Benjamin K Clauss,
CFA®
Senior Vice President, Investments
Prior to joining Raymond James in September 2021, Ben worked at Merrill Lynch’s Greenville, South Carolina, office for 23 years. During that time, he had the very good fortune to work alongside an exceptional mentor and friend, Niles Ray.
Ben holds a mechanical engineering degree from Clemson University and became a Chartered Financial Analyst® in 2006. More recently, Ben was named to the 2025 Forbes list of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors.
Ben currently serves as Chair for the Triune Mercy Endowment Board. He is also a Board member for the Trout Unlimited Cold Water Conservation Fund, serves as the conservation lead for the Mountain Bridge TU chapter and sits on the 4th Presbyterian Endowment Board. Previously Ben served as a Board member for the Greenville Community Foundation and Meals on Wheels. In his spare time Ben enjoys fly fishing, biking and live music.
Raymond James is not affiliated with the above organizations and/or charitable causes.
The Forbes Top Wealth Advisors Best-in-State 2025 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2023 to 6/30/2024 and was released on 4/8/2025. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 48,944 nominations, roughly 9,722 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors/ for more info.
