Madison Partners lands on Citywire’s 2026 fastest-growing RIAs list

Madison Partners was named one of Wisconsin’s fastest-growing registered investment advisers in Citywire RIA’s 50 Growers Across America 2026 report. The ranking highlights the Madison-based firm’s asset growth and expanding team as it keeps its fee-only fiduciary model in place.

Why it matters: - Madison Partners’ return to Citywire’s list signals continued growth for a Madison-based advisory firm serving retirees and pre-retirees. - The ranking matters because Citywire uses regulatory data, not an application process, to measure growth across the industry. - The recognition underscores how the firm says it is scaling without moving away from a fee-only fiduciary model.

What happened: - Madison Partners was recognized as one of Wisconsin’s fastest-growing registered investment advisers in Citywire RIA’s 50 Growers Across America 2026 report. - The firm marked its second appearance in the annual report. - Citywire released the 2026 ranking using year-end 2025 data. - Madison Partners was previously included in the report in 2022. - The 2022 appearance came when the firm reported about $433 million in assets under management.

The details: - Citywire works with FINTRX to analyze Form ADV filings from registered investment advisers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. - Firms are measured on percentage growth in assets under management, dollar growth in assets under management and employee headcount growth. - Citywire combines those measures into a single growth-factor score. - Madison Partners is owned and led by co-CEOs Shane Kieler and Mark McFarland. - The firm currently reports about $1.7 billion in regulatory assets under management to the Securities and Exchange Commission. - Madison Partners says growth has allowed it to add advisor capacity, planning specialists and technology. - The firm says it has kept the same fee-only fiduciary structure it had when it was smaller. - Madison Partners does not take commissions for selling investment products. - As a registered investment adviser, Madison Partners is legally required to put clients’ interests first. - Mark McFarland said growth only matters if it helps the families the firm serves, and that the firm has focused on building a deeper team and better planning capabilities without changing its fee-only fiduciary model. - Madison Partners says it focuses on coordinating investments with retirement income planning, tax strategy, estate planning considerations and other financial decisions for retirees and people approaching retirement.

Between the lines: - The ranking suggests the firm has expanded in both scale and staffing, which can be a sign of stronger demand and broader client capacity. - The emphasis on fee-only fiduciary service appears designed to reassure clients that growth has not changed the firm’s business model. - Citywire’s methodology adds credibility because the list is based on regulatory filings rather than self-nomination or judging.

What's next: - Madison Partners appears positioned to keep building its planning and advisory team as it serves more clients. - The firm’s next growth test will be whether it can keep scaling while maintaining the service model it says clients expect. - More information is available in Madison Partners’ announcement.

The bottom line: - Madison Partners is using growth to expand its advisory platform while trying to preserve the fiduciary structure that defines its brand.