What does Johnson Brunetti do?
Johnson Brunetti (JB) is a retirement-focused advisory brand founded in 2003. Its advisory business is delivered through JB Capital, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor; JB Capital filed its initial advisor registration in 2014 and reported about $2.78 billion in discretionary assets under management (AUM) as of December 31, 2025.
It is led by Joel Johnson, CFP®, with a team of more than 60 and serving more than 7,500 families.
Managed accounts are generally handled on a discretionary basis and come with ongoing monitoring.
Key services:
- Ongoing asset management: Continuous supervision of client accounts based on financial situation, objectives, and risk tolerance.
- Financial planning and consulting:
- Retirement income planning
- Tax strategy in retirement
- Social Security strategy
- IRA & 401(k) guidance
- Trusts and estate legacy planning
- Long-term care planning and asset protection
- Planning around major life events
- Third-party manager access: The firm may place some assets with outside money managers and continue to oversee that relationship.
- Educational seminars: On financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning
Its clients include individuals, high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pension plans, and trusts.
On investment approach, JB Capital generally uses fundamental analysis, may make both long-term and short-term purchases, does not typically try to time the market, and may raise cash modestly or adapt strategy for special client situations such as legacy holdings, stock options, inheritances, or tax issues.
What are the pros and cons of Johnson Brunetti?
Johnson Brunetti’s main strength is that the service is built around retirement planning rather than just account management. Its main limitations are cost at smaller balances and layered fees in some cases.
Here’s a summary of the key advantages and disadvantages to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you.
Pros of Johnson Brunetti:
- Retirement-focused service model: The firm is oriented specifically toward retirees and pre-retirees, covering investment management alongside planning topics like income, tax strategy, and estate planning.
- Discretionary asset management with ongoing monitoring: Clients do not need to approve every transaction. The firm actively monitors accounts and adjusts based on market and personal circumstances.
- Planning can be modular or one-time: Clients do not have to start with a full ongoing advisory engagement if they only need a plan or consultation.
Cons of Johnson Brunetti:
- Tiered fees that can be high at lower asset levels: The top rate of 1.6% annually applies to the first $250,000 under management, which represents a meaningful cost at smaller account sizes.
- fixed-fee floor for planning and consulting: Clients generally face a $1,000 minimum fee for financial planning and consulting, which can make smaller standalone engagements less accessible.
- Extra costs can stack up: Clients may also pay fund expenses, custody charges, transaction costs, retirement-plan fees, annuity charges, and other third-party costs.
Johnson Brunetti fees: How much does Johnson Brunetti cost?
Johnson Brunetti charges asset-based fees for ongoing investment management and fixed fees for standalone financial planning or consulting.
Annual fee schedule:
| Assets under management | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| First $250,000 | 1.6% |
| Next $750,000 | 1.5% |
| Next $1,000,000 | 1.2% |
| Next $1,000,000 | 1.0% |
| Next $1,000,000 or greater | 0.80% |
| Amounts over $5 million | Negotiable |
Financial planning and consulting fees：
| Service | Fee structure |
|---|---|
| Financial planning | Fixed fee, generally $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Consulting | Fixed fee, generally $1,000 to $10,000 |
In addition to advisory fees, clients may incur transaction fees from the custodian, mutual fund expenses, and separate commissions on any insurance or annuity products purchased.
What is Johnson Brunetti’s minimum account size?
JB Capital does not impose a formal minimum account size requirement for its asset management service.
In addition, the minimum fixed fee is generally $1,000 for financial planning and consulting.
Third-party money managers may impose their own account minimums, but those minimums are not disclosed here and depend on the specific outside manager selected.
Who should choose Johnson Brunetti?
Johnson Brunetti may be a better fit for clients who want ongoing human advice tied to retirement and broader financial planning, rather than a low-cost, self-directed investment experience.
Johnson Brunetti works well for:
- Those with multi-faceted planning needs: Clients who need planning alongside asset management, including financial plan preparation, retirement income strategy, or consulting on specific topics, can access these as separate services.
- Retirement-focused households: The service is clearly built around income planning, tax strategy, Social Security, and related retirement decisions, not just portfolio allocation.
- Clients who want an advisor relationship: Discretionary management, continuous monitoring, and access to CFP professionals fit people who prefer guidance over self-management.
Who might not benefit as much:
- Fee-sensitive investors: The standard AUM fee starts high at smaller account balances, and total costs can rise further once fund and account fees are added.
- Investors who want a simple, low-conflict model: Insurance commissions and third-party manager referral compensation add complexity.
- DIY investors or app-first users: The firm provided a human advisory service, not a self-service digital investing platform.
Johnson Brunetti: Is it secure?
JB Capital is a registered investment adviser with the SEC and operates under a fiduciary standard.
Client assets are not held by JB Capital directly; instead, they are maintained by qualified third-party custodians,primarily Fidelity Institutional, under the client's own name.
The firm also points users to a privacy notice and offers a secure document-upload page.
Johnson Brunetti: Customer service
Johnson Brunetti delivers advisory services through individually assigned investment adviser representatives. Clients can schedule account reviews on request, regardless of account balance.
Beyond that, the firm provides phone contact, a contact form, office locations.
Johnson Brunetti: Mobile app
Johnson Brunetti does not offer a dedicated mobile app. Clients may interact with their accounts through the custodian's platform,Fidelity Institutional,which provides its own client access tools.
Is Johnson Brunetti worth it?
Johnson Brunetti offers an advisor-led service built around discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and ongoing client support.
Its main strengths are the combination of managed accounts, planning services, and access to third-party managers when appropriate.
The main trade-offs are the relatively high starting AUM fee, the possibility of layered product and program costs.
For investors who want ongoing guidance from a human advisor, Johnson Brunetti offers a more traditional full-service advisory model. For those prioritizing lower costs or a simpler service model, it may be less appealing.
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