Nicholas Rygiel has been Managing Partner of Protocol Wealth since July 2025, is a control person of the firm and directly owns under 5% of it. Nicholas Rygiel studied at United States Naval Academy.
Protocol Wealth, LLC is a Denver, CO firm with $153M under management, 49 clients and 3 advisers across 2 offices, as of its October 2026 filing.
Nick Rygiel is Managing Partner, CTO & CISO of Protocol Wealth. He leads technology, security architecture and systems for the firm's research, documentation and review workflows. Earlier he was a Surface Warfare Officer aboard USS PORTER (DDG-78), worked at Deloitte on PKI identity management, and was a Merrill Lynch VP and Senior Financial Advisor from October 2011 to July 2022. He founded Ironclad Financial on July 25, 2022.
Nicholas Rygiel’s longest registration was 10 years at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (2012–2022). Before joining Protocol Wealth in 2025, Nicholas Rygiel was registered through Origin Financial and Ironclad Financial.
- Protocol Wealth, LLCCurrent– present · 1 yearHavertown, PA · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 335298
- Origin Financial– · under a yearByrn Mawr, PA · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 305353
- Ironclad Financial– · 3 yearsHavertown, PA · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 321831
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated– · 10 yearsBala Cynwyd, PA · Adviser representative · Firm CRD 7691
Professional designations
Listed by Protocol Wealth
- CFP®
- CRPC®
Investment adviser representative registrations
Nicholas Rygiel is registered as an investment adviser representative in 2 states. The first approvals date from July 2025; the most recent is Pennsylvania, in October 2026.
- ColoradoSince 9 July 2025
- PennsylvaniaSince 15 October 2026
Examinations
| Exam | Name | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| Series 63 | Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination | 28 May 2026 |
| SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination | Credited |
| Series 66 | Uniform Combined State Law Examination | 27 December 2011 |
| Series 7 | General Securities Representative Examination | 13 December 2011 |
- Name
- Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination
- Name
- Securities Industry Essentials Examination
- Name
- Uniform Combined State Law Examination
- Name
- General Securities Representative Examination
- Full name
- Nicholas Wayne Rygiel
- CRD
- 5996576
- Firm
- Protocol Wealth · CRD 335298
- Role
- Managing Partner
- Office
- Havertown, PA
- Registration
- Investment adviser and broker registrations
- In the industry since
- December 2011
- Disciplinary history
- Not yet shown here · SEC record · BrokerCheck
- Firm bio
- protocolwealthllc.com
Where does Nicholas Rygiel work?
Nicholas Rygiel has been Managing Partner of Protocol Wealth, LLC since July 2025, and is a control person of the firm.
Is Nicholas Rygiel a financial advisor?
Yes. Nicholas Rygiel has a current investment-adviser registration in Colorado and Pennsylvania, through Protocol Wealth since July 2025.
How many years of experience does Nicholas Rygiel have?
Nicholas Rygiel has 14 years in the financial industry, since December 2011, across 4 adviser firms.
What exams has Nicholas Rygiel passed?
Nicholas Rygiel has passed 3 licensing exams: the Series 7, Series 66 and Series 63. The earliest, the Series 7, was passed in December 2011. FINRA credited Nicholas Rygiel with the SIE, which began in October 2018.
Where did Nicholas Rygiel work before Protocol Wealth?
Before Protocol Wealth, Nicholas Rygiel was registered through Origin Financial, December 2022 to May 2023; Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, January 2012 to July 2022.
Where is Nicholas Rygiel based?
Nicholas Rygiel’s registered office is in Havertown, PA.
Is Nicholas Rygiel registered with FINRA?
Yes. Nicholas Rygiel has a current broker registration, under CRD 5996576.
Source: FINRA BrokerCheck
Is Nicholas Rygiel a CFP?
Protocol Wealth lists Nicholas Rygiel with the CFP credential (“CFP®”) on its website. CFP Board confirms certification status.
Source: Nick Rygiel, CFP®, CRPC®, MBA biography, protocolwealthllc.com
How can I verify Nicholas Rygiel’s record?
Search CRD 5996576 on the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov) and FINRA’s broker search (brokercheck.finra.org), which publish Nicholas Rygiel’s full registration record.
