Our Founder

Judith N. Brown

When Judith Brown founded JNBA in 1979, the landscape of the financial industry was a far different place. Commission-based companies were the norm, and her idea of an unbiased, fee-based firm was met with skepticism among her colleagues. Among investors, though, it was a different story, and clients flocked to her burgeoning firm that specialized in providing financial planning and money management advice based solely on clients' needs, goals and objectives. "It was a fairly radical idea for the time," she says. "But I was confident investors were ready for it."

JNBA's early success can be attributed to Judi's forward-thinking ideas, but also to her investment savvy, business smarts and focus on the person behind the portfolio. Twice named as one of the top 100 financial planners in the country by Mutual Funds magazine, Judith has since turned over day-today operations to her son Richard.

Her distinguished career includes years of experience in finance, law, government, and academia. Judith has served on the national board of AARP, acted as chairman of the Consumer Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Board, and as a member of the Commissioner's Advisory Group to the Internal Revenue Service. She is the author of the financial planning book "A Second Start: A Widow's Guide to Financial Survival at a Time of Emotional Crisis." Judith studied English at Pennsylvania State University and earned a law degree from Rutgers University Law School.