LPL Financial announced that Fortress Financial Planning has joined its broker-dealer and registered investment advisor platform. Advisors Bassem Moez, CRPC, and James Darden, JD, reported serving approximately $150 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets and transitioned to LPL from MassMutual.
Based in the Detroit metropolitan area, Fortress Financial Planning provides financial guidance to a diverse client base, including pre-retirees, retirees, physicians, business owners, and other professionals. The firm focuses on delivering personalized advice designed to help clients make informed decisions about their long-term financial goals.
Fortress Financial Planning was founded on principles of independent advice, transparency, and client education. The team seeks to simplify complex financial topics and encourage clients to take an active role in managing their financial futures.
The advisors selected LPL Financial to support their commitment to independence and customized financial planning. Moez, who previously spent eight years affiliated with LPL, said the platform provides the flexibility and open architecture needed to deliver solutions tailored to clients’ needs.
Darden said the move to LPL will allow the firm to further expand its independence and enhance its client service while continuing to focus on transparency, flexibility, and long-term relationships.
LPL Chief Growth Officer Marc Cohen said the advisors’ client-first approach and commitment to educating clients align closely with the firm’s mission of empowering advisors with independence, technology, and support.
Outside of their professional activities, Moez serves on the board of a charter school that supports underserved and English-as-a-second-language communities. Darden has coached high school swimming for more than 20 years.
LPL Financial supports more than 32,000 financial advisors and approximately 1,100 financial institutions, with roughly $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets under custody or administration.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our approach is centered on delivering personalized, client-first financial guidance and doing what’s right for the families we serve. We believe in educating clients so they can make informed decisions, and we strive to operate with full transparency around every recommendation. By acting as the ‘CFO’ while our clients remain the ‘CEO’ of their financial lives, we help guide them with clarity, consistency and a long-term perspective. Ultimately, we want to be part of the client’s success story.”
Bassem Moez, Co-Founder and Advisor at Fortress Financial Planning
“Having worked with LPL in the past, I saw firsthand that it provides the flexibility and open architecture needed to deliver financial advice in our clients’ best interests. The platform allows us to offer a broader range of solutions and tailor our approach to each client’s needs.”
Bassem Moez, Co-Founder and Advisor at Fortress Financial Planning
“For me, the move to LPL represents an opportunity to expand that independence even further. It gives us the ability to enhance how we serve clients and continue building a practice that prioritizes transparency, flexibility and long-term relationships.”
James Darden, Advisor at Fortress Financial Planning
“We are pleased to welcome Bassem and James to LPL. Their commitment to delivering transparent, client-first advice and educating clients to make informed financial decisions aligns closely with LPL’s purpose to empower advisors with the independence, technology and support they need to deliver personalized advice. We look forward to supporting their continued growth as they serve their clients and communities.”
Marc Cohen, Chief Growth Officer at LPL Financial
