The Selection of Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors

Michael Keefe Gorman is a wealth advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Ithaca, New York. In 2021, for the fourth consecutive year, the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list recognized Keefe Gorman as a top financial advisor.

Since 2018, Forbes, in partnership with SHOOK Research, has published the annual Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors. The list names the best financial advisors in all 50 states and Washington, DC.

To compile the list, Forbes and SHOOK Research accept nominations for best wealth advisors. Any wealth advisor nominated must meet several requirements, including seven years of advisor experience, an acceptable compliance record, and employment for at least one year at their current wealth management firm. In 2021, over 32,000 financial advisors were nominated.

After the nominations, SHOOK Research analysts perform research on the wealth advisors. The researchers look at assets under management, client retention rate, revenue, and adherence to industry best practices. On concluding the research, analysts cut the list of nominees to approximately 5,000.

SHOOK Research invites these candidates to an in-person, virtual, or telephone interview. After the interviews, SHOOK Research ranks the advisors to create the Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list that Forbes publishes.