Spring Lake, MI Office

Essex, LLC is a registered investment adviser that provides discretionary and non‑discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals (including high‑net‑worth clients), trusts, retirement plans, pension and charitable organizations. As of December 31, 2025 the firm reported managing about $649.3 million for roughly 576 client accounts and also offers management of variable annuity sub‑accounts and held‑away defined‑contribution accounts via a third‑party platform (Pontera).

Investment decisions are made by a multi‑member investment policy committee and the firm constructs model portfolios using a mix of fundamental, technical and sector analysis across equities, fixed income, ETFs, options, futures and other instruments. Portfolios are monitored continuously with formal annual reviews, and the brochure describes reliance on model outputs combined with professional judgment while documenting and managing material conflicts and a range of investment risks.

The firm’s ADV and brochure disclose several practices that are less common among similarly sized team firms: it reports using endorsements and advertising third‑party ratings, and it discloses the use of borrowing within separately managed accounts, each presented alongside the firm’s fiduciary and compliance policies. Essex also describes its use of a third‑party platform for held‑away assets, engagement of solicitors and lead‑generation services for referrals, and its primary custody relationship with Charles Schwab, all of which can affect how clients receive statements, fee billing, and marketing information.