Acclaimed Financial Advisor

Barron's has three times named Ric Edelman the #1 Independent Financial Advisor in the Nation (2009-2010, 2012) and nine times (2004-2012) among America's 100 top financial advisors[1]. In 2012, the highly regarded industry website, RIABiz.com, named Ric one of the "ten most influential figures" in the investment advisory field [2]. Ric was ranked #3, up from #5 in 2011. Ric has appeared on the cover of two industry publications (Financial Advisor, April 2012, and The Register, December 2011), and Financial Planning magazine in 2012 named Ric one of nine advisors with "vast Twitter followings."[3] Ric is also a sought after speaker at major industry conferences.

In 2004, Ric was inducted into the Financial Advisor Hall of Fame by Research magazine[4]. Edelman Financial Services was named by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held financial planning firm in the country for three years in a row in the late 1990s[5].

Ric received an honorary doctorate from Rowan University in 1999.

Ric is a #1 New York Times best-selling author. With more than 1 million copies collectively in print, his seven books on personal finance have been translated into several languages and educated countless people worldwide. The Truth About Money was recognized with an Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Book of the Year Award from the Institute for Financial Literacy (March 2011), a Gold Medal Axiom Award (March 2012), an Apex Award (June 2011), and was named Book of the Year by Small Press magazine (1997). The Lies About Money was awarded the Axiom Personal Finance Book of the Year (March 2008) and an EIFLE Award (October 2009)[6].

Ric's radio show has been on the air for more than 20 years, and is heard throughout the country, enjoying more than 1 million listeners every week. In 2012, the show was ranked #2 as the most important weekend-only talk-radio show in America by TALKERS magazine[7]. Ric's television show, The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman, airs on more than 200 public television stations across the country and has won 8 Telly Awards.

Ric appears on stage frequently, talking to thousands of people every year, and is widely acknowledged as an entertaining and informative speaker. He has testified before Congress three times, participated in an SEC Roundtable and appointed by Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush as a delegate to all three National Summits on Retirement Savings. Ric taught personal finance at Georgetown University for nine years, publishes an award-winning 16-page monthly newsletter and offers a comprehensive and free online personal finance education resource at RicEdelman.com.

Ric is active in community service. He served five years on the board of the United Way of the National Capital Area, including two years as Chairman. He is a National Trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a member of the Foundation Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and a member of the BGCGW Leadership Council. He is also a full partner of the American Savings Education Council and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a board member of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and formerly served on the boards of Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area and the Washington National Opera. Ric and his wife, Jean, are benefactors of the Inova Edelman Center for Nursing at Inova Health Foundation and the Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University. They also support Northern Virginia Riding Services, HEROES, Make-a-Wish Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and many other charities.

Stay connected with Ric via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

Ric Edelman is Chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services, a Registered Investment Adviser, and CEO, President and a Director of The Edelman Financial Group. He is an Investment Adviser Representative who offers advisory services through EFS and a Registered Principal of (and offers securities through) Sanders Morris Harris Inc., an affiliated broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.

[1] According to Barron's, "The formula [used] to rank advisors has three major components: assets managed, revenue produced and quality of the advisor's practice. Investment returns are not a component of the rankings because an advisor's returns are dictated largely by each client's risk tolerance. The quality-of-practice component includes an evaluation of each advisor's regulatory record." The rankings are based on the universe of applications submitted to Barron's. The selection process begins with a nomination and application provided to Barron's. Principals of Edelman Financial Services LLC self-nominated the firm and submitted quantitative and qualitative information to Barron's as requested. Barron's reviewed and considered this information which resulted in the rankings on Aug. 27, 2012/Aug. 28, 2010/Aug. 31, 2009.

[2] RIABiz's listing of the 10 most influential figures in the RIA business is in recognition of notable, driven and influential executives who are advancing their firms and are considered to be movers and shakers in the Registered Investment Advisor industry.

[3] Financialplanning.com, March 30, 2012.

[4] Research magazine cover story "Advisor Hall of Fame," December 2004 (based on serving a minimum of 15 years in the industry, having acquired substantial assets under management, demonstrating superior client service and having earned recognition from peers and the broader community for how they reflect on their profession).

[5] Inc. magazine cover story, "Inc. magazine's list of 500 fastest-growing private companies in the nation-Ranked #142 overall", October 1997. (Companies have to be independent and privately held through 1996, and must demonstrate a sales increase from fiscal year 1995 to 1996. Holding companies and regulated banks and utilities are not eligible, and sales in 1992 must be at least $200 thousand. Inc. magazine verified all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountants and by conducting interviews with company officials.)

[6] The Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards are presented by the Institute for Financial Literacy, a leading financial counseling and education organization, in recognition of "innovation and quality of financial literacy education efforts." The Axiom Business Book Awards are presented by Jenkins Group Inc., operators of IndependentPublisher.com. The APEX Awards for Publication Excellence are published by Communications Concepts, Inc.

[7] TALKERS' magazine ranking "250 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America" (April 2012) is based on courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, service, talent and uniqueness of the talk show host.