice.
If the Dispute is not resolved through informal negotiation, it will be finally resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules then in effect, before a single arbitrator, rather than in court, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect its confidential information or intellectual property. The arbitration will take place in Orange County, Florida, and will be conducted in the English language. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, any Dispute will be resolved on an individual basis, and each party waives any right to participate in a class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. If this class-action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim will be severed and adjudicated in court, while all other claims will remain subject to arbitration. Any Dispute must be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues, or it will be permanently barred to the extent permitted by law. This section survives termination of these Terms.
- Severability
If any of these Terms is found unenforceable, that provision will be limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
- Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Notice and any agreement governing a specific investment opportunity, constitute the entire agreement between you and Destiny Family Office, LLC regarding the Platform and supersede any prior understandings. The offering documents for any specific opportunity control with respect to that opportunity.
- Notices and Contact
Legal notices should be sent to: Destiny Family Office, LLC. 620 N. Denning Dr. Winter Park, FL. 32789