Three WHZ Advisors Named to Forbes SHOOK 2026 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors List; Langevin Also Earns Top Women Wealth Advisor Honor
POMFRET CENTER and TOLLAND, CT (May 21, 2026) — WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors is proud to announce that three of its advisors have earned recognition on Forbes SHOOK’s prestigious 2026 national rankings. James Zahansky, AWMA®, Senior Managing Partner and Chief Strategist; Laurence Hale, AAMS®, CRPS®, Senior Partner and Chief Investment Officer; and Leisl L. Langevin, CFP®, CDFA®, Managing Partner, Advisory, have all been named to the 2026 Forbes SHOOK Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for Connecticut. Additionally, Langevin is among just 58 women advisors recognized with the Top Women distinction statewide and remains the only advisor from Windham and Tolland counties to receive it. She is also one of three WHZ advisors named to the 2026 Best-In-State list.
The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors ranking, now in its ninth year, was developed by SHOOK Research and published April 7, 2026, based on data from June 30, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The ranking is based on both quantitative and qualitative factors, including in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence interviews, client impact, industry experience, client retention, compliance records, best practices, credentials, assets under management, and revenue. This year’s honorees collectively oversee $20.6 trillion in client assets across the country.
The Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State ranking was published February 4, 2026, also based on data as of June 30, 2025, and developed using the same rigorous qualitative and quantitative methodology. Out of more than 51,000 nominations received nationally, just over 2,800 women advisors earned recognition on this year’s list. Langevin is among just 58 women advisors in Connecticut to receive this statewide distinction.
As Senior Managing Partner and Chief Strategist, Zahansky leads WHZ’s overall firm strategy, bringing decades of experience in business strategy as well as deep experience in comprehensive wealth management to individuals, families, business owners, and executives across 25 states. As Founder, Senior Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Hale oversees WHZ’s investment philosophy and portfolio strategy, combining rigorous market analysis with a personalized client focus. Langevin, as Managing Partner, Advisory, plays a central leadership role overseeing advisory strategy while continuing to serve clients directly.
“Having three of our advisors recognized on Forbes SHOOK’s Best-In-State list is an incredible validation of what we’ve built together at WHZ,” said Zahansky. “This recognition reflects the commitment our entire team brings to every client relationship; the deep planning, the strategic thinking, and the genuine care that defines everything we do. We maintain a 99 percent client retention rate because we treat every client’s financial future as if it were our own.”
“Being named to this list, alongside my partners Jim and Leisl, speaks to the culture of excellence we’ve cultivated as a firm,” said Hale. “We never take these recognitions for granted. They remind us of our driving focus: to provide the best possible wealth management experience for our clients, at every touchpoint and through every stage of life.”
“Being recognized on both lists this year is deeply meaningful to me,” said Langevin. “It reflects the trust our clients place in us every day. At WHZ, financial planning is about far more than numbers — it’s about listening, educating, and building financial confidence for our clients. I’m so passionate about that, and I’m proud to be part of a team where that commitment runs so deep.”
The triple recognition comes after a string of other such recognitions in recent years for all three advisors. Laurence Hale has earned the Five Star Wealth Manager distinction for 12 consecutive years (2014-2025), and Zahansky and Langevin have also earned the distinction in every year that they were eligible (2019-2025 and 2021-2025 respectively)*. Langevin was also ranked 34th on Forbes' 2026 Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State list and named to the Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty list in 2023.**
These achievements for WHZ come at a pivotal moment in the wealth management industry, with an unprecedented generational wealth transfer underway. Approximately $84 trillion in wealth is expected to pass from baby boomers to Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z over the coming decades.
“At WHZ we’ve made it a priority to provide tailored planning strategies that address the unique financial challenges and opportunities that individuals and families will face during this transition and beyond, and I think it’s that individual attention along with our strategic approach that’s behind our firm’s continued evolution and growth as well as these types of industry recognitions,” Zahansky said.
WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors is an independent, fiduciary asset management firm serving individuals, families, business owners, executives, and not-for-profit institutions from offices in Pomfret Center and Tolland, Connecticut. The firm’s mission is to provide every client with Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life. through its proprietary Plan Well. Invest Well. Live Well.™ strategic financial planning process. To learn more, visit www.whzwealth.com or call (860) 928-2341.
2026 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research. Awarded April 2026; data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/24–6/30/25 (Source: Forbes.com). The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary.
2026 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State, created by SHOOK Research. Published February 4, 2026; based on data as of 6/30/25. Opinions provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC and based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management, and firm-generated revenue. Investment performance is not a criterion. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary.
*Five Star Wealth Manager Award is based on a rigorous, multifaceted research process that evaluates candidates using criteria such as industry experience, professional credentials, client retention, and regulatory history. A total of 3,641 Connecticut-area advisors were considered for the 2025 award; 236 advisors (6.5%) were recognized. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or selected for the award, although a fee is paid for use of marketing materials. The award is not indicative of future performance, and individual client experiences may vary.
**2023 Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, created by Hartford Business Journal. This award recognizes young professionals in the Greater Hartford area for their leadership and contributions to the community and is not specific to financial services and does not imply an endorsement, recommendation, or reflect the performance of the advisor.
About WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors
WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors (WHZ) is an independent investment firm and partner of Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Adviser. Founded in 2006, WHZ offers more than 65 years of combined experience in the financial industry and provides wealth management services using a strategic process that encourages clients to Plan Well, Invest Well, and Live Well™. The firm offers portfolio management and financial guidance to individuals, families, business owners and executives, and not-for-profit institutions in 25 states. They practice at 697 Pomfret Street, Pomfret Center, CT 06259 and 392-A Merrow Road, Tolland, CT 06084. They can be reached by phone at 860-928-2341. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. For more information regarding wealth management and customized financial planning with WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors, please visit www.whzwealth.com.