InDepth_Top100show2v2.jpg
Janet Yellen, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks during her semiannual report on the economy to the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Yellen said prospects are good for further improvement in the labor market and the economy, keeping the central bank on track for an interest-rate increase in 2015. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Janet Yellen

Top 100 bank advisors (26-50)

Bank Investment Consultant continues its signature ranking with those advisors who ranked 26 – 50. Our annual ranking has become a testament to consistency. To compile our list, we combine multiple variables, including assets under management, production, growth and fee business, into one composite score. The winners inevitably are those who do well across the board even if they aren’t the absolute best in a specific area.

You can see those advisors who ranked 1-25, and 51-100 in separate slideshows.

Full Top 100 coverage:
Top 100 bank advisors: Who’s in and how they did it
Top 100 bank advisors (1 – 25)
Top 100 bank advisors (26-50)
Top 100 bank advisors (51-75)
Top 100 bank advisors (76 – 100)
Courting HNW clients in the Music City
50. Lewis_Andrew.jpg

50. Andrew Lewis

Bank: Key Bank
TPM: N/A
Location: Warsaw, Indiana
2017 AUM: $142 million
2016 AUM: $130 million
2017 Production: $1.5 million
2016 Production: $1.3 million
Years in industry: 18

Andy mentors and coaches both licensed and non-licensed bankers at his company. When dealing with clients, he regularly refers them back to the retail bank or Key Private Bank for additional help to better suit their financial needs. Andy was one of the first advisors hired at Key Investment Services when Key Bank founded the program.
49. Fernando_Gihan.jpg

49. Gihan Fernando

Bank: Bank of Texas
TPM: BOK Financial
Location: Bellaire, Texas
2017 AUM: $133 million
2016 AUM: $120 million
2017 Production: $1.6 million
2016 Production: $1.4 million
Years in industry: 23

Even after 23 years in the industry, Gihan Fernando says he is constantly adapting his practice to meet the needs of his clients. Gihan has seen a significant increase in production year over year at a time when many in the industry have experienced headwinds. He has developed a practice that provides repeat business, and many new referrals from satisfied clients who have been with him for over a decade. These long-term relationships and outside prospecting complement the business he is able to generate from the bank, and has made him a million dollar producer for four consecutive years.
48. Lafountain_Paul.jpg

48. Paul LaFountain

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: New York
2017 AUM: $125.6 million
2016 AUM: $113.4 million
2017 Production: $1.1 million
2016 Production: $642,000
Years in industry: 13

Paul LaFountain tries to bring an understanding of risk to his clients—whether they are a young entrepreneur, a family building toward retirement, or someone transitioning their business—so they may pursue their personal and financial goals with a feeling of confidence. Having one of his children with a life-threating form of epilepsy has given Paul a sense of perspective on what is truly important to his clients that few advisors can share.
47. BrickSturgeon.jpg

47. Brick Sturgeon

Bank: Pinnacle Bank
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
2017 AUM: $305.1 million
2016 AUM: $272.6 million
2017 Production: $1.8 million
2016 Production: $1.6 million
Years in industry: 26

Brick Sturgeon says everyone in his business is an expert at portfolio construction and investments. But clients don’t want to learn about alpha, beta and R-squared. Instead, they want to know they have a trusted advisor who can help them meet realistic goals. To that end, he gives each client a copy of his personal investment statement (“Every one of them.”) While everyone's portfolio is different, he wants them to know he uses same methodology for himself and that he “eats his own cooking." Once a client knows you’re interested in them, that's when they give you the keys, he says.
46. Lam_Wendy.jpg

46. Wendy Lam

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: New York
2017 AUM: $160 million
2016 AUM: $136.2 million
2017 Production: $953,000
2016 Production: $689,000
Years in industry: 18

Wendy Lam’s clients’ financial well-being is of crucial importance to her so she educates them about various financial products and treats them like part of her family. She customizes wealth planning strategies to achieve her clients’ short and long term financial goals including education, estate, and retirement planning. Wendy Lam is passionate about assisting her clients in working toward their most important financial goals.
45. Brett Everhart.jpg
SONY DSC

45. Brett Everhart

Bank: First Tech Federal Credit Union (Addison Avenue Investment Services)
TPM: Raymond James
Location: San Diego
2017 AUM: $196 million
2016 AUM: $175.3 million
2017 Production: $1.7 million
2016 Production: $1.6 million
Years in industry: 36

As a CFP for more than 35 years, Brett Everhart presents himself as the client’s CFO to help with all financially related matters. He says that maintaining a consistent planning process and a proactive service model are the key drivers to his success. So every prospect goes through a rigorous data gathering process with the delivery of an executive summary outlining planning initiatives. Also, after he sees clients – 10 to 12 per day, 30 minutes each—the client decides when the next meeting will be held. Clients appreciate this high-touch approach, which avoids the common negative feedback, “I never hear from my advisor.”
44. Feng__Frank.jpg

44. Frank Feng

Bank: Financial Center Credit Union
TPM: CUNA Brokerage Services
Location: Stockton, California
2017 AUM: $172 million
2016 AUM: $152 million
2017 Production: $1.5 million
2016 Production: $1.3 million
Years in industry: 26

The majority of Frank Feng’s clients are retirees and seniors. When they come to see a financial advisor, the first thing on their mind is safety, he says. He has tailored his practice to meet their unique needs. His goal is to provide sound advice, thereby ease their financial worries so that they can spend their time and energy focusing on how to live healthy lives and truly enjoy their golden years.
43. Jurkunas_Andrew.jpg

43. Andrew Jurkunas

Bank: Citizens Bank
TPM: N/A
Location: Brookline, Massachusetts
2017 AUM: $146.6 million
2016 AUM: $128 million
2017 Production: $992,000
2016 Production: $825,000
Years in industry: 16

Andrew Jurkunas says that during the past 16 years, he has utilized a number of tools and systems provided by the bank, but the heart of his practice is still in-person meetings. He works hard to understand each client’s needs and tailors solutions that are unique to them. Over the years, he has had the chance to positively impact about 150 wealthy families’ retirement, educational, and estate planning needs. He strongly believes that a personalized, holistic approach to wealth management is necessary to a successful client-advisor relationship.
42. Duncan_Tracy.jpg

42. Tracy Duncan

Bank: Allegacy Federal Credit Union
TPM: CUSO Financial Services
Location: Clemmons, North Carolina
2017 AUM: $274.6 million
2016 AUM: $264 million
2017 Production: $2.1 million
2016 Production: $1.9 million
Years in industry: 17

Over the past 20 years, Tracy Duncan has learned that what clients seek most from a financial advisor is making sense of all of the interconnected areas of financial planning. With clarity comes a sense of calm which allows for an environment for good decision-making. He aims to provide that clarity by having defined processes and using technology wherever possible to simplify. And to stay informed, he’s a member of FPA along with other various groups.
41. Feeney_Kathleen.jpg

41. Kathleen Feeney

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: Washington, D.C.
2017 AUM: $278.8 million
2016 AUM: $247.1 million
2017 Production: $1.5 million
2016 Production: $1.4 million
Years in industry: 26

Kathleen Feeney says her team’s primary goal is to work with bank colleagues to deliver the full range of financial guidance that clients need. Citi’s breadth of products and services are an invaluable resource, she says, to building relationships with high-net-worth and affluent individuals and their families. Offering and delivering simple, real world solutions for clients through digital and mobile banking is how she stays ahead of the curve.

40. Paul Fedorko

Bank: Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union
TPM: CUNA Brokerage Services
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
2017 AUM: $149.2 million
2016 AUM: $129.3 million
2017 Production: $1.1 million
2016 Production: $1 million
Years in business: 27

Paul Fedorko has 27 years of experience as an advisor. He helps clients achieve clarity about the current situation, the vision for the future, and the best way to navigate from here to there. He also offers clients small group workshops on technology training and conducts electronic appointments via join.me, Skype and FaceTime.
39. Greg Malin.jpg

39. Greg Malin

Bank: Fulton Financial Advisors
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
2017 AUM: $167.8 million
2016 AUM: $155.2 million
2017 Production: $1.8 million
2016 Production: $1.6 million
Years in industry: 18

Greg Malin’s practice is purely planning driven, rather than market/investment driven. It does not matter if a client beats a given index by 3% a year if their plan success rate is 46%. Shrinking the book of business from 650+ households to 350+ households in five years, he can spend more time with each client to improve their success rate.
38. Wong_Helen.jpg

38. Helen Wong

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: New York
2017 AUM: $380.2 million
2016 AUM: $332 million
2017 Production: $1.8 million
2016 Production: $1.6 million
Years in industry: 28

Helen Wong develops investment strategies that address clients’ immediate needs as well as long-term goals. She often has conversations with clients that they might not expect from other advisors. She talks to them less about the arcane details of asset allocation strategy, and more about the details of their lives so as to understand where they are in their financial lives.
37. Fred Greene.jpg

37. Fred Greene

Bank: Woodforest National Bank
TPM: Raymond James
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
2017 AUM: $302.9 million
2016 AUM: $285.4 million
2017 Production: $2.2 million
2016 Production: $1.8 million
Years in industry: 34

Fred Greene has 34 years of experience as an advisor. He believes that the only truth in the industry is nothing beats a personal telephone call. For relationships with over $1 million invested, he calls them at least monthly. For relationships over $5 million, he calls bi-weekly. His client retention is extremely high and these solid relationships also produce the best referrals.
36. Marom_Yoni.jpg

36. Yoni Marom

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: New York
2017 AUM: $139.8 million
2016 AUM: $120.4 million
2017 Production: $990,000
2016 Production: $705,000
Years in industry: 4

Yoni Marom provides tailored financial strategies to business owners, professionals concerned with retirement, tax-burdened executives and retirement funds. He focuses on building strong relationships by understanding clients’ current needs, investment and retirement goals and risk tolerance. He also educates clients on financial topics so they feel more confident about their financial decisions.
35. Patrick Varney.jpg

35. Patrick Varney

Bank: Bank of Colorado
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Windsor, Colorado
2017 AUM: $295.7 million
2016 AUM: $258.2 million
2017 Production: $2 million
2016 Production: $1.9 million
Years in industry: 18

Patrick Varney is a personal wealth manager, helping clients build a future based on their individual situations and their wants, needs and goals. He manages risk rather than returns. He educates investors to focus on what is in their control. They cannot control markets or interest rates, he tells them, but they can control taxes and investment costs.
34. FRUCHTENICHT_Jeffry.jpg

34. Jeffry Fruchtenicht

Bank: Security State Bank
TPM: United Planners
Location: Independence, Iowa
2017 AUM: $253 million
2016 AUM: $226 million
2017 Production: $2.4 million
2016 Production: $2.2 million
Years in industry: 27

Jeffry Fruchtenicht is a retired Army officer who served over 20 years in the National Guard and has 27 years of financial advising experience. As a Unit Commander he believed “mission first and soldiers always.” As a financial planner he believes “clients’ financial goals first and the company’s employees always.” He invests in educating employees and clients to ensure clients a prosperous retirement.
33. T Guenningsmann.jpg

33. Todd Guennigsmann

Bank: Bremer Bank
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Saint Cloud, Minnesota
2017 AUM: $105.5 million
2016 AUM: $71.6 million
2017 Production: $917,000
2016 Production: $672,000
Years in industry: 12

Todd Guennigsmann begins each client relationship with a personal financial review and tailors a long-term plan that fits their objectives. Meeting clients at least annually, he gives up-to-date recommendations that are consistent with their circumstances, risk tolerance and long-term goals.
32. Holt_Jason.jpg

32. Jason Holt

Bank: F&M Bank
TPM: LPL Financial
Location: Kannapolis, North Carolina
2017 AUM: $165.3 million
2016 AUM: $152.4 million
2017 Production: $1.5 million
2016 Production: $1.2 million
Years in industry: 21

Jason Holt believes in educating clients to ensure that they understand the financial strategy he suggests. In the process, he builds a high level of trust with his even-keeled demeanor and knowledgeable approach. This communication approach allows him to foster trust and dependability, making clients comfortable referring friends and family to him.
31. Goble_Jeffrey.jpg

31. Jeffrey Goble

Bank: Citibank
TPM: N/A
Location: Huntington Beach, California
2017 AUM: $138.5 million
2016 AUM: $120.6 million
2017 Production: $1.1 million
2016 Production: $997,000
Years in industry: 23

Jeffrey Goble’s approach to financial planning is based on three key principles: 1) Don’t be afraid to ask the “purposefully nosey” questions to understand clients’ goals. 2) Give clients the customer experience they always expect, but seldom receive. 3) Go beyond helping clients accumulate wealth; also help improve their lives.
30. Steven Kennedy.jpg

30. Steve Kennedy

Bank: TowneBank
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Newport News, Virginia
2017 AUM: $284.2 million
2016 AUM: $258.5 million
2017 Production: $2.1 million
2016 Production: $1.9 million
Years in industry: 30

After 32 years in the business, Steve Kennedy believes the industry had made financial planning too complicated and mysterious. He strives to make the complex investing world both rudimentary and simple-to-understand for his clients. His firm offers advanced financial plans on an hourly fee-for-service basis. He prides himself on being an “old-school” telephone user who still meets clients in person.
29. Nathan Quello.jpg

29. Nathan Quello

Bank: First Dakota National Bank
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
2017 AUM: $503.2 million
2016 AUM: $394.1 million
2017 Production: $2.3 million
2016 Production: $2.1 million
Years in industry: 17

Nathan Quello grew up learning about finance from his father, John Quello, who has forty-plus years of experience. He joined his father 17 years ago as a part of his team and together, they joined First Dakota National Bank and Raymond James four years ago in an effort to expand the already deep relationships they had with their clients. He specializes in high-net-worth planning and works with business owners to build and protect their personal wealth. An active member of his local community, he serves on several Sioux Falls community foundation boards.
28. Warren_Eric.jpg

28. Eric Warren

Bank: Fifth Third Bank
TPM: N/A
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
2017 AUM: $91.4 million
2016 AUM: $74.3 million
2017 Production: $1.1 million
2016 Production: $855,700
Years in industry: 12.5

Eric Warren shies away from a one-size-fits-all approach when advising his clients. Using tools and knowledge he’s obtained in over a decade in the industry, coupled with his CFP designation, he first works with clients to identify their individual goals. Fifth Third also focuses on deploying technology to aid both the advisor and his clients through various web-based tools and reporting. Clients feel more connected and informed, and as a result, he’s been able to bring over more of clients’ total assets to the firm.
27. Pritzker_Raanan.jpg

27. Raanan Pritzker

Bank: Fifth Third Bank
Location: Atlanta
TPM: N/A
2017 AUM: $425 million
2016 AUM: $350 million
2017 Production: $1.2 million
2016 Production $1.1 million
Years in business: 12

Raanan Pritzker views himself as the architect for customized clients’ plans. He said he leverage his knowledge from his CFA charter and his MBA, as well as his experience as an investment banker and buy-side equity analyst.
26. Michael Cooney.jpg

26. Michael Cooney

Bank: First Tech Federal Credit Union (Addison Avenue Investment Services)
TPM: Raymond James
Location: Bellevue, Washington
2017 AUM: $170.2 million
2016 AUM: $134.7 million
2017 Production: $1.2 million
2016 Production: $1.1 million
Years in industry: 18

Michael Cooney works mostly with employees of tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Facebook, as well as smaller startups and video game companies. These tech-savvy clients have very busy schedules balancing work and family, so he constantly tries to communicate with them at their pace. Instead of face-to-face meetings, he often conducts web conferences, and this year, he plans to roll out video updates, in which he emails clients a brief presentation of himself delivering the update. He has found that even techies still want a relationship with a trusted advisor who knows and cares about them individually.
MORE FROM FINANCIAL PLANNING