Today, Laird Norton Wealth Management was once again named one of the top 300 Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) in the United States, according to the Financial Times’ 2015 “FT 300” RIA rankings.

The “FT 300” 2015 RIA rankings are based on high scores on the following six factors:

1. Assets under management (AUM) – “signals experience managing money and client trust.”
2. AUM growth rate – “growing assets is a proxy for performance, as well as asset retention and ability to generate business.”
3. Firm’s years in existence – “indicates reliability and experience in managing assets”
4. Compliance record – “provides evidence of past client disputes.”
5. Industry certifications (CFA, CFP, etc.) – “show technology and industry knowledge and a commitment to investment skills.”
6. Online accessibility – “illustrates commitment to providing investors with easy access and transparent contact information.”

The Financial Times invited some 2,000 RIAs across the U.S. to apply for consideration (those with at least $300 million in assets under management). Of the firms responding, 300 made the final ranking, which is not a competitive ranking from 1 to 300.

More on Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) vs. brokerage-firm advisors in this blog post by LNWM’s Barbara Potter.

DISCLOSURE: The 2015 Financial Times Top 300 Registered Investment Advisors is an independent listing produced by the Financial Times (June, 2015). The FT 300 is based on data gathered from RIA firms, regulatory disclosures, and the FT’s research. As identified by the FT, the listing reflected each practice’s performance in six primary areas, including assets under management, asset growth, compliance record, years in existence, credentials and accessibility. Neither the RIA firms nor their employees pay a fee to The Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 300.