
President and Founder of Pacific Capital
Chad Willardson is the President and Founder of Pacific Capital, a fiduciary wealth management firm focused on helping families build clarity, confidence, and long-term financial freedom. He is a Certified Financial Fiduciary®, Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and a five-time best-selling author of Stress Free Money, Smart, Not Spoiled, Beyond the Money, Fit for Wealth, and Wealth Wired Differently. He is also the founder of ELEVATED, a private coaching community for entrepreneurs ready to grow their business without sacrificing the life they built it for.
Before founding Pacific Capital, Chad spent nine years at Merrill Lynch, where he ranked in the top two percent of more than 16,000 financial advisors nationwide. His passion for financial education is rooted in a simple belief: when people have the right tools and a clear plan, they can make confident decisions that lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life. Chad is known for helping families organize their financial lives, clarify their goals, and reduce financial stress so money becomes a tool, not a burden.
Chad is the co-host of The Smart Money Parenting Show, a top-ranked Apple podcast that reached number two worldwide in the Parenting, Kids & Family category. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Yahoo Finance, Investment News, NASDAQ, U.S. News & World Report, and Entrepreneur. A native of Southern California, Chad has been married since 2001 and is the proud father of five children.