##### 



Exhibit 31.1

SECTION 302 CERTIFICATION

I, Ernest S. Rady, certify that:



|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
|-- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|1. | I have reviewed this annual report on
    Form 10-K of Westcorp;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|  
|2. | Based on my knowledge, this annual report does
    not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
    state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in
    light of the circumstances under which such statements were
    made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
    annual report;
|  
|3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements,
    and other financial information included in this annual report,
    fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,
    results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
    and for, the periods presented in this annual report;                       
|  
|4. | The registrants other certifying officers
    and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining
    disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
    Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:                                                                                                       



| |    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
| | -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures
    to ensure that material information relating to the registrant,
    including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
    others within those entities, particularly during the period in
    which this annual report is being prepared;
|
| | b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the
    registrants disclosure controls and procedures as of a
    date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this annual
    report (the Evaluation Date); and                                                                                                      
|
| | c) | Presented in this annual report our conclusions
    about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
    procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;                                                                                                                                



|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|-- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|5. | The registrants other certifying officer
    and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to
    the registrants auditors and the audit committee of
    registrants board of directors (or persons performing the
    equivalent function):



| |    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
| | -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | a) | All significant deficiencies in the design or
    operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the
    registrants ability to record, process, summarize and
    report financial data and have identified for the
    registrants auditors any material weaknesses in internal
    controls; and
|
| | b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
    management or other employees who have a significant role in the
    registrants internal controls; and                                                                                                                                                    



|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|-- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|6. | The registrants other certifying officers
    and I have indicated in this annual report whether or not there
    were significant changes in internal controls or in other
    factors that could significantly affect internal controls
    subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including
    any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies
    and material weaknesses.

Date: March 4, 2004



|    |                   
|--- | ------------------
|By: | /s/ ERNEST S. RADY




Ernest S. Rady


Chairman of the Board and


Chief Executive Officer