Before We Begin
This transition represents the next chapter in our firm’s evolution. Since our founding in 2003, we have continuously refined how we serve families — across planning, investments, and technology. This move reflects that same mindset: independence, alignment, and a better client experience.
Our email addresses remain firstname@mardincapitalgroup.com. If you have an old @lpl.com email saved, please update it - those addresses will no longer work, as we are no longer affiliated with LPL. If you ever have trouble reaching us, our main office line will always connect you.
We have long operated with a fiduciary mindset — placing your interests first and being compensated primarily through advisory fees. In practice, the vast majority of our work has been fee-based. However, due to our affiliation with LPL, a small number of legacy commission-based accounts remained.
Today, that structure has changed.
- We are now legally established as a fully independent, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor
- Going forward, we are compensated solely through advisory fees
- We are no longer affiliated with a broker-dealer (LPL)
The legal structure of the firm now fully aligns with how we have long sought to operate in practice.
In some cases, your current custodian may assess account transfer or closure fees as part of the move. If that happens, those fees will be automatically reimbursed by Altruist. There is nothing additional you need to do on your end.
No. Your investment strategy and asset allocation are driven by your goals, income needs, time horizon, and risk capacity — not by the custodian holding your account. Our core philosophy remains the same: broad diversification, disciplined rebalancing, tax-aware management, and our bucket-based retirement planning framework. What changes are the tools available to us — not the strategy itself. Altruist provides greater flexibility in implementation, including enhanced tax-loss harvesting capabilities, increased precision in rebalancing, broader investment selection, and lower minimums for certain strategies.
Many people assume their investments “sit” inside a firm like Fidelity, Schwab, LPL, or Altruist. In reality, all major firms use the same national system to record ownership of stocks and bonds. That system is called the Depository Trust Company (DTC).
The Depository Trust Company (DTC) serves as the central record-keeper for U.S. financial markets. Firms like Fidelity, Schwab, LPL, and Altruist primarily provide service, statements, transaction processing, and technology. When accounts transfer using the industry system (ACAT), investments are typically not sold. Ownership records are simply updated within the same system. In other words, changing custodians is about improving experience and technology — not moving your investments to a new vault, but moving to a different room within the same vault.
A custodian is the financial institution that holds your investment accounts and safeguards your assets. Our role does not change. At Mardin Capital Group, we provide advice, financial and tax planning, and portfolio management. The custodian’s role is to securely hold your assets, process transactions, maintain records, and issue tax documents.For many years, that institution was LPL Financial. As we transition to our independent firm, your accounts will instead be held at Altruist.
As we evaluated every major custodian while building our fully independent, fee-only firm, it became clear that Altruist represents a new standard in advisor technology and client experience. Altruist was built specifically for independent fiduciary advisors — not for a commission-based brokerage model.
They provide:
- A modern, intuitive client app Industry-leading high-yield cash solutions
- A broad selection of low-cost investment options
- Advanced, accessible tax-loss harvesting tools
- Technology designed exclusively for fee-only advisors
Unlike legacy custodians that evolved from commission-based platforms, Altruist was built from the ground up for the fiduciary model. Altruist is privately owned and backed by long-term institutional investors, including Vanguard. They do not operate a retail business — the only way to become a client is by working with a fee-only fiduciary advisor. This is likely why you may not have heard of them before. Today, they are one of the largest custodians serving independent advisors, as measured by advisor headcount and one of the fastest growing in the industry. That alignment matters.
About 10 minutes of your time.
You will:
- Create a secure login with Altruist
- Review and electronically sign your documents
- Link your bank account (if applicable)
That’s it.
From there, we handle the rest — including moving your accounts over efficiently behind the scenes. Most clients find this to be a quick and seamless process, and we’re here if you’d prefer to walk through it together.
For most clients, there will be no material change to advisory fees. In some cases, there may be a modest increase or decrease as we align accounts with our current fee schedule. Any changes will be discussed directly and transparently with your advisor before implementation. What will change is the billing structure.
Previously, billing was dictated by LPL Financial. As a fully independent firm, we will move from quarterly billing in advance to monthly billing in arrears. Under the new structure, advisory fees will be calculated monthly using the account’s average daily balance during the month, rather than being billed quarterly in advance. The result is a more transparent, easier-to-follow billing process while allowing funds to remain invested in your account longer. Additionally, access to lower-cost investment vehicles and higher-yielding cash solutions through Altruist may improve overall portfolio efficiency and reduce total costs.
For 2026 only, you may receive tax documents from two custodians:
- A final set from LPL for the portion of the year your assets were held there
- A set from Altruist for activity after the transfer
*For the small number of clients who maintain legacy commission-based accounts (primarily annuities) that are not transitioning to Altruist, tax documents will continue to be issued by the applicable insurance company or custodian.
We have established a relationship with MS Howell, a broker-dealer that will hold these legacy products. For the small number of clients who maintain commission-based accounts (primarily annuities), those accounts will remain in place. With your written permission, we will maintain direct communication with MS Howell so we can continue monitoring and advising on those holdings as part of your overall financial plan. This structure allows us to remain fully fee-only for advisory business while ensuring legacy strategies continue to receive appropriate oversight
Our connection to eMoney was maintained by LPL, so by moving our business we have terminated that connection, as a result, during this transition eMoney/WealthVision will not be accurate. You will be able to view your account balances using your Account View portal until you successfully move your accounts to Altruist.
Once you have completed the account opening and transfer process you will see your account balances accurately displayed in eMoney. You will also be given access to a new client portal for the Altruist platform when you complete the account opening paperwork.
Our team is actively monitoring the status of your account transfers and appreciates your patience while our systems synchronize.
One practical difference relates to historical reporting data. In the financial industry, historical performance reporting is typically stored within the custodian’s system where it was originally generated. When an advisory firm changes custodians, the accounts and investments transfer seamlessly, but past reporting history generally remains with the prior platform. You will always retain access to prior statements, confirmations, and tax documents through LPL Financial. Going forward, all new reporting will be consolidated within the Altruist platform, which gives our firm greater visibility and control over client data.
An advantage of this newer platform is that data generated at Altruist is portable. If our firm ever makes a technology change in the future, that data can be transferred and preserved — something that has not traditionally been possible in the industry.
For clients, the practical result is simple:
- Your investments and accounts move normally
- Prior records remain accessible at LPL
- Future reporting will be centralized within a modern platform
Most clients simply experience cleaner, more streamlined reporting going forward.
This transition strengthens the structure of our firm and supports how we intend to serve families for decades to come. We are confident in this transition and believe it meaningfully enhances how we serve you — both now and over time. As always, we welcome your questions.