Chad Willardson has been President of Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors since November 2011, is a control person of the firm and directly owns 75% or more of it. Chad Willardson holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Minor in Business from Brigham Young University.
Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors, Inc. is a Corona, CA firm with $821M under management, 78 clients and 6 advisers across 2 offices, as of its September 2026 filing.
Chad Willardson is President and Founder of Pacific Capital. Before founding the firm, he worked at Merrill Lynch. He is the author of books including Stress Free Money and the co-founder of GravyStack, a banking app that helps kids manage money.
Chad Willardson’s longest registration is the current one, 14 years at Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors since 2011. Before joining Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors in 2011, Chad Willardson was registered through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated– · 7 yearsRiverside, CA · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 7691
Professional designations
Listed by Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors
- Certified Financial Fiduciary (CF2®)
- Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®)
- Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®)
Investment adviser representative registrations
Chad Willardson is registered as an investment adviser representative in 2 states, as a resident of Texas. The first approvals date from November 2011; the most recent is Texas, in January 2018.
- CaliforniaSince 14 November 2011
- TexasResidentSince 21 January 2018
Examinations
| Exam | Name | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination | Credited |
| Series 31 | Futures Managed Funds Examination | 1 August 2008 |
| Series 66 | Uniform Combined State Law Examination | 19 August 2003 |
| Series 7 | General Securities Representative Examination | 5 August 2003 |
- Name
- Securities Industry Essentials Examination
- Name
- Futures Managed Funds Examination
- Name
- Uniform Combined State Law Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Full name
- Chad T Willardson
- CRD
- 4670940
- Firm
- Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors · CRD 159294
- Role
- President
- Office
- 1861 CALIFORNIA AVENUE, SUITE 101, Corona, CA 92881
- Registration
- Investment adviser registration
- In the industry since
- August 2003
- Disciplinary history
- Not yet shown here · SEC record
- Firm bio
- pacificcapital.com
Where does Chad Willardson work?
Chad Willardson has been President of Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors, Inc. since November 2011, and is a control person of the firm.
Is Chad Willardson a financial advisor?
Yes. Chad Willardson has a current investment-adviser registration in California and Texas, through Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors since November 2011.
How many years of experience does Chad Willardson have?
Chad Willardson has 23 years in the financial industry, since August 2003, across 2 adviser firms.
What exams has Chad Willardson passed?
Chad Willardson has passed 3 licensing exams: the Series 7, Series 66 and Series 31. The earliest, the Series 7, was passed in August 2003. FINRA credited Chad Willardson with the SIE, which began in October 2018.
Where is Chad Willardson based?
Chad Willardson’s registered office is in Corona, CA.
Is Chad Willardson registered with FINRA?
No. Chad Willardson has no current broker registration.
How can I verify Chad Willardson’s record?
Search CRD 4670940 on the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov), which publishes Chad Willardson’s full registration record.