Five Star Professional, as a third-party research firm, administers a survey, by mail and phone, to 1 in 4 high-net-worth households and registered financial services representatives to evaluate the wealth managers in a metropolitan area. The evaluation is based on nine criteria, including customer service, integrity, knowledge/expertise, communication, value for fee charged, meeting of financial objectives, post sale service, quality of recommendations, and overall satisfaction. After review by a panel of local industry experts and a review of regulatory history, Five Star Professional determines the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers scoring highest in overall satisfaction and representing less than 2% of the wealth managers in the metropolitan area.