Chad Christopher Zawacki

Advisor at Merrill — Stacy, MN

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 66

Experience

28 years

Location

Stacy, MN

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,588

Across 3,189 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Chad Zawacki serves as a Senior Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill. Raised in Duluth, Minnesota, he began his career at Merrill while attending Bethel University of St. Thomas, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Finance. Chad has maintained his professional tenure in the Saint Paul office throughout his career.

Chad's experience includes assisting pre-retirees with lifestyle planning, working with business owners on liquidity strategies and company benefit plans, and helping surviving spouses with budgeting. He has worked through multiple economic cycles and significant life events, focusing on helping clients pursue their personal, family, and business goals. Chad is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P®), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA™) designations.

Beyond his professional work, Chad is a past board member of Special Olympics Minnesota and has participated in fundraising events such as The Northland 300. He resides in Linwood Township, Minnesota, with his wife Heidi and enjoys outdoor activities including hunting, boating on Lake Superior, snowmobiling, and driving all-terrain vehicles. Chad is also a life member of Safari Club International and a member of the Madeline Island Yacht Club.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Retirement income strategy Retirement withdrawal strategies Business exit / sale strategy Business ownership considerations Exec comp design

Occupation focus

Founder/Business Owner Executive

Demographic focus

Approaching retirement Married/Couples/Partners

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Fee options

Commissions

SEC-reported: Commissions on certain transactions, including foreign securities and fixed income; mark-ups, markdowns and dealer spreads may apply to some trades.

Location

See office

Stacy, MN

Stacy MN

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Minnesota · Texas · Wisconsin

Work history

28 years of industry experience

bank of america, NA

2009 - Present • 17 years

St Paul, MN

Merrill

1998 - Present • 28 years

St Paul, MN

MERRILL LYNCH

1998 - Present • 28 years

St Paul, MN

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Thomas H

Series 63, Series 65

Forest Lake, MN

Wealth Transitions

Thomas Hallberg is the principal advisor at Wealth Transitions, an independent firm based in Forest Lake, MN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience, including 25 years at Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. Outside of his advisory work, Hallberg is engaged in life and spiritual coaching and public speaking. Wealth Transitions provides investment management and financial planning services primarily to individual clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary options. The firm also conducts public seminars on topics such as estate transfer, tax reduction, and preparing heirs, using client-specific strategies that incorporate fundamental analysis, Modern Portfolio Theory, and Monte Carlo simulations.

General retirement planning Social Security optimization General tax planning
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Christine T

CFP®

East Bethel, MN

CMT Financial

Christine Thomas is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. She is the founder of CMT Financial, LLC, where she has served since 2026, and has previously worked with True Vision MN LLC and Berger Financial Group. Outside of financial advising, she is involved in book publishing as president of My Book, LLC, which focuses on self-help topics, and also works as an independent consultant selling cleaning products. CMT Financial, operating as Ideal Life Advisory, is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and estates. The firm emphasizes retirement, education, tax, risk-management, and estate planning with a consultative approach that customizes portfolios primarily using mutual funds and ETFs under discretionary authority.

General retirement planning
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Luke E

CFP®, Series 63

Ham Lake, MN

Drost Financial

Luke Eberly is a CFP® certificant with one year of industry experience, currently advising at Drost Financial. He previously worked at CWM, LLC, Shilanski & Associates, Inc., and Accredited Investors. The firm serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, young families, and corporate executives, offering discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning with a focus on fundamental security analysis and modern portfolio theory.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Wealth management Executive Young Families
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Steven D

CFP®, CFA®, Series 66

Ham Lake, MN

Drost Financial

Steven Drost is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Drost Financial, where he has worked since 2021. Prior to that, he held roles at Private Client Services LLC, Affiance Financial, and Echo Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory work, Mr. Drost is the Co-Founder and CEO of Quivr CRM, a Salesforce OEM partner focused on customer experience development. Drost Financial serves individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, young families, and corporate executives, providing discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm combines fundamental security analysis with modern portfolio theory, using both passive and active investment vehicles to implement individualized portfolios.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Wealth management Executive Young Families
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Thomas K

Series 63, Series 65

Lindstrom, MN

Ascent Advisors

Thomas Koehn is a financial advisor with Ascent Advisors and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 16 years of industry experience, including previous roles at Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and Corestone Wealth Management LLC. Koehn is also involved with American Senior Benefits, where he engages in insurance sales. Ascent Advisors offers portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and Delaware Statutory Trust consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm integrates multiple analytical approaches and emphasizes long-term trading, with a focus on equitable allocation and collaborative coordination in specialized real estate investment consults.

Real estate investing Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at First Republic Securities and First Republic Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Outside of her financial advisory role, Lindsey is the owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and small group travel experiences for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring process combined with technology tools to recommend model portfolios and supports clients through discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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