DFX Intelligence
RIA Intelligence
Registered investment advisers, the advisors registered through them, the capital they report, the private vehicles they run and the people who own them, as a graph with a filing date behind every number. RAUM is what the adviser filed, a move is two registration dates, and a class is a rule you can read.
SEC-registered adviser
Essential Planning, LLC
Latest filing Mar 23, 2026
First filing on the tape Mar 30, 2012 · 24 filings
SEC status approved since Mar 15, 1996
RAUM
$524M
reported, Item 5.F
Discretionary
100%
of RAUM
Private clients
100%
$524M individuals and HNW
Advisors
3
registered through the firm on IAPD
RAUM per advisor
$175M
derived; firm RAUM over IAPD count
Employees
11
3 advisory (5.B.1)
Offices
1
beyond the principal office
Private funds
0
reported on Schedule D
History
24 filings and snapshots on the tape
RAUM$524M as of Mar 23, 2026
Mar 30, 2012$137M then
HNW client RAUM$339M as of Mar 23, 2026
Mar 28, 2018$164M then
State-registered IARs (5.B.3)3 as of Mar 23, 2026
Mar 28, 20132 then
Employees (5.A)11 as of Mar 23, 2026
Mar 28, 20135 then
Private funds: no history
RAUM +19% over the last fiscal year+19% a year over threeIARs 3 to 3
Practice profile
derived from the filing of Mar 23, 2026; every figure names its basis
Archetypes, each a printed rule
- HNW wealth manager · private-client share of RAUM at least 50 percent and HNW share of private-client RAUM 50 to 90 percent
- Independent boutique · a wealth manager with no broker-dealer, bank or insurance affiliate, 2 to 25 advisors, one to three offices, no public reporting company control
- Planning-led practice · financial planning activity (5.G.1), at least 100 financial planning clients (5.H), and hourly, fixed or subscription compensation (5.E)
- RAUM per advisor
- $175MderivedRAUM over IAPD advisors; not a book size
- Clients per advisor
- 191derivedindividual and HNW clients (5.D) over advisors
- Average HNW client
- $2.1MderivedHNW RAUM over HNW clients
- Average account
- $237,628derivedRAUM over accounts (5.F.2.f)
- Discretionary
- 100%derivedof RAUM
- Institutional
- 0.0%derivedpensions, charities, corporations, government, insurance, banks, other advisers
- Employees per advisor
- 3.7derivedItem 5.A over advisors
- Advisors per office
- 1.5derived2 offices incl. principal (1.F.5)
- RAUM growth, one year
- +19%derivedbetween the last two annual amendments
- Advisor growth, one year
- +0.0%derivedItem 5.B.3 between annual amendments
- Client growth, one year
- +7.1%derived
- Compensation
- percentage of assets, hourly, fixed feesreportedItem 5.E
- Advisory activities
- financial planning, portfolio management for individuals, selection of other advisersreportedItem 5.G
- Financial planning clients
- 500reportedItem 5.H
- Custody
- $193M, 244 clientsreportedItem 9.A
- Ownership
- no PE, bank or public-company owner found on Schedule Aderived
- Advisor book size
- not public; not estimatedreported
Also answered yes on Form ADV
- buys or sells securities as principal to or from clients (8.A.2)
- has discretionary authority over which securities are bought or sold (8.C.1)
- receives research or other products from a broker-dealer, soft dollars (8.E)
- has custody of client cash or bank accounts (9.A.1.a)
- has custody of client securities (9.A.1.b)
Where the RAUM sits
Form ADV Item 5.D, latest filing
- High-net-worth individuals$339M65%
- Individuals$185M35%
- Individual clients
- 410reported
- HNW clients
- 163reported
- Pension plan clients
- 0reported
- Charitable clients
- 0reported
- Accounts
- 2,207reported
- Financial planning clients
- 500reported
- Wrap fee programs
- noreported
- Custody of client assets
- $193M for 244 clientsreported
- Compensation
- % of AUM, fixed, hourlyreported
- Class basis
- private_client_share=1.0 fund_share=0.0 institutional_share=0.0 related_bd=false related_bank=false bd_reps=2.0derived
Advisors registered through the firm
3 on IAPD today, longest tenure first
| Name | Branch | Here since | In industry | Prior firms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Charles LordChartered Financial Consultant | Portsmouth, Nh | Aug 6, 2002 | 24 y | 1 |
| Paul Raymond Doran | Portsmouth, Nh | May 23, 2006 | 24 y | 2 |
| Hunter Charles Thomas Lord | Portsmouth, Nh | Apr 1, 2020 | 10 y | 0 |
Advisor movement
0 left, 0 joined in 12 months
net 0 in 12 months0 left in 90 days0 joined in 90 daysdeparture rate 0.0% of current headcount0 left over 36 months
Left, latest
- Eric Jason Sanborn to On Track Financial LLCJul 7, 2004 · Other
Joined, latest
- Paul Raymond Doran from Investors Capital AdvisoryMay 23, 2006 · Other
Private funds
No private fund reported.
Owners and control persons
Schedule A and B, latest filing
- Charles Andrew Lord · Member, Chief Compliance Officercontrolsince 01/1984 · owns 75% or more
Related persons
Schedule D 7.A
No related person reported.
Office movement
IAPD branch city; joins and departures in 12 months
| Office | Advisors | Joined | Left | Teams out | Forming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth, Nh · principal | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Offices
Schedule D 1.F, the 25 largest
- Wolfeboro Falls, NH1 employees
ADV anomalies
1 against comparable advisers; where to look, not conclusions
- HNW share shiftChange between filings · filing Mar 23, 2026HNW share of RAUM moved from 82.0% to 65.0% between the annual amendments of 2025-03-06 and 2026-03-23peers: independent wealth managers, $500M to $1B (1,483)
What changed
consecutive filings, newest first
- Accounts · 1,995 to 2,207Mar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- HNW clients · 187 to 163Mar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- Individual clients · 348 to 410Mar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- Assets in custody · $174M to $193MMar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- Discretionary RAUM · $440M to $524MMar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- HNW RAUM · $360M to $339MMar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- Individual RAUM · $79.9M to $185MMar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- RAUM · $440M to $524MMar 6, 2025 to Mar 23, 2026
- Accounts · 1,676 to 1,995Mar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- HNW clients · 172 to 187Mar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Individual clients · 341 to 348Mar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Assets in custody · $191M to $174MMar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Employees · 9 to 11Mar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Financial planning clients · More than 500 to More than 500Mar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Discretionary RAUM · $379M to $440MMar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- HNW RAUM · $198M to $360MMar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Individual RAUM · $180M to $79.9MMar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- RAUM · $379M to $440MMar 31, 2024 to Mar 6, 2025
- Accounts · 1,618 to 1,676Mar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Advisory activities · 2 to 3Mar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- HNW clients · 151 to 172Mar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Individual clients · 337 to 341Mar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Assets in custody · $211M to $191MMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Financial planning clients · 251-500 to More than 500Mar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Discretionary RAUM · $310M to $379MMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- HNW RAUM · $192M to $198MMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Individual RAUM · $119M to $180MMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- RAUM · $310M to $379MMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Related adviser · true to falseMar 31, 2023 to Mar 31, 2024
- Accounts · 1,481 to 1,618Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- BD registered reps · 3 to 2Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- HNW clients · 143 to 151Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Individual clients · 312 to 337Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Assets in custody · $196M to $211MOct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Employees · 7 to 9Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Insurance-licensed employees · 0 to 1Oct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Discretionary RAUM · $333M to $310MOct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- HNW RAUM · $207M to $192MOct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- Individual RAUM · $126M to $119MOct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
- RAUM · $333M to $310MOct 14, 2022 to Mar 31, 2023
Signals
No event on the tape.
Across DFX
shared identifiers only, never a name match
No identifier-backed link to the venture, private equity, family office or sponsor graphs.
How to reach
public business contact points only, each with its source
- Business email
- info@essential-planning.comreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Business email
- dhensley@essential-planning.comreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Business phone
- 603-427-5170reportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Business phone
- 603-427-5164reportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Business phone
- 800-765-5201reportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Firm profile
- linkedin.com/company/essential-planning-llcreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
- Website
- ESSENTIAL-PLANNING.COMreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
- Principal office phone
- 603-427-5164reportedpublic record, Form ADV, Mar 23, 2026
- Contact form
- essential-planning.com/contactreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
- Team page
- essential-planning.com/teamreportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
Provenance
- Form ADV
- SEC filing data 2011 to 2024 and the monthly roster 2025 onreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
- Advisors
- IAPD individual compilation feed, dailyreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
- Class
- Independent wealth managerderiveda rule over Items 5.D and 7.A
- RAUM per advisor
- $175Mderivedfirm RAUM over the IAPD count; not a book size
- Loaded
- Sep 14, 2026