The Johnston Group, LLC (Minneapolis)

The Johnston Group, LLC is a large advisory firm based in Minneapolis. It manages $413 million of regulatory assets for 1,022 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2016 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, and 4 other states.

The Johnston Group provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, selection of other advisers, and educational seminars and workshops. It prepares financial plans for more than 25 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

The Johnston Group: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of The Johnston Group, LLC is $413 million. The firm's AUM has grown by 30% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $403 million in discretionary accounts and $10 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $394.71 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $10 million.

The Johnston Group has custody of $61.88 million in cash and securities for 89 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in investment and business development companies the most. They account for 83% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is exchange traded securities, which make up 13% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment grade corporate bonds form 1% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay The Johnston Group, LLC for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, and fixed fees. Flat-fee based compensation is the most transparent and the one you can safely predict in advance. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients The Johnston Group serves?

The firm provides services to individuals and high net worth individuals. The largest group of clients of The Johnston Group is individuals with 101 clients and $365 million of assets under management. Among the 11 most similar advisory firms, The Johnston Group has the highest percentage of individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $400 million for 238 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. None of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

The Johnston Group doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at The Johnston Group, LLC

The company employs 10 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 40 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 4 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There isn’t anyone with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm compensates employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
Bradley Moore Johnston	Managing member / cco	1 Apr 2016	75% - 100%	844375
Ty Walker Johnston	Vp of sales and marketing	1 Apr 2017	Other	5672626
Maggie Jones Johnston	Chief operating officer	1 Apr 2017	Other	6542915
Maggie Layne Johnston	Chief operating officer	1 Apr 2017	Other	6542915

Based in Minneapolis

The principal office where The Johnston Group, LLC performs its advisory services is located at 121 South 8 Th St. Suite 1111, Minneapolis, MN 55402, which is also the mailing address of the firm. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 612 337 5030 or by fax 612 337 5070. The normal business hours are 9-5 on Monday - Friday.