Our Story and Services

Our clients are different. Many are titans of their industry, each contributing in their own way to the pace of change in the world. They need a team that can operate right alongside them.

• supporting them and their families every step of the way
• being there however and whenever they need us
• anticipating the many complexities that extraordinary wealth brings
• giving them time to follow their own unique interests and passions

We are a team of five professionals with a history of providing white-glove service to a handful of the most accomplished executives and entrepreneurs. We provide access to the finest in thought leadership, tailored investment management, concentrated stock management, trust and estate planning, liability management, tax planning, plus a host of family office resources. Our multi-generational approach is based on your family’s unique goals. Like any concierge our own goal is to make your life as meaningful and enjoyable as you hope to make it. We look forward to meeting you and to hearing your story.
Capabilities
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

About PWM

Founded in 1977, Private Wealth Management is the division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that is dedicated to serving the firm’s most affluent clients, including some of the world’s most accomplished entrepreneurs, executives and stewards of multigenerational wealth. Functioning as an exclusive investment boutique within a global financial firm, we deliver sophisticated solutions that leverage the intellectual capital and insight of Morgan Stanley’s substantial global resources. Drawing on a deep understanding of your financial life, our goal is to help you:
  • Manage investments with an unwavering focus on your financial strategy and personal goals
  • Create comprehensive, multigenerational wealth management plans based on your needs, challenges and the values that guide your life and legacy
  • Simplify financial complexity to help you achieve clarity and control
Private Wealth Management Highlights
  • Approximately 350 teams1 specialized in assisting individuals and families with $20MM+ in investable assets
  • Over $980 billion in AUM1
  • Comprising 23% of the Barron’s Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams for 2024
  • Direct access to ultra high net worth experts in philanthropy, family dynamics, wealth transfer, lifestyle advisory and other areas of interest to ultra high net worth families
1 Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, December, 2024

Source: Barron's.com (May 2024) 2024 Barron's Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams awarded in 2024. The teams are ranked on a variety of factors, including their size and shape, their regulatory records and credentials of their members, and the resources they have at their disposal to serve their client bases. The rankings are meant as a starting point for clients looking for an advisor—a first-pass vetting that can help investors narrow a search. Every advisor will have his or her own approach to investing, financial planning, and other services. Clients are encouraged to approach a search for an advisor the way they would a search for a doctor—interviewing multiple professionals and getting opinions from multiple third parties. Rankings are based on the opinions of Barron's and this ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience. This ranking is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is not affiliated with Barron's. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved.
The foundation for everything we do is trust and alignment of client interests with our own. We live by our own advice and invest alongside our clients. We value our clients' input and encourage collaboration in all steps of our process. Our approach to wealth management includes wealth preservation, maintaining and enhancing lifestyle, and creating a legacy. Each relationship begins with a deep dive into a client’s balance sheet, lifestyle, goals, and aspirations. We strive to have a strong understanding of a client’s objectives and concerns, while our top priority remains making life easier and alleviating what keeps clients up at night.
We serve a diverse group of ultra-high net worth clients with complex financial needs. Our clients are multi-generational and spread across the United States.

• Corporate executives
• Entrepreneurs & founders
• Single family offices
• Investment professionals
• High-net worth individuals & families

Our client’s wealth generation has occurred in the following sectors (alphabetical): biotechnology, communications, cybersecurity, defense, financial services, health & wellness, hedge funds, industrials, medical technology, private equity, professional sports, real estate, and software. Our account target is $50mm+ with a minimum account size of $25mm+. Exceptions can be made with a clear path to meet the minimum.

Location

1111 Prospect Street
Suite 200
La Jolla, CA 92037
US
Direct:
(858) 729-5055(858) 729-5055

Meet Team Castagnola

About Joseph Castagnola

Joseph received his M.B.A. in finance from San Diego State University and his B.A. from the University of California at Davis and holds both the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation and the CFP® certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Joseph is a trustee on the UC Davis Foundation Board and serves on the Finance and Investment Committee. He is also a member of the UC Davis Athletics Board. Joseph is a Centurion Member of the Century Club, a 501c3 charitable organization organized to administer and promote San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR golf tournament. The annual net earnings of the corporation are used solely for charitable purposes, with a focus on San Diego at-risk youth.
Securities Agent: KY, DC, NH, FL, PA, MD, SD, KS, NE, WA, WI, GA, UT, HI, NM, NY, MA, LA, NV, WY, MT, MO, MI, NC, NJ, ID, VA, OH, MN, TX, TN, OK, OR, AZ, AL, IL, CA, CO, CT, DE, SC; BM/Supervisor; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Transactional Futures/Commodities; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 637400

About Nicholas Moore

Nick started his career as a proprietary trader in the global futures markets in 1994. A former partner and manager at Marquette Partners, he has worked in Chicago, Frankfurt, London and Milan, providing him with extensive knowledge of the capital and derivatives markets. Nick received a B.S. from the University of California at Davis, where he studied agricultural and managerial economics. Nick is an active member of the Century Club OF San Diego, a nonprofit that operates San Diego’s annual PGA Golf Tour event to impact the community economically and charitably.
Securities Agent: MD, WY, SC, LA, DC, AZ, OR, OK, TX, OH, NY, PA, NV, NM, WA, VA, CA, MN, NJ, MA, SD, AL, KY, TN, IL, DE, KS, MT, HI, MO, GA, WI, NH, NC, CT, NE, UT, FL, ID, MI, CO; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Transactional Futures/Commodities; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1370652

About Jackson Volle

Jackson began his financial services career in 2016. After earning his B.A. in Economics from Amherst College, Jackson joined Merrill as part of an equity research team. He moved over to Morgan Stanley in 2019 to help form the new Team Castagnola. His roles include portfolio management, trading, and relationship management. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of San Diego. In his free time he enjoys golf, fishing, surfing and snowboarding.

About Chrisanna Northrup

Drawing on over 25 years of experience in the industry, Chrisanna manages the client relationships, daily operational and administrative functions of our business. While Chrisanna’s roles are many, her true focus is on simplifying the lives of the families that we work with so that they can truly enjoy the wealth that they have created. This includes correspondence with attorneys/accountants as well as day to day activities of getting out wires and making sure clients are happy. Chrisanna is also a New York Times Best Selling Author and in her hobbies include body building and DJing.

About Sonia Pittman

Sonia is returning to Morgan Stanley, where she began her career in 2005. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Arizona. Her primary responsibilities are client relationship management and account servicing.
Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

Managing Significant Wealth

  • Investment Management
  • Wealth Transfer & Philanthropy
  • Cash Management & Lending
  • Family Governance & Wealth Education
  • Lifestyle Advisory
  • Business Services
Funding Climate Action: Pathways for Philanthropy
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Funding Climate Action: Pathways for Philanthropy

Share a new report in collaboration with the Aspen Institute. The report aims to help climate-oriented philanthropists explore critical issues and align their wealth management strategies with their environmental impact ambitions.

Insights and Outcomes

Thought Leadership for our ultra high net worth clients, which contains thought-provoking articles, authored by leading experts from Morgan Stanley Family Office Resources.
Larry Fitzgerald Jr.'s Playbook on Leadership and Values
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Larry Fitzgerald Jr.'s Playbook on Leadership and Values

The renowned NFL wide receiver shares insights on aligning your investments with your values.

Private Wealth Management Podcast

Bringing you engaging stories and key insights surrounding the complexities associated with significant wealth, including:
  • Intergenerational Planning
  • Philanthropic Giving
  • Non-Traditional Assets
  • Managing Family Wealth
LISTEN | Passion Assets: Investing in Art
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LISTEN | Passion Assets: Investing in Art

When a passion for collecting evolves into something of considerable value, new issues are raised. Hear what the professionals have to say about the best practices and pitfalls of collecting art and collectibles.
We look forward to discussing your needs and goals, and the exceptional resources we can place at your disposal.
Market Information Delayed 20 Minutes
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

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2Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

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3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.

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4Morgan Stanley’s investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be appropriate for you. Please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC program disclosure brochure (the “Morgan Stanley ADV”) for more information in the investment advisory programs available. The Morgan Stanley ADV is available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV.

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5Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

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6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

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7Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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8Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

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9GlobalCurrency is available to clients of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC with an eligible brokerage account. Before undertaking foreign exchange transactions, clients should understand the associated risks.
Engaging in foreign currency transactions entails more varied risks than normally associated with transactions in the domestic securities markets. Attention should be paid to market, credit, sovereign, and liquidity risks. The foreign exchange transactions and deposits discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all clients. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy depends upon a client’s particular circumstances and objectives. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice.

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10Investing in futures and options on futures contracts entails significant risks. Prices of futures and options on futures contracts may be affected by a variety of factors at any time, including but not limited to, (i) changes in supply and demand relationships, (ii) governmental programs and policies, (iii) national and international political and economic events, war and terrorist events, (iv) changes in interest and exchange rates, (v) trading activities in the underlying assets or commodities and related contracts, (vi) pestilence, technological change and weather and (vii) the price volatility of a commodity or asset. In addition, the futures markets may be subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including lack of liquidity, participation of speculators and government intervention.

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Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.

Asset Allocation does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets.

The securities/instruments, investments and investment strategies discussed on this website may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment or investment strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. The views and opinions expressed on this website may not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). This website and its associated content are intended for U.S. residents only.

Morgan Stanley and its Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Visitors to this website should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.

Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers are not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

See the Financial Advisors Biographies for Registration and Licensing information.

Certified Financial Planner™ Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® (with flame logo)® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP® Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. owns the marks CIMA®, Certified Investment Management Analyst® (with graph element)®, and Certified Investment Management Analyst® .

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers insurance products in conjunction with its licensed insurance agency affiliates.

Life insurance, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance are offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC's licensed insurance agency affiliates.

Lifestyle Advisory Services: Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.

Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Awards Disclosures
CRC 4237142 (02/2025)