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Choosing the Right Financial Advisor: Differences Between RIAs, Wirehouses, and Broker-Dealers
April 14, 2025
Laura Combs
Executive Managing Director
CFP®, MBA
lcombs@merceradvisors.com
Laura is an executive managing director at Mercer Advisors leading the firm’s Northern Division where she oversees more than 20 offices, ensuring existing clients receive exceptional service and introducing new clients to a comprehensive wealth management experience. She also leads the national Wealth Path group, which makes the Mercer Advisors family office model available to families earlier in their wealth-building process.
She is passionate about introducing a wider range of families to Mercer Advisors, ensuring more people, especially women, experience the power of comprehensive wealth management. In 2018, she helped launch InvestHERs, an award-winning Mercer Advisors program focused on financial planning for women, by women. InvestHERs aims to make the firm the employer of choice for women in financial services and the wealth manager of choice for female investors. She continues to serve on the InvestHERs steering committee and is a recognized thought leader and speaker the topic of women and investing.
One of the 450-plus employee-owners of the firm, Laura joined Mercer Advisors in 2008, and has built her career from the ground up, serving in a wide range of client facing and leadership roles. Her leadership and expertise have earned her recognition by Forbes as a Top Woman Advisor, by Investment News as a top 40 Under 40 Advisor, and by AdvisorHUB Magazine as a Top 100 Advisor to Watch in the “Over $1 billion” category.
Laura earned her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and member of the Financial Planning Association. A lover of the Mountain West, Laura lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and children. Whether she’s leading a team, empowering women to take control of their wealth, or tackling a mountain trail, Laura embraces every adventure with a simple motto: Go for it!
*Disclosure
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative data, learned through surveys and interviews conducted by telephone, in-person and virtually to evaluate best practices, such as service models, investing models and compliance records as well as quantitative data, such as revenue trends and assets under management.
All advisors have a minimum of seven years’ experience. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings.
InvestmentNews 40 Under 40: Nominees for Investment News’ annual 40 Under 40 project should exhibit qualities of leadership within the financial advice field, such as the drive to succeed, along with prospects for a bright future. He or she must be under the age of 40 on [as of date], which is the date our 40 Under 40 honorees will be announced in the print issue of InvestmentNews and online. Accomplishments: We are looking for professionals who are successful in the advisory business, industry-related projects and the wider world in an advisory capacity, as exhibited by their credentials and achievements. Contribution: We are searching for professionals who promote the financial advice profession, advocate for financial literacy and engage in pro bono financial planning work. Leadership: We are interested in professionals who offer guidance and successful management within a company or the industry as a whole. Promise: We want to celebrate professionals who have passion, enthusiasm, great ideas and show a commitment to the field.
AdvisorHub Advisors to Watch over $1Billion: Nominees were required to have a minimum of seven years experience, $150m minimum in AUM, and a clean regulatory record. Advisors were ranked on the 1.) size and makeup of their practice; 2.) year-over-year growth; 3.) and professionalism. Participation in this ranking is open to any firm or advisor and there are no fees for participation.
Please Note: Limitations. Neither rankings and/or recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Mercer Advisors or its investment professionals are engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. The award or ranking is based upon specific criteria and methodology (see ranking criteria/methodology). No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client of Mercer Advisors or its investment professionals.