Meet Meredith and Mike

The Fiocchi McCarthy ESOP Group of Wells Fargo Advisors is one of a handful of resources in the country specializing in the execution of a Section 1042 tax deferral. And of those institutions,  Wells Fargo & Company is one of two with ESOP Commercial lending capabilities.

We’ve accomplished a lot during our time:


More than 150 Businesses guided

More than $3 Billion in ESOP transaction value

More than a billion dollars in tax savings or deferrals


We hope to put our experience to work for your clients — and you.
Meredith Fiocchi

Meredith Fiocchi

  • CEPA
  • Associate Vice President - Investments

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Meredith Fiocchi, CEPA® began in the brokerage industry in 1990 as a Financial Advisor. She worked for several years in both retail brokerage and subsequently in futures and options trading for a proprietary firm at the Chicago Board of Trade. After staying home to start her family, Meredith reentered the workforce and joined Michael McCarthy at Wells Fargo Advisors in 2009. Meredith and Michael began their working relationship during the 1990s and she was excited to join his new team.

Meredith is an educational resource for leveraged ESOP transactions, working with internal and external partners to help clients and prospects understand the ESOP opportunity. She presents on a variety of ESOP topics at conferences and seminars across the country, in addition to the work she does with individual clients. She remains supportive to clients and their representatives throughout an ESOP transaction and helps clients structure §1042 portfolios and secure qualified replacement properties.

She is past President of the Illinois chapter of the ESOP Association and currently serves on their National Advisory Committee for Ownership Culture. She holds both Series 7 and 66 registrations, in addition to Life and Health insurance licenses. Meredith attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and lives in suburban Chicago.

Michael McCarthy

Michael McCarthy

  • CFP
  • Managing Director - Investments

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Since 1983, Mike has achieved a rewarding career in financial services by putting his clients’ interests first and providing exceptional personal service. He was a Branch Manager for Wells Fargo Advisors from 1996 to 2013, when he stepped down from his management position, and is now able to focus more time and energy on the ESOP practice.

Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Loyola University of Chicago in 1982 and received his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional certification in 1990. He has been an instructor for the investments section of DePaul University’s CFP® courses since 2000 and currently serves as the Director of the Financial Planning Education Center for the university.

Mike has operated in various capacities over the years for the Financial Planning Association. He is a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and the ESOP Association.