Partner & Qualified Plan Director – Wheeler Associates | Wheeler Retirement Plans
Specialty: Plan Governance • ERISA Compliance • Fiduciary Strategy
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.
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.
Director 401(k) Participant Wellness
Specialty: Financial Wellness Education • Retirement Readiness • Participant-Focused
Neil joined the Wheeler Associates team in March of 2022 after almost eight years in the automotive industry at Kolar Toyota in Duluth. A lifelong Duluthian, he grew up in Lakeside and would go on to attend UMD, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education. Cooperative problem-solving (teamwork) and education have always been a passion of his, so it is easy to see how he found his way into the financial service industry. He learned the value of a dollar early on from his Yia-Yia (Greek term for grandma) and parents, who, together, taught him the importance of saving money, and financial education. He looks forward to using his knowledge and skills in customer service, problem-solving, and education to collaborate with clients on all aspects of wealth management.
Outside of work, Neil is a proud father of two (Nina, 5; Patrick, 3), and dog dad to his Australian Shepard, Kaner. He enjoys spending most of his free time outdoors with his children & friends; hiking, camping, golfing, and traveling by land and air, usually to some type of beach or a snowy mountain. The sandy south shore of Lake Superior in the UP is one of his and his children’s favorite spots to visit and camp. Neil also makes a point to meet new people in the Duluth and surrounding area and keep up on all Minnesota sports both local and professional.