Clearstead Recognized Among FinancialPlanning’s 150 RIA Leaders for 2025

Cleveland, OH – December 2, 2025 – Clearstead has been named one of the 150 RIA Leaders 2025 by FinancialPlanning, a national recognition that includes RIA firms across the United States. The annual ranking recognizes registered investment advisory firms and is based on Form ADV filings and a series of metrics they use to evaluate the firms, their client bases, and their service offerings. 

“We’re grateful to be recognized by FinancialPlanning as a leader in the RIA space.” said Bradley Knapp, CFA, CAIA, CEO & President of Clearstead. “Our placement at #7 on the list demonstrates our growth and commitment to objectivity when serving our clients.”

Clearstead, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, advises approximately $50 billion* in assets on behalf of private clients, institutions, and trust company clients, of which $24 billion are regulatory assets under management. The firm operates in nine cities and includes a team of 270* professionals. In recent years, Clearstead has expanded its capabilities in financial planning and tax strategy, launched Clearstead Trust, and completed several strategic acquisitions to deepen its expertise and geographic reach.

More information about the FinancialPlanning 150 RIA Leaders ranking can be viewed on their website. 

About Clearstead Advisors, LLC: Founded in 1989, Cleveland-based Clearstead is a rapidly growing financial advisory firm advising approximately $50* billion for private clients and institutions. For private clients – families, individuals, and related entities – Clearstead integrates financial planning, tax planning and preparation, family office, and trust administration services with research-driven investment management. Clearstead also serves 270+ institutional clients – endowments and foundations, healthcare organizations, colleges and universities, and retirement funds – by developing investment policy and asset allocation, selecting investments, and reporting on performance and policy compliance. For more information, visit www.clearstead.com.

*As of December 21, 2024. Includes the assets and employees of Clearstead Trust and Clearstead Avalon Trust, which are not registered with the SEC.

Financial Planning utilizes COMPLY as a data partner, who compiles RIA data through SEC Form ADV filings. They then apply the following 6 criteria to firms required filings in May 2025: 1) firms must have zero registered representatives of a broker-dealer; 2) at least 50% of the firm’s clients must be individuals or high net worth individuals; 3) firms must not list commissions as a compensation arrangement; 4) firms must have more than zero financial planning clients; 5) firms must not list commission-taking businesses in “other business activities”; 6) firms cannot be addiliated under common ownership with commission-taking businesses. They then publish a ranking of the 150 largest fee-only RIAs that provide financial planning services to clients. There is no submission process. You can read more about the ranking here: https://www.financial-planning.com/news/ria-leaders-2025-list-of-the-150-largest-fee-only-rias Clearstead nor its employees paid a fee to be included or considered in the ranking; however, Clearstead was required to pay a licensing fee to advertise the award.