Laguna Beach, CA Ocean Ave Office

Team
Updated today
WELLS FARGO Advisors logo

WELLS FARGO Advisors

Institution

Firm-wide stats for WELLS FARGO Advisors

Total advisors

14,131

Across 1,498 offices

Clients per advisor

92 Typical

Avg AUM per client

$475,575 High

HNW client ratio

50% Very High

About

Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm that provides investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap‑fee programs and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations. The firm operates at large scale—reporting roughly $671 billion in assets under management and more than 14,000 financial advisors—and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

For retirement plans it offers a mix of non‑discretionary consulting and discretionary Plan Level Investment Selection 3(38) services, along with IPS development, investment search and recommendation, benchmarking, participant education and periodic performance reporting. The firm relies on research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third‑party databases and generally evaluates managers and options using diversification principles and modern portfolio theory, while noting that available investment options are typically limited to a plan’s custodian platform.

A noteworthy operational feature is the firm’s role in distributing and facilitating a range of other financial products through bank and insurance affiliates—such as deposit sweep options, lending and trustee services, and insurance/annuity arrangements—and the Form ADV discloses referral and product‑related compensation that can affect advisor incentives. The brochure also discloses several recent regulatory enforcement actions and settlements related to cash sweep disclosures, advisory billing and supervisory controls, which are material considerations for prospective clients.

Based on WELLS FARGO Advisors

Location

265 Ocean Ave

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Advisors at this office

8

Advisors at this office

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Michael U

Series 63, Series 65

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Michael Urner is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and over 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016 before joining Wells Fargo Clearing, where he has been since 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions, supported by research and analytics from the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Matthew B

Series 63, Series 65

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Matthew Belden is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Kelsey B

Series 66

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Kelsey Belsito is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016, following two years at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she has been involved with Woody's Diner since 2009. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary options. The firm’s investment approach is IPS-driven and based on modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its offerings.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Tory T

Series 63, Series 65

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Tory Thomas is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and was previously with WELLS FARGO Advisors from 2012 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s advisory process is IPS-driven and incorporates modern portfolio theory, serving as an ERISA fiduciary and including a broad range of investment options such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Daniel V

Series 66

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Daniel Vigar is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2021 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Bank, nA from 2018. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm providing investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Lauren S

Series 66

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Lauren Shepherd is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Laguna Beach, CA, holding a Series 66 designation. She has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2025 and has prior experience at the University of Southern California and local educational institutions. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with a wide range of investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Dillon P

Series 66

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Dillon Paningsoro is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and involvement with M Culinary Concepts. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and provides both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Kristopher K

Series 66

Laguna Beach, CA

Wells Fargo Clearing

Kristopher Kardos is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Wells Fargo in various capacities since 2009. In addition to his advisory role, Kardos has been involved with California State University, Fullerton since 2008. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary solutions. The firm’s IPS-driven advisory process incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broad range of investment options, including insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep programs.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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