Guiding You Toward Financial Independence

L to R: Han Nah Kim, Elena Ji, Jeff Germain, Vinnie DiCarlo, Joy Ogbunamiri

The Germain DiCarlo Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors focuses on helping wealthy individuals and families feel more confident about their financial decisions and their opportunity to pursue their financial goals. Providing personalized attention to clients is one important way the Germain DiCarlo Group sets itself apart. 

Leading the team are private wealth financial advisors Jeff Germain and Vinnie DiCarlo. Jeff has nearly 30 years of experience advising affluent individuals, families and institutional investors. Vinnie has worked in the industry for more than 15 years and is senior vice president of investments. Rounding out the Germain DiCarlo team are Joy Ogbunamiri, Han Nah Kim and Elena Ji—highly capable service professionals who handle clients’ needs efficiently and accurately.

Thoughtful Advice & Understanding

Most of the team’s clients, which include affluent families, business owners, entrepreneurs, entertainers and athletes, have highly specific financial needs demanding extensive attention to detail. When they customize investment strategies for clients, Jeff and Vinnie incorporate clients’ complex asset types and other entities, such as closely held businesses, trusts, private real estate holdings or concentrated stock positions.

The team has opted to advise no more than 100 client households and is particularly selective when taking on new clients. This enables them to have ample time to handle even the most intricate and time-consuming client situations.

“Although no two clients have the same situation or needs, many do tend to share similar objectives,” says Jeff. “For example, all of our clients have shared interests in preserving the wealth they’ve already built, planning ahead for a secure retirement and prioritizing tax-efficient wealth transfer to the next generation or the cause of their choice.” 

Vinnie adds, “Effectively coordinating our clients’ wealth plans requires a fluid understanding of various asset types and financial disciplines, and it involves working with our clients’ other advisors. We help our clients understand the big picture as we’re putting together the puzzle pieces of their financial lives.”  

Photographed by Shane O’Donnell

Global Resources—A Personal Touch

Jeff and Vinnie strive to combine the best of both worlds—access to world-class financial resources through Wells Fargo Advisors and a friendly, dedicated and accessible team who knows their clients intimately.

“All of us are in constant communication with each other, and we’re all extensively familiar with our clients’ specific situations,” says Jeff. “So our clients will never have to worry about being lost in the shuffle. Plus, anytime they have a timely request, they know we’ll be available to help them right away.”

Part of taking care of clients involves serving as their fierce advocates. Vinnie explains, “Wells Fargo Advisors puts extraordinary resources at our disposal, but it’s up to us to take advantage of them on behalf of our clients.”

A Disciplined Investment Strategy

When it comes to managing clients’ investments, the team emphasizes a disciplined, consistent process that it follows in all market environments. According to Jeff, their process for evaluating asset managers is designed to separate skill from luck, fully understand the risks they take on and determine whether their strategy is sustainable over the long term.

“We won’t invest our clients’ hard-earned assets in portfolio managers whose best days are behind them,” he explains. “We only hire managers who pass our rigorous screening criteria. When entrusting our clients’ wealth with asset managers, we have one primary requirement: Are they the right fit for what our clients are trying to accomplish?”

Staying at the Center

The team is always keeping an eye on their clients’ big picture, proactively providing updates and a plan of action as markets, tax and estate laws, and the economy changes.

“The more complex a clients’ financial situation is,” explains Vinnie, “the more critical it is for them to have experts who can manage all of their financial relationships in unison.  We are able to talk knowledgeably with tax, estate and insurance advisors, professional to professional. We make sure all the right questions get asked and that nothing falls through the cracks in our clients’ investment plan. This year, we feel there is an even greater amount of engagement and enthusiasm for planning as our clients anticipate changes coming to income and estate tax laws.”

A Long-term Approach

The team’s clients are loyal, and Jeff thinks he knows why. “Our clients know we have their best interests at heart, and we’re fortunate to have them telling their friends about us. Every day we work hard to earn—and deserve—their trust.”

Growing that trust takes time, which is just fine with Jeff, Vinnie, Joy, Han Nah and Elena. Whether they’re investing clients’ assets or building relationships with the families they serve, they always take a long-term view. 

“We want to help multiple generations of our clients’ families succeed financially and realize their goals for the future,” says Vinnie. “And when they do, it’s the most rewarding part of our jobs.”

The Germain DiCarlo Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Jeffrey R. Germain, CIMC^®  |  Vincent “Vinnie” DiCarlo, CFP^®, ChFC^®

213-688-3714  |  germaindicarlo.com

Disclaimer: Wells Fargo Advisors is not a legal or tax advisor. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.