Why We Built Brighton Jones Trust Company
At Brighton Jones, we’ve always believed that wealth planning should be deeply personal. It should help families make confident decisions, stay aligned around what matters most, and create opportunities that extend far beyond themselves.
Over the years, we’ve helped families navigate some of life’s most important decisions, including how to protect wealth, care for loved ones, and create a lasting legacy. Again and again, we saw that trusts are often one of the most powerful tools available to accomplish those goals. Yet for many families, the trust industry felt unnecessarily complex, intimidating, and disconnected from the kind of planning experience they had come to expect elsewhere.
We believed there had to be a better way.
That’s why we created Brighton Jones Trust Company (BJTC), a South Dakota-chartered trust company designed to bring together technical excellence and a truly human experience.
Starting with education
One thing we’ve learned is that most families are not looking for more complexity. They’re looking for clarity.
Trust planning can feel overwhelming because the conversation often starts with legal structures and paperwork instead of helping families understand how trusts can support their goals. We wanted to reverse that experience.
At BJTC, education comes first. We help families understand the purpose behind the planning, the options available to them, and the decisions they’re making along the way. Our goal is to make trust conversations approachable, empowering, and aligned with what matters most to each family.
When families understand the “why,” they’re better equipped to make decisions that support their future.
Building something better
Creating BJTC was a deliberate process.
Launching a trust company required more than obtaining a charter. It meant building an institution that reflects the same care, thoughtfulness, and commitment our clients experience across Brighton Jones. From regulatory approvals and operational infrastructure to assembling the right team and processes, every decision was made with the long-term interests of families in mind.
We chose South Dakota because it is widely recognized as one of the most favorable trust jurisdictions in the country. Its modern trust laws, strong privacy protections, and trust-friendly environment allow us to offer families significant flexibility while helping support their long-term planning goals.
Most importantly, those benefits are available regardless of where a family lives.
Technical expertise with a human touch
Trust administration requires deep expertise, but expertise alone isn’t enough.
Families deserve advisors who understand not only the technical details, but also the people behind them.
BJTC brings together experienced trust professionals, attorneys, CPAs, trust officers, and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals who understand the complexity of trust planning. Just as important, they understand that every trust ultimately serves a family, not a document.
As families grow and evolve, their trust relationships should evolve too. That happens through ongoing conversations, thoughtful guidance, and trusted relationships built over time.
That’s the approach we believe families deserve.
An extension of our mission
Brighton Jones exists to help our clients, colleagues, and communities live richer lives.
Launching Brighton Jones Trust Company is a natural extension of that mission. It allows us to serve families more completely in an area that has historically felt transactional and impersonal, while bringing the same planning-first philosophy that has guided our firm from the beginning.
We’re excited about what this means for the families we serve today and for future generations they’ll impact tomorrow.
If you’d like to learn more about Brighton Jones Trust Company and how trust planning may support your family’s goals, please reach out to your Brighton Jones advisor or email trusts@brightonjones.com.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as individualized advice. For individualized advice tailored to your specific circumstances, please consult with your adviser. Trust terms, governing law, and individual legal and tax circumstances vary, and the applicability and consequences of any trust strategy will depend on the particular facts. Brighton Jones, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and is separate from its affiliate, Brighton Jones Trust Company, LLC, a South Dakota-chartered trust company. Fees for trustee and other fiduciary services provided by Brighton Jones Trust Company are separate from and in addition to fees charged by Brighton Jones, LLC.
