I'm often asked by advisors that are (a) creating a newly formed RIA or (b) re-vamping their company brand to give feedback on logo concepts.  Milton Glaser, the legendary graphic designer best known for the "I Love New York" logo, says that it has to do with simplicity. "You want to move the viewer in a perception so that when they first look at [the logo]...they get the idea, because that act between seeing and understanding is critical".

Make It Unique

Your logo should stand out and be recognized among the slew of others within the financial advisory/planning market space.  I suggest that advisors stay away from overly used icons, like bar graphs, upward pointing arrows, and market/money icons. Don't think about what the company does, but trying to associate the company name, beliefs, or location within the logo.  This is how you want the viewer to remember you.  The Mercedes logo isn't a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn't an airplane. The Apple logo isn't a computer.  The Starbucks logo is not a cup of coffee or coffee beans.

Make It Adaptable

Strong logos translate well across different mediums. Your logo should invoke the same meaning on a business card as it will on a billboard. Keeping the design simple allows for flexibility in size and use.   Simple designs (ie.  Nike Swoosh) also tend to stick on viewers minds longer.  When a logo does not reproduce well on a small scale it causes problems for a brand's clarity and value. Also keep in mind that it should reproduce well in black and white; the fax machine isn't going away any time soon. Always make sure you get a 'vector' file type from your logo designer (common file extensions are .ai or .eps).  These file types (a) never pixelize, like JPGs or GIFs  (allowing designers to increase your logo to any size) and (b) contain layers (so designers can reposition elements and edit your logo to optimize a curtain space, color, or style).

Make It Appropriate

Before embarking on any sort of marketing campaign, you must first nail down your target audience. A logo needs to accurately reflect a company's culture and values: the company's essence.  Identify what's important to your firm. Identify what's important to your target market.  Doing some market research is also critical. Think about how different colors are associated with different meanings.

Here are a few good examples....

Trust  -  

Stability  -

Communication  - 

Idea Resources

99 Designs Logo Store

FontSpace (test / download free fonts)

Big Book of Logos

Letterhead & Logo Design

Identity Branding