Stephen G. Krochmal, Jr., Managing Director - Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors, is a second-generation Financial Services Professional, practicing in the Bay Area since 1993. He graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with a major in insurance. While attending Drake University, he participated in the Army ROTC Program. After graduation, he spent four years in the U. S. Army as an Executive Officer. He has lived in the Bay Area most of his life, graduating from De La Salle High School in Concord, California.
 

To provide his clients with the most up-to-date practices and expertise, Stephen is constantly focused on professional development and education. He earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. Stephen is also a Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) and most recently earned the Accredited Portfolio Manager Advisor (APMA®). He also has his FINRA Series 6, 7 and 63 securities registrations, and his California Life Insurance License.
 

Stephen is a Managing Director - Investments with Krochmal, Koch and Prevo Financial Group (KKP) of Wells Fargo Advisors. Prior to that he managed KKP Financial and Insurance Services for over 25 years, continuing the legacy of the practice, which traces its roots back to 1965, when Herb Kristal founded it. Stephen’s past activities include being a member of the Walnut Creek Sunrise Rotary Club for many years. His special accomplishments include serving as President of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity while at Drake University, participation in the National Association of Insurance and Financial Professional Association and formerly involved in the Mount Diablo Estate Planning Council. He is currently on the finance committee for Save Mount Diablo, a charitable local organization.
 

He has qualified to be a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table for quite some time while at KKP, as well as qualifying for a Court of the Table member and Top of the Table member in the past numerous years, an honor bestowed upon only a small percentage of his industry.
 

Stephen’s Perspective:
 

I believe that the most important part of the process is to fully understand my clients and their specific financial situations. A firm understanding of each client’s unique goals, objectives, dreams, family, and business relationships enables me to provide clearly developed personalized financial strategies that are tailored to my clients’ needs.

 
I focus on listening to my clients’ issues, goals, and concerns. I specialize in understanding each client’s circumstances and dedicating my knowledge and resources to help them achieve their objectives.

Adam L. Koch has been practicing in the Bay Area since 2009 and has been in the financial services industry for nine years. Adam graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Finance and Macro-Economics. After graduation, he took on leadership roles at multiple startups and was the director of business development and operations at Trilogy Insurance Services out of Austin, Texas, prior to becoming a financial advisor.
 

Adam started in the industry with the Royal Bank of Canada’s Wealth Management division in 2009, and successfully grew his solo practice, becoming a Vice President with firm before joining for Ameriprise Financial. At Krochmal, Koch and Prevo Financial Group (KKP) of Wells Fargo Advisors, he is a Senior Vice President – Investment Officer.
 

Adam and Steve Krochmal, Financial Advisor, met by chance at a corporate event in May of 2016, and became friends and business associates shortly thereafter. Adam is in-charge of portfolio research and design, as well as implementation.
 

He has his FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations and is licensed for insurance and securities in the State of California.
 

Adam grew up in Moraga and attended the Campolindo High School there, and now lives in Walnut Creek with his wife, Lauren, children Cameron and Evan, and his trusty dog Butters. When not working, he enjoys skiing, golfing, live music, and traveling with his family. As a cancer survivor, Adam is active in supporting the Melanoma Research Foundation and was a recipient of their annual courage award in 2015.

My Commitment to You

For more than two decades, I have helped clients address their financial concerns and develop strategies that focus on each individual's specific needs. With extensive experience as a Financial Advisor, I can serve clientele with personalized investment planning services.

 
I have experience in advising corporate executives who seek diversification strategies for concentrated stock positions. Other clients turn to me for advice on retirement planning, 401K strategies and estate investment planning strategies.  I feel each individual and family are unique, and so are the portfolios I develop. Together we can help build, manage, and sustain wealth for future generations.
 
Military Service: U.S. Army Illinois National Guard officer and served on active duty in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, ending my military service as a Captain at the Battalion level. This experience taught me the importance of structure, discipline and accountability, all of which I incorporate in my service to clients.

My wife, Amy, and I reside in Delafield with our three sons. We’re very supportive of St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy, from where my twin sons graduated in 2018. Our third son is currently enrolled and will graduate from the academy in 2023.

If you'd like to discuss strategies to pursue your financial goals or would be interested in a review of your current wealth management plan, I’d be happy to meet with you.


My Associates

Esperanza Bitanga (Espie), Client Associate

My Experience

2019 – Present: Wells Fargo Advisors, Senior Vice President – Investments

1997 – 2019: Morgan Stanley, First Vice President – Wealth Management
1987 – 1999: 1644th Trans Co, Illinois Army National Guard, Company Commander

My Education:

Drake University – Bachelor of Arts degree; ROTC/Iowa Army National Guard

My Areas of Focus:

Planning for Retirement

IRAs

Comprehensive Investment Planning

Estate Planning Strategies

Retirement Planning for Business and Executives

Education funding and 529 plans

Risk management (insurance, annuities)

Access to affiliated Wells Fargo services (lending, trust services)

Workplace Education


My Community Involvement

St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy fundraising

 

 

 

Trust services are available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors. 

Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliate do not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult with your tax and/or legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax and/or legal consequences.  Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state.

 

Insurance products are offered through non-bank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies.

 

Lending and other banking services available through Wells Fargo Advisors (NMLS ID 2234) are offered by banking and non-banking subsidiaries of Wells Fargo & Company, including, but not limited to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (NMLSR ID 399801) and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Certain restrictions apply. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without advance notice. Products are not available in all states. Wells Fargo Advisors is licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act and the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions (NMLS ID 0906158). Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, holds a residential mortgage broker license in Georgia and is licensed as a residential mortgage broker (license number MB2234) in Massachusetts. Financial Advisor NMLS ID, if applicable: _____________.

Esperanza (Espie) Bitanga, the Senior Client Associate with Krochmal, Koch and Prevo Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, has worked with Steve Krochmal and Adam Koch, Financial Advisors, since 2015 while at Ameriprise. She coordinates the practice’s customer service activities and administration. Prior to joining the practice, she served in various administrative positions of responsibility in the Ameriprise Walnut Creek branch office for 18 years.

 

Espie graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. She went back to school to earn her degree after a long hiatus due to motherhood.

 

She was born and raised in the Philippines and has three children and four grandchildren, all living internationally apart. She has been in the financial services industry for over 24 years since her coming to the United States in 2001.

 

Espie loves travelling with family. She has resided in 2 countries and visited 14 others across Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. She believes that travelling helps a person achieve growth and become well-rounded. Through her travel experiences, she has gained a deeper appreciation of how responsibility, punctuality, patience and kindness are must-haves to enjoying a trip, especially to a place where nobody knows you.

 

She enjoys exploring different types of food here and abroad because it gives insight into different cultures. She finds researching beforehand helps in making a choice of a good restaurant. Having a local has its advantages, too, like the opportunity to speak to and take pictures with chefs of Michelin-star restaurants and even tour their kitchen.

Francis DeMartini, Financial Advisor, is not part of the Krochmal, Koch & Prevo Financial Group

Prior to working with private clients Francis served as an investment research analyst for Wells Fargo Asset Management which later became Allspring Global Investments. Francis first covered the asset backed securities (ABS) market which included mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). After multiple years, Francis was promoted to portfolio manager where he covered the energy sector of the capital markets for the Allspring Core Fixed Income Team. The Allspring Core Fixed Income Team oversaw 30 billion dollars of institutional client assets.

After years of experience in the capital markets, Francis developed a deep desire to forge more personal connections with the clients he served. This realization emerged from his observation that direct interaction could lead to a more tailored and effective investment strategy, aligning closely with individual client goals. Motivated by this insight, Francis decided to shift careers and focus his expertise on serving private clients.

Francis prides himself in his thorough approach to research, an acumen he also applies to helping individuals and their families to architect financial independence. This requires that planning for the future incorporate the whole of someone’s circumstances, needs, and desires to create powerful recommendations that explore what is possible.

Francis earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University Chico. Francis has earned the right to use the CFA® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco. In his free time Francis enjoys reading, playing guitar and hiking with his wife Valentina. He is also a proud member of the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club.

CA Insurance License # 4518386
Resident State CA

Giuliano DeMartini, Financial Advisor, is not part of the Krochmal, Koch & Prevo Financial Group

Before serving private clients, Giuliano's career in finance involved roles in both investment banking and private equity. He began as an Investment Banking Analyst at Builder Advisor Group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and capital raising for the homebuilding and land development industries. He was part of a small team that advised on more than a dozen M&A transactions involving major private and public companies.
Notable project during this tenure was his role in the largest private M&A transaction with an international buyer, in more than a decade and the Dream Finders Homes initial public offering. Giuliano also helped secure more than $4 billion in funding for clients through various financial instruments, including unsecured revolving credit lines, senior notes, preferred equity, and initial public offerings (IPOs).
His career development included moving into private equity, where he worked at Encore Capital Management and Avila Real Estate Capital. These firms specialized in real estate investments including opportunity zones and land banking. In these roles, he was part of a team that oversaw more than $3 billion in institutional client assets across multiple funds and a real estate investment trust (REIT). His responsibilities included investment underwriting, structuring partnership agreements, and liaising with investors on behalf of the asset management team. Giuliano decided to move to the private client side of the business so that he could have a closer relationship with the individuals that he served.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Giuliano maintains an active lifestyle, participating in sports such as basketball, golf, and soccer. He also enjoys music and outdoor activities like hiking and camping, making the most of the diverse environments around San Francisco, where he lives.
Giuliano holds a Master of Liberal Arts in Finance from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science from Saint Mary’s College of California. He is an Eagle Scout and also a member of the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club and Young Scandinavians Club where he engages with the community through various activities. Giuliano speaks Swedish and is currently learning both Italian and Japanese.

CA Insurance License Number: 4518648
Resident State CA