Choosing a wealth management firm is an important decision. As wealth grows, financial decisions often become more complex. From investment management and retirement planning to tax considerations, estate planning, trust services, and business transitions, these answers help you better understand who we work with, what services we provide, and how our team supports clients.
Johnson Investment Counsel primarily serves high-net-worth individuals and families, ultra-high-net-worth families, business owners, retirees, and nonprofit organizations. Many of the clients we serve are looking for more than investment management alone; they want coordinated guidance across investments, taxes, estate planning, trust services, charitable giving, and major financial decisions.
Many people ask this because they want to understand if they're the right fit, not just financially, but in terms of the level of service they need.
Johnson Investment Counsel typically works with individuals and families whose financial lives have become more complex. That may include retirement income planning, trust and estate considerations, charitable goals, business transition planning, multiple accounts, or multigenerational wealth concerns.
The better question is often not simply "How much do I have?" but "How complex is my situation?" Clients tend to benefit most when they are looking for ongoing coordination across investments, tax planning, estate strategy, and other aspects of their financial lives.
Johnson is often a strong fit for individuals and families seeking a long-term advisory relationship and a coordinated approach to wealth management. This may include business owners, retirees, families with trusts, individuals navigating major life transitions, or those looking to align their investments, tax planning, and estate strategy.
Yes. Johnson combines a highly personalized client experience with the resources of a multidisciplinary team that includes wealth advisors, portfolio managers, estate planning attorneys, trust professionals, and research analysts. Many clients appreciate having direct access to experienced professionals while still benefiting from extensive in-house resources.
Johnson is an independent, employee-owned, fee-only fiduciary firm. We do not earn commissions or receive compensation for recommending investment products.
Our approach is centered on providing coordinated guidance across investments, retirement planning, tax considerations, estate planning, trust services, charitable planning, and other aspects of a client's financial life.
Yes. As a fee-only fiduciary, Johnson Investment Counsel is legally obligated to act in clients' best interests. We do not receive commissions for investment recommendations and focus on providing objective advice aligned with each client's goals.
We charge an asset-based advisory fee that is calculated using a tiered schedule. The fee is based on the amount of assets we manage for you, with lower rates applying to higher asset levels. This structure is designed to provide ongoing investment management, financial planning, and advisory services while ensuring the fee remains proportional to the assets under our care.
While some firms offer one-time financial advice, our focus is on building long-term relationships with the individuals and families we serve. We believe financial planning is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that evolves alongside life's changes—whether that's a career transition, retirement, a change in family circumstances, or new financial goals. By working together over time, we can provide continuous guidance, help clients adapt to changing circumstances, and ensure their financial strategy remains aligned with what matters most to them. We believe this ongoing partnership allows us to deliver greater value than a one-time planning engagement.
Johnson Investment Counsel is an independent, fee-only fiduciary, which means we are legally obligated to act in our clients' best interests. Unlike some brokerage firms or financial institutions, we do not earn commissions for recommending investment products.
Our focus extends beyond managing investments. We provide ongoing advice and coordination across multiple areas of your financial life, helping ensure decisions related to investments, taxes, estate planning, retirement, and family goals work together as part of a cohesive strategy. For many clients, the value comes not only from investment management, but from having a trusted advisor and team helping them navigate important financial decisions over time.
Our investment approach is guided by disciplined research, thoughtful risk management, and a focus on aligning portfolios with each client's goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Portfolios are supported by our in-house research team and tailored to each client's unique circumstances.
Your advisor helps coordinate the financial decisions that affect your life, family, and long-term goals.
Depending on your needs, that may include:
Beyond your advisor, you benefit from a broader team that may include portfolio managers, research analysts, trust officers, and estate planning attorneys. Our in-house investment team continuously monitors markets, portfolio holdings, and planning opportunities to help keep your strategy aligned with your objectives.
The goal is to provide proactive guidance, ongoing coordination, and peace of mind as your financial life evolves.
You will have a dedicated advisor supported by a broader team of professionals. Depending on your needs, your advisor may collaborate with research analysts, estate planning attorneys, trust professionals, and other specialists to help address more complex planning needs.
We believe wealth management should be proactive rather than reactive. Our team regularly reviews planning opportunities, monitors changes that may affect your financial situation, and remains available when important decisions arise or circumstances change.
That proactive approach extends to investment management as well. Beyond the guidance provided by your advisor, our in-house research analysts and investment professionals continually monitor markets, economic conditions, portfolio holdings, and planning opportunities that may impact clients. This ongoing oversight helps ensure investment decisions remain aligned with your goals, risk tolerance, and evolving needs.
The initial conversation is focused on understanding your goals, concerns, and overall financial situation. We discuss what is important to you, review any planning challenges or opportunities you may be facing, and determine whether Johnson is the right fit for your needs.
Many of our clients already work with a CPA and an attorney before coming to Johnson.
Those relationships remain important, but their roles are typically focused on specific areas of expertise. A wealth advisor helps bring those pieces together so decisions across your financial life are coordinated.
That coordination can include:
The goal is not to replace your advisors, but to work alongside them to help ensure all parts of your plan are moving in the same direction.
Yes. We frequently collaborate with clients' existing CPAs, attorneys, insurance professionals, and other advisors. By working together, we can help ensure financial, tax, legal, and estate planning decisions remain coordinated and aligned with your overall goals.
Yes. One of Johnson's core strengths is helping clients connect investment decisions with broader planning considerations, including tax planning, wealth transfer strategies, estate planning, charitable giving, and trust services.
Yes. Through Johnson Trust Company, clients have access to experienced trust and estate professionals who can assist with wealth transfer planning, trust administration, trustee services, estate settlement, charitable planning, and other trust and estate-related needs.
Yes. We help clients develop charitable giving strategies, family philanthropy plans, and wealth transfer approaches designed to reflect their values, family goals, and long-term legacy objectives. We also work with clients to identify tax-efficient giving opportunities and coordinate charitable planning with their broader financial and estate plans.
For clients seeking a simpler and more flexible way to support the causes they care about, the Johnson Charitable Gift Fund offers a donor-advised fund solution that can help streamline giving, provide potential tax advantages, and create a lasting charitable legacy for future generations.
Yes. Johnson Family Office Services provides a highly personalized level of support for families with more complex planning needs. Services may include investment management, trust coordination, tax planning, cash flow reporting, succession planning, private investment coordination, and multigenerational wealth planning and transfer.
Both models provide comprehensive planning and investment guidance. Family Office Services are generally designed for families with greater complexity, such as multiple entities, trusts, private investments, significant liquidity events, or multigenerational planning needs. We can help determine which level of service is most appropriate for your situation.
Yes. We work with families on long-term wealth transfer planning, beneficiary education, trust planning, family philanthropy, succession planning, and strategies designed to help preserve wealth and values across generations.
Yes. We work with business owners at various stages of the business lifecycle, including succession planning, exit planning, liquidity event preparation, retirement planning, charitable giving strategies, and post-sale wealth management.
Yes. Major life events often involve both financial and personal challenges. Our team provides guidance and coordination during transitions such as retirement, widowhood, divorce, inheritance, caregiving responsibilities, and other significant life changes.