About Us

About Ryan

Ryan Coole helps employers build retirement plans that actually work — for the business and the people behind it. As Partner and Qualified Plan Director at Wheeler Associates and Wheeler Retirement Plans since 2014, he focuses on practical governance, airtight compliance, and employee engagement that goes beyond check-the-box education.

A Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist®, Ryan brings extensive experience across qualified and non-qualified plans. He helps plan sponsors strengthen fiduciary processes, streamline testing and governance, and translate ERISA complexity into plain English. His commitment to clarity and outcomes earned him recognition as one of the Financial Times “Top 500” 401(k) Advisors in the U.S. (October 2020) — proof that paperwork and persistence sometimes do pay off.

Background

Ryan graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a B.A. in Accounting while playing four years for the UMD Bulldog hockey team — numbers by day, slap shots by night. A Duluth native, he and his wife, Jodi, live in Lakeside with their three daughters — Madison, Bailey, and Nora — and the family’s Black Lab, Juno (who firmly believes she runs the household).

When he’s not helping clients or cheering on his girls, Ryan can be found chasing a rare five-hour golf window or making a quick solo trip to Minneapolis for a live concert.