Forbes' coveted rankings of financial advisors came crashing down in August after a report of a secret $6 million payment to a Forbes top editor; the business magazine and its partner compiling the list, the consultancy Shook Research, announced at the time that they were suspending events and any published lists at least for the rest of 2026.
Now, Shook Research is back in the financial advisor rankings market, albeit with a name change.
On Thursday morning, the consulting firm announced a new name and brand, Veritant, which the company noted in a statement was rooted in the Latin word for truth, “veritas.”
“With the rollout of Veritant, we are taking a meaningful step toward our vision: to be the global benchmark for advisor excellence and impact,” said Molly Bennard, CEO of Veritant, in the statement. The firm also has adopted a new charter that includes a provision for an independent audit of the financial advisor rankings.
Veritant will continue working with Forbes and intends to publish a new list of advisors by the end of the year. It’s also working on a new conference for advisors.
Ranks and lists of top financial advisors are more prominent than ever as cash-hungry business publications look to generate marketing revenue. With revenue from print ads practically disappearing, Forbes, like many other newspapers and magazines, has turned to rankings, events and awards in order to generate revenue.
The New York Times reported in August that Randall Lane, Forbes' former chief content officer, was paid $6 million by RJ Shook, whose company, Shook Research, teamed up with Forbes since 2016 to publish rankings of financial advisors. Lane did not tell Forbes about the payment.
The Forbes rankings are highly sought after by some advisors and firms for marketing purposes; some clients are reassured that their financial professional has made the cut and appears on such a list.
Barron’s, a rival business publication, also publishes a list of top advisors.
Lane was fired by Forbes after the New York Times reported that he had taken a $6 million payment from RJ Shook, the founder of Shook Research.
Shook Research in August said that its founder had paid Lane for services that included helping to sell a controlling stake in Shook Research to a private equity firm, PPC Enterprises, in 2025, according to the Times.
Lane reportedly described the payment as a gift and said that failing to disclose it to Forbes was in poor judgment. Shook left his company sometime after the sale.
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