Investors Say Advanced Certifications Make Them More Likely to Refer Their Advisor, The Daily Upside Reports

October 16, 2026 - Denver, CO — Sean Walters, CEO of the Investments & Wealth Institute, is featured in The Daily Upside’s story “Credentials Essential: Advisors with Extra Letters Get More Referrals.” The interview covers the Institute’s 2026 High-Net-Worth Investor Research: The Connection Between Confidence, Expertise, and Growth, a survey of 1,000 high-net-worth investors conducted with Absolute Engagement.

The survey’s main referral finding: 68% of investors who work with a financial advisor and have more than $500,000 in investable assets say they are more likely to refer friends or family because their advisor holds advanced professional certifications. Among investors with $5 million or more, that rises to 74%. And 82% say advanced certifications would factor into their choice if they were looking for a new advisor today. 

Walters told The Daily Upside that confidence is the number firms should watch. “Almost everyone said they are satisfied with their financial advisor, but one-third still report low or moderate confidence in their financial future,” he said. “It’s striking that clients with higher confidence were about five times more likely to make referrals than those with low confidence.” 

Clients who refer, and clients who feel confident, are also more likely to know their advisor’s credentials. Among clients who have made referrals, 87% knew whether their advisor held advanced certifications, compared with 59% of those who haven’t. Among clients with high financial confidence, 75% knew, compared with 49% of clients with low confidence. 

Walters urged advisors to talk about the work behind their credentials, not just the letters. “The letters after an advisor’s name can serve as a useful proof point, but their value becomes much clearer when clients understand what stands behind them and how that expertise is being applied to their own situation,” he said. 

Read the full story at The Daily Upside. 

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.

Learn more at https://investmentsandwealth.org.