How SHOOK Research Ranks America’s Top Wealth Advisors

Keefe Gorman, a Merrill Lynch wealth management advisor, is a resident of Ithaca, NY. A top-rated financial advisor, Keefe Gorman earned himself a spot on Forbes best in state advisors after a recommendation by his firm Merrill Lynch. The ranking that appears on Forbes is done by SHOOK Research.

SHOOK Research ranks advisors based on qualitative and quantitative criteria and not on numbers nor how much they make. Advisors must also meet some basic requirements such as a recommendation by the firm they work for, a completed online survey, at least seven years of experience as an advisor, and deep due diligence, among others.

SHOOK Research, which does not get paid in exchange for rankings, receives thousands of nominations they interview through telephone calls, Zoom, or in-person. The company also tries to understand the nominees’ business models and measure their best practices. The result of the whole process is a list of advisors published on Forbes’ Top Advisor Directory.