Recognition
Named to
Forbes
Best in State Wealth Advisors
2020, 2021, 2022
The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 34,925 nominations, more than 6,550 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors for more info.
Forbes
America’s Top Women Weath Advisors
2021, 2022, 2023
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors with a minimum of seven years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. This ranking is based upon the period from 02/04/22 to 09/30/22 and was released on 02/01/2023. Research Summary (as of February 2023): 38,314 nominations were received and 100 women won. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/list-directory/#1184217eb274 for more info
Financial Times
America’s Top 400 Financial Advisors
2019, 2020
The Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors is an independent listing produced annually by Ignites Research, a division of Money-Media, Inc., on behalf of the Financial Times (April 2020). To qualify for the list, advisers had to have 10 years of experience and at least $300 million in assets under management (AUM) and no more than 60% of the AUM with institutional clients. The FT reaches out to some of the largest brokerages in the U.S. and asks them to provide a list of advisors who meet the minimum criteria outlined above. These advisors are then invited to apply for the ranking. Only advisors who submit an online application can be considered for the ranking. In 2020, roughly 1,040 applications were received and 400 were selected to the final list (38.5%). The 400 qualified advisers were then scored on six attributes: AUM, AUM growth rate, compliance record, years of experience, industry certifications, and online accessibility. AUM is the top factor, accounting for roughly 60-70 percent of the applicant’s score. Additionally, to provide a diversity of advisors, the FT placed a cap on the number of advisors from any one state that’s roughly correlated to the distribution of millionaires across the U.S. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. The FT, Ignite Research, and Money-Media, Inc. are not affiliated with Raymond James.
Working Mother
Top Wealth Advisor Moms
2019, 2020, 2021
SHOOK™ Research considered women advisors with children living at home under 21 years of age. The ranking algorithm is based on qualitative measures derived from telephone, virtual, and in-person interviews and surveys: service models, investing process, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, etc. and quantitative criteria, such as assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC. Neither SHOOK nor Working Mother receives compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. Research Summary (as of 3/31/2021): from a total universe of 300,000 advisors, based on our thresholds we received 33,123 nominations, of which approximately 20% (6,624) were women and less than a quarter (1,400) at the time were mothers with children under the age of 21 and living at home. A final list of the top 500 advisors was then compiled based upon the quantitative criteria. Raymond James is not affiliated with Working Mother or Shook Research, LLC. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. For more information see https//www.shookresearch.com
Traci Richmond considers being selected to the above lists quite an honor, and is extremely grateful. These achievements would not have been possible without our clients’ continued trust and support. Milestones like these serve to reinforce our belief that putting our clients first is still the best way to do business.
Involved with
Carolyn Meakem, the founder of The Meakem Group, realized her dream of helping to found Leadership Montgomery in 1989. Leadership Montgomery is a nonprofit organization devoted to creating leaders in Montgomery County who will work for the betterment of the community. Both Carolyn and Traci Richmond have gone through the program as class members.
Traci Richmond serves as a mentor and member of the Women’s Leadership Alliance (WLA). The WLA exists with the mission to attract, develop and engage the most promising women leaders in order to grow and strengthen the financial advisory profession and better represent the diverse clients we serve.
The Meakem Group is both a sponsor and strategy consultant. The League of Women Voters is dedicated to providing well-researched and unbiased information so that all voters may become better informed.
The Meakem group is a strong supporter of Community Reach and sponsor. Community Reach of Montgomery County (formerly Community Ministries of Rockville) seeks to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable of Montgomery County residents by providing them with basic health and human services and advocating on their behalf, with the goal of helping them achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.
The Meakem Group proudly supports Manna Food Center. Manna Food Center strives to make our local community a place where all people at all times have access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food in order to lead fulfilling lives.
The Meakem Group are proud sponsors of the county spelling bee. We customize the Regional Spelling Bee program, create an event unique to the community, generate positive PR and provide memorable experiences for schools and spellers across their region.