RFG Advisory is an award-winning RIA.

See Why RFG is a Top 300 RIA
We’re committed to re-writing the rules, creating new opportunities and deciding what the future will look like. Most importantly, we’re empowering Advisors to maximize their independence, chart their own course and better serve their clients. And our industry-changing approach and innovative work have earned us some impressive industry recognition.
Dedicated to changing the DNA of our industry.

The 52 Best RIAs to Work For

This Rating is provided on December 3, 2024 by Financial-Planning.com. It covers the period of August 30, 2024, to October 15, 2024.  For more information, please visit Best RIAs to Work For – Best Companies. The provision of this award does not qualify or quantify the quality of the advisory services received by clients.

Best Companies Group conducts a simple yet thorough company assessment designed to gather detailed information about your workplace. Employers will complete an in-depth questionnaire and employees will have the opportunity to offer their honest feedback by taking part in a company-wide survey. Both portions of the assessment must be complete in order to be considered for the “best” list.

Once both portions of the assessment are complete, we’ll analyze the data to determine if your organization has what it takes to be the “best.” From there, we’ll use the data to rank each participating organization and compile your BCG EnGauge Dashboard which is available for purchase. That report will include responses from your employee surveys as well as benchmarking reports, allowing you to compare your organization to the current list-makers.

The Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey consists of approximately 77 statements that employees respond to along with two open-ended and seven demographic questions.

Best Wealth Managers & Advisors Under 40 in the USA
Rising Stars

This award was provided on November 20th, 2024, by InvestmentNews. It covers the period from July 2023 to July 2024. There was no compensation exchanged in consideration for this Recognition. The provision of this award does not qualify or quantify the quality of the advisory services received. For more information, please visit https://digitaledition.investmentnews.com/articles/rising-stars-2024?article_id=4889350&i=836069

Starting in July, InvestmentNews invited financial advice and wealth management professionals across the country to nominate their most exceptional young talent for the inaugural Rising Stars list.  Nominees had to be aged 40 or under (as of November 30, 2024) and be committed to a career in wealth management, with a clear passion for the industry. Nominees were asked about their current role, key achievements, and career goals, as well as the contributions they’ve made to shaping the industry. Recommendations from managers and senior industry professionals were also taken into account. The Rising Stars were determined by an independent panel of industry leaders. 

USA TODAY Best Financial Advisory Firm 2024

RFG Advisory was selected for the second year in a row for the list of the Best Financial Advisory Firm of 2024, developed for USA TODAY by market research firm Statista.

The ranking of the best registered investment advisory firms (“RIA Firms”) is based on two dimensions: recommendations by financial advisors, clients as well as industry experts and a firm’s development of Assets under Management (AUM).Recommendations were collected via an independent survey among over 25,000 individuals. Clients, industry experts and financial advisors working for an RIA firm could recommend the RIA firms they find commendable. Self-recommendations were prohibited and were therefore not included in the evaluation. AUM development was analyzed both in the short- and long-term using publicly available data. Short-term AUM development was calculated over a twelve-month period from January 2023 to January 2024, while long-term development spanned a five-year period from 2019 to 2024.

The final score was calculated by weighting recommendations at 20% and AUM development at 80%. Within the AUM growth metric, short-term and long-term growth were each weighted 30/70.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

InvestmentNews names RFG Advisory 2024 Best Place to Work for Financial Advisors

RFG Advisory has been recognized as a 2024 Best Place to Work for Financial Advisors by InvestmentNews. InvestmentNews annually recognizes exceptional employers in the financial advisory sector who prioritize creating a workplace that attracts top talent, a distinction measured through comprehensive employer and employee surveys. This recognition reflects the firm’s commitment to employee welfare and job satisfaction.

InvestmentNews/Best Companies Group awarded RFG Advisory, LLC., its 2024 Best Places to Work award on February 28, 2024 after extensive survey, research and analysis were completed from October 2023 thru January 2024.

InvestmentNews collaborated with Best Companies Group, an independent research firm specializing in identifying great places to work, to create the survey and recognition program. Recipients are selected from a two-part survey completed by employers and employees. Employers report their organization’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, and employees complete a survey designed to measure the employee experience. Scores from the employee survey represent three-quarters of the weight of the final rankings.

To qualify as one of InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers, firm must be a registered Investment advisors (RIA) affiliated with an independent broker-dealer, be based in the US, have at least 15 employees, and have a 80 percent or better response rate on the survey and have been in business for one year. There is no charge to register.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

SmartAsset names RFG Advisory as Top 100 Fastest Growing RIAs

The financial advisory industry continued to expand in 2022 despite a down stock market and high inflation. The industry now comprises more than 15,000 SEC-registered investment advisors – nearly twice as many as 20 years ago, according to the Investment Adviser Association.

SmartAsset identified all U.S.-based investment advisors registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to compile its rankings. The analysis focused on firms with at least $500 million in assets under management, offering financial planning services, and maintaining a clean disclosure record. Firms that underwent mergers or acquisitions between 2020 and the present were excluded from consideration.

The study evaluated approximately 1,700 firms meeting these criteria, ranking them based on several key metrics:

  • One-year percentage change in the number of client accounts (data from June 2022 and March 2023, sourced from the SEC).
  • Three-year percentage change in client accounts (data from June 2020 and June 2023, sourced from the SEC).
  • One-year percentage change in assets under management (data from March 2022 and March 2023, sourced from the SEC).
  • Three-year percentage change in assets under management (data from March 2020 and March 2023, sourced from the SEC).

Source: SmartAsset 2023 Study

USA TODAY Best Financial Advisory Firm 2023

RFG Advisory was selected for the inaugural list of the Best Financial Advisory First of 2023, developed for USA TODAY by market research firm Statista.

USA Today and Statista selected Best Financial Advisory Firms 2023 based on two dimensions: recommendations by clients and peers and a firm’s growth of Assets under Management (AUM). The recommendations were collected via an independent survey sent to over 20,000 individuals during 2022. The development of AUM was analyzed both short (2022) and long term (2018-2023) based on publicly available data. In the consideration for the top 500 RIA firms, recommendations had a weight of 20% while development of AUM had a weight of 80% (short-term and long-term growth were equally weighted) to derive the final score. For more information, click here.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

Birmingham Business Journal Who’s Who in Financial Planning and Wealth Management 2022 – Bobby White

The BBJ’s Who’s Who in Financial Planning & Wealth Management highlights top executives in Birmingham in the wealth management industry. The individuals recognized are key leaders in Birmingham’s wealth management industry and include executives from the top firms in the city.

The Birmingham Business Journal’s Who’s Who winners were identified by an editorial panel as the top executives from the largest financial planning and wealth management firms on the BBJ’s most recent Lists.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

ThinkAdvisory Luminary Finalist – Individual / Executive Leadership 2022 – Shannon Spotswood

An evolution of our Broker-Dealers of the Year awards, the LUMINARIES program is now in its second year. It aims to highlight how top-performing industry participants — both firms and individuals — produce meaningful results through efforts that matter most to advisors in Community Impact; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Executive Leadership; and Thought Leadership & Education.

Candidates are evaluated by ThinkAdvisor’s editorial team based on the dynamic and inclusive ways that they are driving the wealth, investment and retirement industry forward. In 2022, 33 individuals and organizations were awarded as finalists. Shannon Spotswood was recognized as one of the winners in the 2022 Executive Leadership category.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

WSR Pathfinder Awards – Top Women Leaders in Wealth Management

With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry and over six years at the helm of RIA RFG Advisory, Shannon Spotswood leads RFG with a strategic vision of nationwide growth and a focus on M&A, advisor recruitment, marketing and business development.

WSR recognizes another group of leaders in wealth management – women who helm their firms – as the next in the series of our invitation-only WSR Pathfinder Awards, which recognizes the combination of wealth management industry success and diversity. As with previous WSR Pathfinder Awards, we reviewed a wide range of top executives against a robust set of criteria, including their impact on wealth management, charitable activities, years in leadership and recognition within the industry.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

InvestmentNews 2022 Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers

RFG Advisory is an innovator in the wealth management industry. In 2022, the team at RFG Advisory is picking up right where they left off. We are proud to announce that InvestmentNews has named RFG Advisory to their list of Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors for the second year in a row. 

InvestmentNews collaborated with Best Companies Group, an independent research firm specializing in identifying great places to work, to create the survey and recognition program. Recipients are selected from a two-part survey completed by employers and employees. Employers report their organization’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, and employees complete a survey designed to measure the employee experience. Scores from the employee survey represent three-quarters of the weight of the final rankings.

To qualify as one of InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers, an advice firm must have at least 15 employees and have been in business for one year. There is no charge to register.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

 

Women in Asset Management Awards Series

RFG Advisory “RFG,” an innovative and fast-growing platform for independent advisors, is proud to announce that Shannon Spotswood, President, has been shortlisted for The Women in Asset Management Awards 2021 Advocate of the Year. The award celebrates the achievements of outstanding industry talent and role models within the asset and wealth management community.

Shannon Spotswood was Nominated Advocate of the Year in Asset/Wealth Management. The Women in Asset Management Awards recognizes women working in asset/wealth management who lead by example, inspiring women to choose this industry, ensuring equity and inclusion, and creating opportunity for women to have a transformational impact on their organizations in the last 18 months. As well as examining the initiatives the candidates has pioneered to inspire women and diverse talent to succeed in asset/wealth management, judges will also assess their leadership and the initiative’s impact on, and integration with, the business.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

ThinkAdvisor Luminaries 2021

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION

RFG Advisory “RFG,” an innovative and fast-growing platform for independent advisors, has earned dual recognition for the ThinkAdvisor LUMINARY Awards Class of 2021 in the category of Thought-Leadership & Education—RFG Advisory received the accolade for the firm and Chief Investment Officer Rick Wedell for Individuals – RIAs.

InvestmentNews’ 2021 Innovation Awards Finalist

InvestmentNews has recognized RFG Advisory “RFG,” as a 2021 Innovation Award finalist. RFG Advisory, along with twelve other firms, was chosen as a finalist from several hundred nominations by a committee of InvestmentNews representatives. The judges recognized firms for their creative and novel systems and improvements that help financial advisers take care of their clients, run their businesses and boost client outcomes.

For 2021: RFG Advisory, its new StrongHER Money program is an opportunity to give back to the community while also tapping a market segment that’s been overlooked. Winners are be chosen by InvestmentNews’ advisory board of industry experts.

From more than 100 nominations submitted each year from readers, staff and other experts in the industry, InvestmentNews editors select men and women whose innovative ideas, products and solutions stand out as meaningful contributions to the financial advice profession. A rigorous selection process designed to identify individuals and firms that contributed profoundly and consistently to the advancement of the financial advice profession and for conceiving new ideas and tools that have propelled the industry forward.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

WealthManagement.com 2020, 2021 & 2022 Industry Award Finalist

CATEGORY: NON-CUSTODIAL RIA SUPPORT PLATFORM

RFG Advisory is honored to be named in the top three finalists for a WealthManagement.com Wealthie award in the Non-Custodial RIA Platform category. This nomination reflects key strengths that set RFG Advisory apart, including our investment in top talent, our commitment to excellence, and our constant advancement of the financial services industry. WealthManagement.com Industry Awards (“Wealthies”) is the only awards program of its kind to honor outstanding achievements by companies, organizations, and individuals that support financial advisor success.

Winners were selected based on quantitative measures of their initiatives — including scope, scale, adoption and feature set — along with qualitative measures such as innovation, creativity and new methods of delivery. The awards program was expanded in 2022 to recognize organizations that are pioneering innovation in retirement planning and charitable giving, as well as progressive companies who are advancing the integration and implementation of digital assets. And for the first time, individual awards paid tribute to up-and-comers at RIA firms.

Each of the 2022 Industry Awards finalist initiatives and company profiles can be found on the WealthiesCircle.com content platform, which will also provide a gateway to the upcoming 2022 Wealthies Podcast Digital Forums paneled by senior executives at finalist and award-winning firms.

A panel of independent judges made up of top names in the industry and led by WealthManagement.com editor-in-chief David Armstrong, determined the winners of the WealthManagement.com Industry Awards, which each year recognizes the firms and individuals who are bringing new innovations to market that make a real difference to the daily activities of financial advisors.

RFG Advisory did not pay to participate in the award selection.

Financial Times Top Financial Advisers 2020

TOP 300 RIA OF 13,000 RIAS NATIONWIDE

This inclusion recognizes and rewards our leadership and commitment to providing the highest level of service and support for our affiliated advisors and their clients. Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organizations, recognized internationally for authority, integrity, and accuracy. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news, and services for the global business community.

TOP 300 RIA OF 13,000 RIAS NATIONWIDE

This seventh edition of the FT 300 assesses registered investment advisers based on desirable traits for investors. We present the FT 300 as an elite group, not a competitive ranking of one to 300. This is the fairest way to identify the industry’s elite advisers while accounting for the companies’ different approaches and specializations.

To ensure a list of established companies with substantial expertise, we examine the database of RIAs registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and select those with more than $300m in assets under management (AUM).

The Financial Times and Ignites Research, the FT’s sister company, invited qualifying RIA companies — more than 2,000 — to complete a lengthy application that gave us more information about them. We added this to our own research into their practices, including data from regulatory filings. Some 760 RIA companies applied and 300 made the final list.

The formula the FT uses to grade advisers is based on six broad factors and calculates a numeric score for each adviser. Areas of consideration include AUM, asset growth, the company’s age, industry certifications of key employees, SEC compliance record and online accessibility. The reasons these were chosen are as follows:

  • AUM signals experience managing money and client trust.
  • AUM growth rate can be a proxy for performance, as well as for asset retention and the ability to generate new business. We assessed companies on three-year growth rates.
  • Companies’ years in existence indicates reliability and experience of managing assets through different market environments.
  • Compliance record provides evidence of past client disputes; a string of complaints can signal potential problems.
  • Industry certifications (CFA, CFP, etc) shows the company’s staff has industry knowledge and a professional commitment to investment skills.
  • Online accessibility shows a desire to provide easy access and transparent contact information.


Among the top factors in our scoring, AUM accounted for an average of 72 per cent of each adviser’s score. Their growth rate accounted for an average of 15 per cent. The FT places a cap on the number of advisers from any one state, corresponding to the distribution of millionaires across the US. The research was conducted on behalf of the Financial Times by Ignites Research, a Financial Times sister publication.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered

Barron’s Industry Awards 2020 Finalist

CATEGORY: DOING GOOD – HONORING PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A DESERVING CAUSE OR GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE: STRONGHER MONEY

StrongHer Money was created to help women to live financially fearless and serve their growing regional network of independent advisors. The platform is a turnkey solution for advisors looking to host educational virtual and live events and provide instant, online access to resources for women centered on contemporary themes: wellness, fitness and health; debt savings and budgeting; work and family life balance; investing; retirement planning; preparing for the unexpected; and philanthropy.

Nominations for the MMI/Barron’s Industry Awards were submitted in an open nomination process, and finalists were selected by a special review committee representing all segments of MMI’s membership. MMI member firms vote to determine the winners in each category.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

InvestmentNews Women to Watch

WOMEN TO WATCH: SHANNON SPOTSWOOD

Each year, InvestmentNews honors female financial advisers and industry executives who are distinguished leaders at their firms. An experienced investment banker and hedge fund manager, Shannon Spotswood joined RFG Advisory, a $2 billion hybrid advisory firm, to help build a company that provides other RIA firms with comprehensive support, inspiration and resources. “I’m comfortable living on the edge of cutting-edge tech,” says Spotswood, who views RFG as a service company first, a tech company second and an RIA third. Supportive of education, Spotswood created StrongHer Money, a platform to help women by providing financial information and support, and will serve as the next chairman of the educational foundation for Birmingham’s public schools.

For 2020: WOMEN TO WATCH: SHANNON SPOTSWOOD

This is InvestmentNews’ sixth annual Women to Watch recognition program and we’re honoring 23 female financial advisers and industry executives who are advancing the financial advice industry.

These leaders share their experiences and expertise with others in the business — especially other women — and give back to their communities in spades. The 2020 Women to Watch honorees were chosen by an InvestmentNews selection committee out of hundreds of nominations.

RFG Advisory did not pay a fee to participate or be considered.

RFG Advisory, LLC. (RFG) is an SEC registered investment adviser located in Birmingham, Alabama. RFG and its investment advisor representatives are in compliance with the current filing requirements imposed upon SEC registered investment advisers by those states in which RFG maintains clients. RFG may only transact business in those states in which it is registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements.

This web site and RFG’s related media channels such as YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn are limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its advisory services, together with access to additional investment-related information, publications, and links. Accordingly, the publication of RFG’s web sites on the internet should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as RFG’s solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the internet.

RFG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to this web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility, therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

Certain portions of RFG’s web sites (i.e., newsletters, articles, commentaries, etc.) may contain a discussion of, and/or provide access to, RFG (and those of other investment and non-investment professionals) positions and/or recommendations as of a specific prior date. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, such discussions may no longer be reflective of current position(s) and/or recommendation(s). Moreover, no client or prospective client should assume that any such discussion serves as the receipt of, or a substitute for, personalized advice from RFG, or its investment advisor representatives. RFG is neither an attorney nor an accountant, and no portion of the web site content should be interpreted as legal, accounting or tax advice.

Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if RFG is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of RFG by any of its clients. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers. RFG does not pay a fee to be considered for any ranking or recognition but may purchase plaques or reprints to publicize rankings.

Are you ready to crush it?

INDEPENDENCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME — AND RFG IS ABSOLUTELY WHERE YOU NEED TO BE.

Learn more about joining RFG or a RFG partner firm by talking to RFG’s Business Development Specialist, Kristy Puckett or Terry Bobo. After all, it’s just a conversation — not a commitment, right? You may call Kristy at 205.218.6962 or email her at kpuckett@rfgadvisory.com. You can also call Terry at 205.881.5991 or email him at tbobo@rfgadvisory.com. Unleash your growth potential by becoming an independent Advisor affiliated with RFG.

Schedule a call