A. Services
Essex Financial provides customized investment advisory services for its Clients. This Wrap Fee Program
Brochure is provided as a supplement to the Essex Financial Form ADV Part 2A (“Disclosure Brochure”). This
Wrap Fee Program Brochure is provided along with the complete Disclosure Brochure to provide full details of the
business practices and fees when selecting Essex Financial as your investment advisor within the Wrap Fee
Program.
As part of the investment advisory fees noted in Item 5 – Advisory Services of the Disclosure Brochure, Essex
Financial includes, in addition to securities transaction fees for securities (herein “Covered Costs”) as part of the
overall investment advisory fee. Securities regulations often refer to this combined fee structure as a “Wrap Fee
Program”. The Advisor’s recommended Custodian does not charge securities transaction fees for exchange-traded
fund (“ETF”) and equity trades in Client accounts, but typically charges for mutual funds and other types of
investments. The Advisor sponsors the Essex Financial Wrap Fee Program.
The sole purpose of this Wrap Fee Program Brochure is to provide additional disclosure relating the combination
of Covered Costs into a single “bundled” investment advisory fee. This Wrap Fee Program Brochure references
back to the Disclosure Brochure in which this Wrap Fee Program Brochure serves as an Appendix. For additional
information, please see Item 4 – Advisory Services of the Disclosure Brochure for details on Essex Financial’s
investment philosophy and related services.
B. Program Costs
Advisory services provided by Essex Financial are offered in a wrap fee structure whereby Covered Costs are
included in the overall investment advisory fee paid to Essex Financial. As the level of activity in a Client’s
account[s] may vary from year to year, the annual cost to the Client may be more or less than engaging for advisory
services where the Covered Costs are borne separately by the Client. The cost of the Wrap Fee Program varies
depending on services to be provided to each Client, however, the Client is not charged more if there is higher
trading activity or other Covered Costs. A Wrap Fee structure presents a conflict of interest as the Advisor is
incentivized to limit the number of trades placed in the Client’s account[s] or to utilize securities that do not have
transaction fees. As noted above, the Advisor’s recommended Custodians do not charge securities transaction
fees for ETF and equity trades in Client accounts, but typically charges for mutual funds and other types of
investments. As such, the Advisor is incentivized to utilize ETFs and other equity securities to limit the overall cost
to the Advisor. The Advisor will only place Client assets into a Wrap Fee Program when it is believed to be in the
Client’s best interest. For additional information, please see Item 5 – Fees and Compensation of the Disclosure
Brochure.
C. Fees
Investment management fees are paid quarterly, in advance of each three-month period (“Billing Period”) pursuant
to the terms of the investment advisory agreement. Investment advisory fees are based on the market value of assets
under management at the end of the prior Billing Period.
Investment management fees are based on the following schedule:
Assets Under Management ($) Annual Rate (%)
Up to $999,999_____ 1.50%
From $1,000,000 to $2,999,999 1.25%
From $3,000,000 to $4,999,999
1.00%
From $5,000,000 to $9,999,999 0.75%
Over $10,000,000 Negotiable
The investment management fee in the first Billing Period of service is prorated from the inception date of the
account[s] to the end of the first Billing Period. Fees may be negotiable at the sole discretion of the Advisor. The
Client’s fees will take into consideration the aggregate assets under management with the Advisor. All securities held
in accounts managed by Essex Financial will be independently valued by the Custodian. The Advisor will conduct
periodic reviews of the Custodian’s valuation to ensure accurate billing.
Investment management fees are calculated by the Advisor or its delegate and deducted from the Client’s account[s]
at the Custodian. The Advisor shall send an invoice to the Custodian indicating the amount of the fees to be deducted
from the Client’s account[s] at the beginning of the respective Billing Period. The amount due is calculated by applying
the quarterly rate (annual rate divided by the number of days in the year, multiplied by the number of days in the
quarter) to the total assets under management with Essex Financial at the end of the prior Billing Period. Clients will
be provided with a statement, at least quarterly, from the Custodian reflecting deduction of the investment advisory
fee. Clients are urged to review the brokerage statement from the Custodian, as the Custodian does not perform a
verification of fees. Clients provide written authorization permitting advisory fees to be deducted by Essex Financial
to be paid directly from their account[s] held by the Custodian as part of the investment management agreement and
separate account forms provided by the Custodian.
As noted above, the Wrap Fee Program includes Covered Costs incurred in connection with the discretionary
investment management services provided by Essex Financial, as part of its overall investment advisory fee.
In addition, all fees paid to Essex Financial for investment advisory services or part of the Wrap Fee Program are
separate and distinct from the expenses charged by mutual funds and exchange-traded funds to their
shareholders, if applicable. These fees and expenses are described in each fund’s prospectus. These fees and
expenses will generally be used to pay management fees for the funds, other fund expenses, account
administration (e.g., custody, brokerage and account reporting), and a possible distribution fee. In connection with
the discretionary investment management services provided by Essex Financial, the Client will incur other costs
assessed by the Custodian or other third parties, other than the Covered Costs noted above, such as wire transfer
fees, custodial fees and fees for trades executed away from the Custodians. The Advisor does not control nor
share in these fees. The Client should review both the fees charged by the fund[s] and the fees charged by Essex
Financial to fully understand the total fees to be paid. Please see Item 5.C. – Other Fees and Expenses in the
Disclosure Brochure.
D. Compensation
Essex Financial is the sponsor and portfolio manager of the Essex Financial Wrap Fee Program. Essex Financial
receives investment advisory fees paid by Clients for participating in the Wrap Fee Program and pays the Covered
Costs associated with the management of the Client’s account[s]. Essex Financial also receives compensation for
placing Client assets in Wrap Fee Programs sponsored by outside managers, which is separate from this Wrap
Fee Program.