Forza Wealth Management Partner Michael DeMassa Recognized as Five Star Wealth Manager

SARASOTA, FL – Forza Wealth Management is proud to announce that founder and principal Michael DeMassa, CFA, CFP®, AEP® has been named a 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager by Five Star Professional. This prestigious distinction marks Michael’s ninth year winning the honor, placing him among a select group of top financial professionals recognized for excellence in client services and industry experience.

The 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager award was issued on November 1, 2025, and honors professionals who meet a rigorous set of criteria, including professional credentials, client retention, assets under management, and a favorable regulatory and complaint history. Based on the most recent research period (January 8, 2025 through September 16, 2025), only 60 of 827 Sarasota-area wealth managers (approximately 7%) earned this award.

“I am deeply honored to once again achieve this recognition,” said Michael DeMassa. “This award reflects our unwavering commitment to client-focused financial planning, integrity, and the long-term success of the families and individuals we serve.”

The Five Star Professional award is the result of comprehensive research by Five Star Professional. Candidates must satisfy multiple eligibility and evaluation criteria with respect to industry experience, client satisfaction, regulatory history, and ethical standing. While the award is based on disclosed criteria and is not a direct endorsement of investment performance, it highlights professionals who demonstrate a high standard of service for their clients.

For more information about Michael DeMassa and the wealth management services offered by Forza Wealth Management, visit forzawealth.com or call 941-203-3748.

Original Article: https://www.fivestarprofessional.com/awardwinner/58084

Methodology

This award was issued on 11/01/2025 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 01/08/2025 through 09/16/2025. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 827 Sarasota-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 60 (7 % of candidates) were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2024: 756, 68, 9%, 10/1/24, 1/9/24 – 8/9/24; 2023: 661, 60, 9%, 10/1/23, 1/9/23 – 7/31/23; 2022: 603, 67, 11%, 10/1/22, 1/31/22 – 8/12/22; 2021: 613, 51, 8%, 10/1/21, 1/11/21 – 7/30/21; 2020: 579, 49, 8%, 10/1/20, 1/13/20 – 8/21/20; 2019: 602, 60, 10%, 10/1/19, 1/28/19 – 8/16/19; 2018: 626, 52, 8%, 10/1/18, 1/30/18 – 8/20/18; 2017: 434, 40, 9%, 10/1/17, 2/3/17 – 8/18/17; 2016: 464, 96, 21%, 9/1/16, 3/16/16 – 8/25/16. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.