Women finance advisers show their strength

Barron's annual Top 100 Women Financial Advisors list is again sprinkled with some Gulf Coast flavor.

Ami Forte, who works out of the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney office in Palm Harbor, notched the No. 1 ranking on the list for the second straight year. Forte ranked third in 2007 and 2008 and second in 2009. (See Business Review, Sept. 28, 2007; June 13, 2008.)

The survey looks at assets overseen by the advisers and revenues generated for firms, in addition to more subjective categories, such as quality of advice.

Forte, who scored a 100 this year, manages a portfolio of $1.88 billion, according to the survey. Her typical account holds a net worth of $30 million.

Forte beat out advisers with significantly larger portfolios who hail from places more known for wealth, like Beverly Hills, suburban Boston and New York City.

Forte also led the way for the other two Gulf Coast advisers on the list: Kim Ciccarelli Kantor of Naples-based Ciccarelli Advisory Services and Aimee deMariano Cogan of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney's Sarasota office.

Kantor ranked 40th in the 2011 report, down 12 spots from 2010. Kantor's family-run firm handles a portfolio with $1.012 billion in assets, the survey states.

Cogan, meanwhile, ranked 83rd on the 2011 Barron's list, with $396 million in assets, according to the survey. Cogan wasn't on the list in 2010.