

1. Bill Cates
If you need help figuring out how to identify the best niche for your firm, Bill Cates is your guy. He’s a referral coach for top advisors, a bestselling author, a hall-of-fame keynote speaker, and one of Indigo’s top mentors. He’s coached thousands of financial service professionals on how to identify and serve more ideal clients.
We recommend listening to his Top Advisor Podcast to hear some of his insights and recommendations. You can also sign up for the free workshop webinar, How to Choose Your Niche & Create a Radically Relevant Marketing Message, he hosted with Indigo founder, Claire Akin.
2. Steve Sanduski
Steve Sanduski is a CFP® professional and personal coach to financial professionals. He hosts the ever-popular podcast Between Now and Success, where he brings in top achievers and visionaries in the financial services industry and invites them to share their journey to success. Check out his Twitter feed here.
3. Ron Carson
Ron Carson…need we say more? Ron is a household name among financial advisors and one of our personal heroes and mentors. He founded Carson Group in 1983, which now has over $20 billion in assets under advisement. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author of Avalanche and The Sustainable Edge. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Ron was also a guest on Claire Akin’s podcast, The Marketing Podcast for Financial Advisors. You can listen to their episode on Preparing to Sell Your Financial Advisory Firm here.
4. Samantha Russell
Samantha Russell is the “Chief Evangelist” at FMG Suite and Twenty Over Ten. She’s a marketing queen who’s passionate about helping financial advisors switch their digital marketing mindset from an “outbound cold sales” to a “warm inbound” approach. She’s given over 600 presentations to more than 10,000 financial professionals since 2015. You can check Sam out on YouTube here.
5. Michael Kitces
Michael Kitces is another household name among financial advisors who needs no introduction. He’s probably THE top influencer for financial advisors thanks to his blog, Nerd’s Eye View, and his Twitter—both of which have cult-like followings.
6. Grace Gong
Grace Gong is the founder and host of Smart Venture Podcast where she interviews top tech companies’ founders, C-level/VP-level leaders, and investors about career development. She has also written two books in which she interviewed some of the smartest minds in business, many of whom have been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Learn more about Grace on LinkedIn.
7. Taylor Schulte
Taylor Schulte is a CFPⓇ professional and founder and CEO of Define Financial. He also hosts the Stay Wealthy Retirement Show, which has been ranked on Forbes Top 10 Retirement Podcasts. Taylor has also been named a Top 10 Financial Advisor by Investopedia for the last four years. You can keep up with Taylor on LinkedIn and Twitter.
8. Lazetta Braxton
Lazetta Braxton is a CFP® professional and co-founder and co-CEO of 2050 Wealth Partners. Together with Rianka R. Dorsainvil, CFP®, they are on a mission to provide access to financial planning for “the rest of us.” Lazetta believes that solid financial advice is not just for the 1%. She is an Investopedia Top 10 Financial Advisor since 2019 and a nationally recognized financial expert, with appearances on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Nightly Business Report, and CNBC’s Closing Bell.
Lazetta is also a member of the CNBC Digital Financial Advisor Council and a contributor on Wealth Management to the WSJ Experts blog.
9. Joshua Brown
Joshua Brown is a financial advisor and the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. He also runs a successful blog, The Reformed Broker, where he uses facts, statistics, satire, and pop culture to discuss markets, finance, and economics. You can check out his podcast and books for more info.
10. Marguerita Cheng
Marguerita Cheng is the co-founder and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth. With over two decades of experience in the financial services industry, she is passionate about elevating women and individuals from underrepresented communities. In 2022, she was recognized for her efforts with the American College Women Working in Wealth Award. She was also named a Top 10 Financial Advisor by Investopedia.
As a CFP® professional and CFP® Board Ambassador, Marguerita also helps educate the public, policymakers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. Learn more about Marguerita on LinkedIn.
11. Peter Lazaroff
Peter Lazaroff is the Chief Investment Officer at Plancorp, which currently manages over $5.5 billion in client assets. He was named a top 10 advisor on Investopedia’s 100 list for two years in a row. He is passionate about educating people about investing and financial planning and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, and The New York Times. He published his first book, Making Money Simple, in 2019. Connect with Peter on LinkedIn to learn more.
12. Ellen Rogin
Ellen Rogin is a CFP® professional and CFA who has made it her mission to educate, counsel, and guide people in growing their prosperity. She is a bestselling author, speaker, TEDx presenter, and thought leader with a podcast called Horsemouth Advisor Radio. Learn more about Ellen here.
13. Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski is a powerhouse in the marketing consulting space. She is the founder of Red Zone Marketing and has worked with some of the top financial professionals in the nation, helping advisors grow their books through niche-based marketing strategies. Maribeth is a bestselling author, speaker, and professor with a PhD in business administration. Connect with Maribeth on LinkedIn.
14. Matt Reiner
Matt Reiner is a CFA, CFPⓇ professional, and partner at Capital Investment Advisors and Wela Strategies. After decades in the financial services industry, Matt founded Benjamin, an AI fintech company that serves the financial advisor industry. He is on a mission to help the industry grow and evolve. He is the host of the Bridging the Gap podcast and is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Financial Advisor Magazine, Medium, ThinkAdvisor, and Advisor Perspectives. Recently Matt welcomed Indigo’s founder, Claire Akin, on his podcast (listen to the episode, “The Importance of Your Marketing Strategy,” here). Follow Matt on LinkedIn or Twitter for more of his insights.
15. Jeff Rose
Back in 2008, CFP® professional Jeff Rose set out with one intention: create the best financial planner blog in the world. Guess what? He did it. In 2018, a company even offered to pay him $10 million for his website. His YouTube channel, equally entertaining and inspirational, has 374,000 subscribers and counting. Check out Jeff at Good Financial Cents and Wealth Hacker Labs to gain momentum for your own financial advisor blog.
16. Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey is known for helping thousands of families get out of debt and achieve financial freedom. The author of seven national bestsellers, he does an excellent job of breaking complex topics down into plain language. So check out his platform, Ramsey Solutions, if you need some inspiration.
17. Rachel Cruze
Rachel Cruze is the daughter of Dave Ramsey. She’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and financial expert who hosts her own show, The Rachel Cruz Show. She’s passionate about helping others take control of their money and build a life they love.
18. Jim Marous
Jim Marous is a speaker, publisher, and one of the most influential people in banking. He advised the White House on banking policy and has been named one of the Top 5 Fintech Influencers to Follow. His podcast, Banking Transformed, is one of the top 10 banking podcasts available today.
19. Dasarte Yarnway
Dasarte Yarnway is the founder of Yarnway Wealth Management and Head of Community at Altruist. He has been honored as an Investopedia Top 10 Advisor for the past three years. Dasarte recently launched the Onyx Advisor Network, which helps underrepresented advisors start to scale and sustain their practices. Desarte is a financial thought leader with a weekly podcast, The Young Money Podcast, three books, and weekly blog. Connect with him here.
20. Colin Williams
Colin Williams is an Australian-based consultant who’s passionate about using data to help wealth and financial planning firms grow strategically. Follow him on Twitter or check out his website, Wealth Data, for more information.
21. Aaron Klein
Aaron Klein is the co-founder and CEO of Riskalyze—the company that invented Risk Number®, a financial risk management software used by many financial advisors, broker-dealers, and RIAs across the country. You can follow Aaron on LinkedIn for more information.
22. Bola Sokunbi
If you’re a financial advisor for women, Bola Sokunbi is an excellent person to follow in our industry. She’s a Certified Financial Education Instructor, money expert, bestselling author, and the CEO and founder of Clever Girl Finance. Bola’s mission is to empower women to achieve financial success, and it’s evident in every aspect of her online presence. She has a blog, a YouTube channel, books, free courses, and more to inspire you to make deeper connections with your female clientele.
23. Matt Halloran
Matt Halloran is a co-founder of Proudmouth, a podcast marketing agency for financial advisors. Matt believes that podcasts can be used to accelerate influence, allowing advisors to sell less and advise more by scaling their credibility and rising above the noise. Keep up with Matt on Twitter to learn more.
24. Douglas Boneparth
Douglas Boneparth is a New York-based CFP® professional and the president of Bone Fide Wealth, a wealth management firm that provides effective and relatable advice to New York’s hardest-working Millennials. He was named a Top Most Influential Financial Advisor by Investopedia four years in a row and sits on the CNBC Advisor Council.
He’s also the author of The Millennial Money Fix, which teaches young professionals everything they need to know about budgeting, college debt, and finding financial freedom. Follow him on Twitter to see what he’s up to next.
25. Lawrence Sprung
Lawrence (Larry) Sprung is a CFP® professional and founder and wealth advisor of Mitlin Financial. He was named a Top 10 Advisor on Investopedia’s 100 list. With over two decades of industry experience, Larry leads many of the education programs at Mitlin, including the Mitlin Minute blog and Mitlin Money Mindset podcast. Larry is also passionate about raising awareness around mental health and spent more than 12 years on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Learn more about Larry here.
26. Tony Vidler
Tony Vidler is best known as “The Advisor to Advisors.” As a New Zealand-based speaker, business advisor, and sales training coach, he spends most of his days helping advisors build better businesses. You can check out Tony’s website to learn more about him and what he does.
27. Mary Beth Storjohann
Mary Beth Storjohann is an author, speaker, financial advisor, and co-CEO of Abacus Wealth Partners. She has been recognized on the Investopedia 100 list since 2020. Mary Beth is also the founder of the financial education site and podcast Workable Wealth, which provides financial education and empowerment to those in their 20s through 40s.
Mary Beth makes frequent appearances on NBC as a financial expert and has been featured in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Women’s Health, CNBC, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and more. Follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
28. Ilyce Glink
Do a lot of your clients have questions about real estate or home buying? If so, you may want to follow Ilyce Glink of ThinkGlink. She’s a real estate and financial wellness expert, and the author of 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask.
29. Delyanne Barros
Delyanne Barros is a nationally recognized money expert, podcast host, and millionaire Latina who is passionate about changing the conversation around how to build wealth. She used to believe it came only through hard work, sacrifice, and struggle—until she realized that investing is the key to wealth. She’s on a mission to spread the message through her Slay the Stock Market investing course. Learn more about Delyanne on LinkedIn and Twitter.
30. Dana Wilson
Dana Wilson is the founder & CEO of CHIP (Changing How Individuals Prosper), a B2B financial services marketplace that makes it easy to find Black and Latinx financial professionals. With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, she has received multiple awards for her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Follow Dana on LinkedIn to learn more.
31. Bob Reynolds
Robert “Bob” Reynolds was the Vice Chairman and COO of Fidelity Investments for over 23 years! Today, he serves as the President and CEO of Putnam Investments He’s a pioneer in the financial services space and has had a direct hand in shaping America’s retirement saving system. You can follow Bob on LinkedIn or Twitter to see what he’s up to next.
32. Brittney Castro
Brittney Castro is a force to be reckoned with. She is a CFP® professional, leading speaker, host, and brand ambassador who spends most of her days promoting financial literacy via media interviews, YouTube videos, TV experiences, and more. Brittney also worked with top financial services companies like Chase, E-Trade, CNBC, and more. She was also named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors in 2022.
You can learn more about the fabulous Brittney Castro on her website.
33. Larry Fink
Larry Fink is the Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, which he co-founded in 1988 and helped grow it into a global leader in investment and technology. Barron’s has named him one of the World’s Best CEOs for 15 consecutive years and Fortune has named him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. He has almost 1 million followers on LinkedIn.
34. Steve Gresham
Steve Gresham is the CEO of The Execution Project, a consulting firm that helps financial companies rethink “retirement” and get better results. He’s worked with more than 50 financial services companies, including Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, and is an incredible person to follow if you’re looking to rethink retirement and grow your revenue as a financial advisor.
35. Joseph Coughlin
Joseph Coughlin, PhD, is Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. He conducts research on the impact of global demographic change and technology trends on consumer behavior and business strategy and advises a wide variety of global firms in financial services. In his book, The Longevity Economy, Joseph offers insights into how business leaders can better serve the older market. He is also a senior contributor to Forbes, MarketWatch, and The Wall Street Journal.
36. Rose Han
Rose Han is a former Wall Street trader turned financial educator. She teaches people how to “get good with money” through her investing courses and wildly popular YouTube channel, which has over 1 million views and counting. Rose’s website is BEAUTIFULLY constructed, so we encourage you to check it out if you need some design inspiration.
37. Tom Henschel
Tom Henschel is a business coach and host of the popular podcast, The Look and Sound of Leadership. If you’re looking for thoughts on corporate leadership and team building, Tom’s your guy. He also used to be an actor, so don’t be surprised if you see him in episodes of Matlock or Barney Miller.
38. Christine Benz
Christine Benz is the Director of Personal Financial and Retirement Planning at Morningstar and she also co-hosts The Long View podcast with Jeff Ptak. Together they interview influential financial leaders about investing, advice, and personal finance. Christine is also the author of 30-Minute Money Solutions and regularly writes for Morningstar.
39. Michael Stelzner
Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner, a marketing consulting firm that helps businesses and marketers learn how to best use social media and connect with customers. He is an author, podcast host, and founder of the Social Media Marketing Society. If you’re looking to take your social media presence to the next level in 2023, Michael is a great person to follow!
40. Zach Conway
Zach Conway is the Managing Director of Conway Wealth and founder of Seeds, a company on a mission to better align clients’ personal values with their investments. Seeds was founded by financial advisors, for financial advisors, as a way to deliver more to their clients. To learn more about Zach, connect with him on LinkedIn.
41. Dr. Preston Cherry
Dr. Preston Cherry is a CFP® professional and CFT-I™ helping clients achieve Life Money Balance™ with his firm, Concurrent Financial Planning. He has over 15 years of experience in the industry and also serves as a coach for Carson Group Coaching, a leading national financial advisor coaching and resource program. He is a speaker, author, and podcast host who has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Magazine, The Cut, and more. Follow Dr. Cherry on LinkedIn and Twitter to see what he’s up to!
That’s a Wrap on Our 41 Top Influencers!
There’s a lot of technical aspects that go into marketing today—from setting up your website, social media, and email marketing to writing, content creation, and knowing your message. If you want to be known as an industry expert like one of these featured financial influencers but don’t have the time to work on your digital presence all by yourself, consider outsourcing your marketing to a firm like ours that specializes in financial advisor marketing.
Schedule your free strategy call now and we’ll take a deep dive into your current marketing to figure out what’s working and what’s not. It’s totally free and is a great next step to get a custom approach to your own marketing.
Which of these top influencers for financial advisors will you follow first? Are there any we left off the list that you’d recommend? Email us and let us know!