Ryan has always been a bit of a geek when it comes to numbers. From the early years of sitting in 4th grade trying to complete the multiplication tables in the shortest amount of time to win the $1 bill from the teacher, his insatiable love of math was born. This started Ryan down the path appreciating the value of a dollar. He attributes his start in business to his grandfather Robert “Bob” DeSanto, the former owner of the Casa de Roma. Every Sunday was spent with his grandfather watching NFL football up until his passing in 1997. The respect and care for money were driven home by Grandpa Bob and Ryan has bestowed the same care of money with the clients of Wheeler Associates. Ryan focuses much of his time at Wheeler Associates assisting Qualified Plans and Participants to help them achieve their retirement goals. Whether he is leading a meeting with a retirement plan committee or helping an individual wealth management client create a financial plan, Ryan takes great pride in putting the client first.
Ryan has been a partner at Wheeler Associates for the past 8+ years. He holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist® designations as Wheeler Associates Qualified Plan Director. He brings broad experience to the qualified and nonqualified plan space, from sponsor to the participant. He excels in the management, process, and compliance of retirement plans. His commitment to education in this field has opened an innovative stream of revenue for Wheeler Associates and he was recognized in 2020 as a “Top 500” 401K advisor in the US by Financial Times Magazine.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Ryan received his BA in accounting while manning the Bulldog blue line for four unforgettable years. When he isn’t at work, you can usually find Ryan on the ice rink coaching hockey or sitting on the soccer field watching his daughters play. A Duluth East native, Ryan and his family of four beautiful women—Jodi (wife), Madison, Bailey, and Nora—reside in Lakeside (5 if you count Black Lab Juno). Ryan’s hobbies outside of his full-time job as family cheerleader include searching for the rare “5” hours to fit in golf and solo Minneapolis day trip concerts.
To review or inquire about an ERISA Qualified/Non-Qualified plan issue/question, please reach out to any member of our team to set up a free look under the hood.
2020 Financial Times 401 Retirement Advisers, created by Ignites Research. Presented in October 2020 for the preceding 12 months. 855 Advisors were considered, 401 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.