Kayla’s top priority for her clients is that they leave her office feeling confident in the plans distinctly and personally designed for their future. She enjoys helping families achieve the legacy they most want to leave behind, a gift that will last for generations. Kayla believes the best client service is provided by listening to her clients’ needs and goals and partnering with them throughout their lifetime to achieve realistic financial dreams and aspirations.
As a financial advisor, Kayla specializes in financial planning, income strategies, and longevity planning, serving the individual investors and small businesses of her hometown of Marshall County, Kentucky. She takes great pride in and has a passion for giving back to the hometown that built her.
Kayla joined Raymond James in 2020. She began her career in the financial industry in 2012 with Edward Jones. She built a successful business focused on helping retiring clients find strategies to retire comfortably and achieve their lifelong financial goals. In 2024 and 2025, Kayla was named to the Raymond James Executive Council II*. In 2025, Kayla was named as a Forbes Best-in-State Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Murray State University.
When Kayla isn’t meeting with clients, she spends her time volunteering in the community. Kayla serves on the Marshall County Children’s Art Commission Board of Directors. She also helps with community events such as Dicken’s Christmas, the Farm to Fork Dinner, The Progressive Dinner, the Marshall County Elks Lodge Exceptional Center Golf Tournament, and numerous other fundraisers.
Kayla was born and raised in Benton, Kentucky, where she lives today with her husband Johnny, son McCall, and daughter, Annie Brown. They enjoy spending time on Kentucky Lake with family and friends, boating and enjoying water sports. They also enjoy traveling, camping, riding side by sides, and other outdoor adventures. Kayla is a member of the Brewers United Methodist Church.
Congratulations to Kayla Barrett on being named to the Forbes 2025 Best-in-State Top Next-Gen Advisors List!
Kayla was named to the 2026 edition of the Forbes list of Best-in-State Women Wealth Advisors†.
Raymond James Financial Services is not affiliated with the above independent or charitable organizations.
The Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State rankings, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criterion, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered are under 40, have a minimum of four years' experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass the highest standards of best practices. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. Compensation provided for using the rating. The Research Summary (as of August 2025) included: 49,859 nominations for all rankings, based on thresholds, 28,226 invited to complete online survey, and 4,653 individuals considered and 2,018 individuals won the Next-Gen ranking. This ranking is based upon the period from 3/31/24 to 3/31/25 and was released on 8/6/25. This ranking is not based in any way on the individual's abilities in regards to providing investment advice or management. This ranking is not indicative of 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. For more information go to https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-in-state-next-gen-advisors/
*Membership is based on prior fiscal year production. Requalification is required annually. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance. No fee is paid in exchange for this award/rating.
The Forbes Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-In-State rankings, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criterion, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered are under 40, have a minimum of four years' experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass the highest standards of best practices. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. Compensation provided for using the rating. The Research Summary (as of August 2025) included: 49,859 nominations for all rankings, based on thresholds, 28,226 invited to complete online survey, and 4,653 individuals considered and 2,018 individuals won the Next-Gen ranking. This ranking is based upon the period from 3/31/24 to 3/31/25 and was released on 8/6/25. This ranking is not based in any way on the individual's abilities in regards to providing investment advice or management. This ranking is not indicative of 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. For more information go to https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-in-state-next-gen-advisors/
† The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors with a minimum of seven years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/24 to 6/30/25 and was released on 02/04/2026. Research Summary (as of February 2026): 51,403 nominations were received and 2,852 women won. 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 ranking. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-in-state-women-advisors for more info.
