Willow Creek Financial logo

Willow Creek Financial

Updated today

Client assets under management

$519,698,007

Clients

238

65% high-net-worth

Advisors

5

of 7 employees

Firm type

Team

5-30 advisors or >$500M in AUM

Clients per advisor

48

Low

Average account size

$2,183,605

About

Willow Creek Financial advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans and business entities, providing asset management through wrapped accounts as well as standalone financial planning and retirement plan consulting. The firm reports approximately $529 million in assets under management across about 238 client relationships and operates with a five-advisor team.

The firm delivers individualized portfolio management through its wrap asset management and comprehensive portfolio services, tailoring allocations to client objectives and risk tolerances and performing ongoing reviews and third‑party manager due diligence. In managing separate accounts it may employ strategies that include options, short sales, margin borrowing and exposure to alternative or structured products, and it discloses the attendant market, liquidity and leverage risks to clients.

Willow Creek is notable among peers for sponsoring a wrap fee program and for managing wrapped portfolios that may use derivatives and borrowing—practices that are less common for firms of its size and category. The firm also discloses operational practices related to custody and third‑party money movement and states it will reimburse certain holding charges on alternative investments, features that may affect implementation and client account expenses.

Client services

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers

Expertise

Options & derivatives strategies

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Fee options

Fixed

Up to $100,000 per year for Financial Planning and Consulting; Retirement Plan Consulting flat fees range from $750 to $10,000 per year.

Project-based

Up to $250 per hour for Retirement Plan Consulting services.

Main office location

Willow Creek Financial

9820 Willow Creek Road, Suite 210

San Diego CA 92131, United States

Number of offices

1

Most active in

California · Florida · Louisiana · Nebraska · New Hampshire · North Carolina · Texas

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

Advisors at this firm

user avatar

Brett N

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

San Diego, CA

Willow Creek Financial

Brett Nussen is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. He currently works at Willow Creek Financial and has previously held roles at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and other firms. Outside of advising, he was involved with FTS Promotions from 2015 to 2017. Willow Creek Financial serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension plans, and corporate entities, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm is noted for sponsoring its own wrap fee program and its use of advanced investment techniques such as derivatives and margin in separately managed accounts.

Options & derivatives strategies
user avatar

Francisco L

CFA®

San Diego, CA

Willow Creek Financial

Francisco Lopez is a CFA® charterholder with over 15 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Willow Creek Financial since 2025 and previously held roles at System 2 Advisors and Quotient Investors. Lopez is based in San Diego, CA. Willow Creek Financial provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management primarily through its sponsored wrap fee programs, alongside financial planning and retirement plan consulting, and incorporates active strategies including derivatives and margin within separately managed accounts when suitable.

Options & derivatives strategies
user avatar

Orin G

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

San Diego, CA

Willow Creek Financial

Orin Green is a CFP® with 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Willow Creek Financial, a team-based firm in San Diego, CA, and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and Ids Life Insurance Company. He has led his own firm, Orin Green Financial, LLC, since 2016. Willow Creek Financial provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm emphasizes individualized portfolio construction with a focus on asset allocation, fixed-income management, and long-term holdings, and is notable for sponsoring its own wrap fee program and disclosing the use of derivatives and margin in separately managed accounts.

Options & derivatives strategies
user avatar

Corrine F

Series 66

San Diego, CA

Willow Creek Financial

Corrine Fields is a financial advisor at Willow Creek Financial with 18 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Orin Green Financial, LLC and Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. Willow Creek Financial serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension plans, and corporate entities, offering discretionary portfolio management primarily through its sponsored wrap fee programs. The firm focuses on individualized portfolios with an emphasis on asset allocation, fixed-income management, and long-term holdings, and is notable for sponsoring its own wrap program and disclosing the use of derivatives and margin in separately managed accounts.

Options & derivatives strategies
user avatar

Dean K

CFP®, PFS™, Series 63, Series 65

San Diego, CA

Willow Creek Financial

Dean Kernus is a financial advisor with Willow Creek Financial in San Diego, CA, holding the CFP® and PFS™ designations and with 17 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Orin Green Financial, Ameriprise Financial Services, and Gupta Wealth Management. Kernus is involved with the American Institute of CPAs, contributing as a question developer for the Uniform CPA Exam and Personal Financial Specialist Exam, as well as participating in related development activities. Willow Creek Financial provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities. The firm emphasizes individualized portfolio construction, asset allocation, and fixed-income management, offering discretionary portfolio management primarily through its sponsored wrap fee programs.

Options & derivatives strategies
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