Massimiliano De Santis
DESMO WEALTH ADVISORS
Lakeway, TX
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CRD#: 6153797
Professional summary
Massimiliano De Santis, CFP® is a registered financial advisor currently at DESMO WEALTH ADVISORS, LLC located in Lakeway, Texas.
Massimiliano is registered as an IAR (Investment Advisor Representative) and started their career in finance in 2013. Massimiliano has worked at 3 firms and has passed the Series 66, SIE and Series 7 exams.
Biography
Massimiliano (“Massi”) De Santis founded DESMO Wealth to help people live better lives through increased financial health and wellness. The added clarity and peace of mind that comes from a plan tailored to your values lead to better decision making in all areas of your life and increased life satisfaction.
Massi is a Ph.D. economist and a CFP® professional specializing in financial planning and behavioral economics. Massi has over 18 years of experience in solving complex financial problems for individuals, financial advisors, and endowments and foundations. Before founding DESMO Wealth, Massi held senior investment strategy positions at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Austin and Stone Ridge Asset Management in New York. Prior to moving to the financial services industry, Massi was an assistant professor at Dartmouth College, where he taught finance and macroeconomics.
Massi’s accomplishments include the development of award winning strategies at Dimensional Fund Advisors and, with S&P Dow Jones, the development of the first set of indices that track retirement readiness (the S&P STRIDE indices).
Massi has written numerous papers on financial planning, retirement, risk management, and portfolio selection. His work has been featured in USA Today, MarketWatch, S&P Dow Jones, AssetTV, NAPFA, FPA, Investment News, Pensions and Investments, Kiplinger.
Massi is member of the finance council at his local church, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and started out after college as a fireman in his hometown in Maremma, Italy. He moved to California to pursue his Ph.D. in economics and finance. He is married with three sons.
Question & Answer
What are your service offerings?
Insurance Planning
Comprehensive Financial Planni...
Investment Planning
Employee and Employer Plan Ben...
Education Planning
Retirement Planning
Retirement Income Management
Debt Management
Do you have an area of expertise or specialization?
Business Owners
Cash Flow/Budgets/Credit Issue...
College/Education Planning
Investment Advice with Ongoing...
Middle Income Client Needs
Retirement Plan Investment Adv...
Are you a "fiduciary"?
Yes
Aliases
None
Other business activities
Outside business activity is any business or activity undertaken by an advisor that is outside the scope of their relationship with their firm (e.g., consulting services, real estate, freelance work, teaching, etc.). Investors should stay informed about these activities to ensure no conflicts of interest.
University of Texas at Austin The business is not investment related 2110 Speedway, Austin, TX 78705 Higher education Clinical Assistant Professor 8/16/2025 Approximately 50% of the time Approximately 6 hours weekly during trading hours Teach classes in finance fields; conduct academic research
CRS (Client Relationship Summary) - RIA
Click below to view Massimiliano De Santis's CRS (Customer Relationship Summary).
Certified licenses
Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
CFP®
Start date: 2019
Experience
Current
July 11, 2019 - Present
DESMO WEALTH ADVISORS, LLC
RIA
CRD#: 304358
Lakeway, TX
Past
August 23, 2013 - December 21, 2017
DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP
RIA
CRD#: 106482
AUSTIN, TX
Past
April 17, 2013 - December 21, 2017
DFA SECURITIES LLC
BD
CRD#: 10292
AUSTIN, TX
State Registrations and Notice Filings
Listed states reflect where the advisor is authorized to serve clients under state regulations.
IAR
means the advisor is registered as an Investment Advisor Representative in this state and is authorized to provide investment advice to clients there.Highlighted states indicate IAR registrations
IAR
Texas(7/11/2019)
Exams
State Security Law Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
Current Firm
DESMO WEALTH ADVISORS, LLC
DESMO WEALTH ADVISORS, LLC
CRD#: 304358 / SEC#:
Texas
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Contact information
Main Address
Lakeway, TX
Mailing Address
Phone number
(203) 252-4304
Established
Firm type
Fiscal year end
# of Employees
1
Regulatory assets under management
| Total Number of Accounts | 13 |
| AUM (Assets Under Management) | $ 10,881,780 |
Red Flags
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