Investments & Wealth Institute Study Finds 87% of Wealth Management Clients Value Their Advisor’s Advanced Certifications
Oct 30, 2026 12:00:00 AM
October 30, 2026 - Denver, CO — Clients with $500,000 or more in investable assets care whether their advisor holds advanced certifications. Many of them can’t say which certifications, if any, their own advisor holds. That gap is the main finding of new research from the Investments & Wealth Institute and Absolute Engagement, featured in Financial Planning.
The study surveyed 1,000 mass affluent and high-net-worth (HNW) investors who work with an advisor. Most respondents said certifications matter, both in the advisor they have now and in how they would choose a new one. HNW respondents put even more weight on certifications when choosing or referring an advisor. Clients said certifications signal specialized knowledge and give them more trust in the advice they receive. Even so, more than one in four didn’t know whether their advisor holds any advanced certification.
“Expertise creates value only when clients understand it, experience it and gain confidence because of it,” said Julie Littlechild, CEO of Absolute Engagement and author of the report.
Read the full article: Clients may value certifications more than they understand them
For more information, contact Carly Augeri, Director of Marketing Communications, Investments & Wealth Institute, at +1 707-681-1243 or at caugeri@i-w.org.
About the Research
The Investments & Wealth Institute has partnered with Absolute Engagement on investor research for the past 10 years. The 2026 Client Research was conducted through an online survey, which included 1,000 U.S. investors between February 28 and March 1, 2026. All respondents work with a financial advisor and are involved in household financial decision-making. The margin of error is 3.1%.
The sample included a range of investable asset levels, with 50% of respondents reporting household investable assets between $500,000 and $999,999, 36% between $1 million and $4.99 million, and 14% at $5 million or more.
About Investments & Wealth Institute
Founded in 1985, the Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications-Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) certifications-the Institute delivers Ivy league-quality, highly-practical education to more than 30,000 practitioners.