A July 2025 analysis by AdvizorPro found that women represent roughly 24% of U.S. financial advisors, a figure that has plateaued in recent years. Yet beneath that statistic, a cohort of female advisors is quietly building practices of substantial scale, collectively managing billions in client assets.
InvestmentNews' $100M Club: Top Female Advisors 2026 report recognizes 108 female advisors across the country who each oversee at least $100 million in assets under management (AUM). Nominations were submitted by advisors, industry professionals, and clients, and all data was verified by each nominee's firm's compliance department. Selection was based solely on AUM reported between January 1 and December 31, 2025, with no fees or marketing influence involved.
Among the honorees is Carol Mulcahy, a senior wealth advisor at Destiny Wealth Partners in Florida, who has served clients since 1985. She employs a systematic strategy that segments assets by time horizon to help clients navigate retirement and market volatility. “I use a three-pool strategy,” Mulcahy said. “I keep the money clients will need for the next 10 years pretty safe, so no matter what’s happening – geopolitically, tariffs, whatever – it’s not money they need right now.” This approach aligns with broader trends in helping clients define purpose beyond portfolio returns.
Kristen Gratton, a financial advisor at Gratton & Kerr Financial Group in Pennsylvania, has built her practice around tax strategy, an area she believes many advisors neglect. “It’s not just about getting you the biggest pot of money sitting in an investment account – it’s about getting the most spendable income,” she explained. Her focus on after-tax returns resonates as IRA assets hit $18 trillion, making tax-efficient withdrawal strategies increasingly critical.
Lauree Harrison, a senior financial advisor at Cascade Guided Wealth in Washington, took an unconventional path to building her practice. Rather than viewing her gender as a hurdle, she sees it as a competitive advantage in serving clients through major life transitions. “The relationships that we do have are stickier,” she said, “because the people who seek us out specifically want the benefit of having a female financial advisor.” This insight aligns with a Nationwide survey finding that 34% of women investors find advisors condescending, highlighting a communication gap that female advisors may help bridge.
The report arrives as women are projected to control $34 trillion in wealth by 2030, a demographic shift that is reshaping the wealth management industry. The advisors profiled in the $100M Club are positioning themselves to serve this growing client base, using strategies that range from time-segmented portfolios to tax-aware planning and relationship-driven practices.
As the industry grapples with the $84 trillion wealth transfer and the retirement wave accelerating M&A activity, these advisors demonstrate that scale and client impact are not mutually exclusive. Their success offers a blueprint for how the next generation of advisors can build sustainable, high-growth practices in an increasingly competitive landscape.
