Steward Partners Wins Praise Again as One of Financial Planning’s Best RIAs to Work For

Steward Partners again lands on Financial Planning’s Best RIAs list — this time at 52

Steward Partners said it has been named to Financial Planning’s 2025 “Best RIAs to Work For” list, ranking 52nd and earning the recognition for a second straight year. The firm announced the honor in a company release on Dec. 11, 2025, framing the repeat appearance as proof that its workplace approach is consistent, not just a one-off. Financial Planning’s list calls attention to registered investment advisers judged to offer strong working environments. For Steward Partners, the placement is both a public pat on the back for staff and a signal to clients and potential hires that the firm places a steady emphasis on its people.

Why this ranking matters: what Financial Planning looks at and why back-to-back recognition counts

Financial Planning’s ranking is built on two broad inputs: what firms report about their policies and practices, and what employees say about life on the job. That usually includes benefits, pay and bonuses, training and development, flexibility, career paths, and how leadership communicates. A single inclusion can reflect a good year; a repeat appearance suggests the firm is sustaining those practices.

For a wealth-management firm, workplace quality matters for more than staff morale. High marks on these lists tend to track with lower turnover, steadier client service and an easier time attracting experienced advisers. In plain terms, the award says Steward Partners has systems and culture that keep people engaged and reduces the chance that clients will lose continuity when teams change. The back-to-back ranking makes that signal stronger — it means the firm’s approach has passed two rounds of outside comparison.

A quick look at Steward Partners: who they are and how they have been growing

Steward Partners is an independent wealth-management firm that serves individuals, families and institutions. It operates through a network of advisors and offices across multiple U.S. markets and has been growing both by adding advisors and expanding service offerings. The firm positions itself as adviser-centric, giving professionals a blend of autonomy with institutional support. That mix—independence plus scale—helps explain why a workplace-focused list is relevant: models that lean on advisers tend to live or die on how well they treat those advisers.

Employee ownership and workplace practices that get noticed

In its announcement, Steward Partners emphasized its employee-ownership model and several workplace elements that likely helped its ranking. Those include profit-sharing and bonus structures that link staff to firm performance, formal mentorship and training programs for newer advisers, and flexible work arrangements that aim to balance client demands with personal life. The firm also highlighted investment in technology and administrative support so advisers can focus on client relationships rather than routine paperwork.

Employees at firms like Steward Partners often point to clarity about career paths and a sense of shared stake as the factors that keep them motivated. When staff feel ownership—whether through equity, profit sharing or a clear voice in operations—they are more likely to stay and to keep client relationships stable. That pattern helps explain why such firms tend to perform well on workplace surveys.

What this means for clients, recruits and the industry — and what it doesn’t

For clients, the practical upshot is straightforward: a firm recognized for workplace quality is less likely to suffer disruptive advisor turnover, which means steadier service. For recruits, a second straight year on the list is a recruiting pitch: Steward Partners can point to outside recognition that its culture endures. For the industry, the repeat appearance is a reminder that employee-focused models are competitive advantages for advisory shops built around talent.

That said, this kind of award is not a market-moving event. It doesn’t change a firm’s financials overnight or alter client portfolios. Reporters and competitors will likely probe next into retention numbers, advisor head count growth, compensation trends and diversity metrics to see how deep the recognition runs. For Steward Partners, winning again is useful PR and a credible signal that the firm’s people strategy is working — and that matters for clients who value continuity more than flash.

Sources

• prnewswire.com