Massimiliano De Santis
PhD, CFP®
DESMO Wealth Advisors, LLC
Wealth Advisor and Founder
Massimiliano De Santis
PhD, CFP®
DESMO Wealth Advisors, LLC
Wealth Advisor and Founder
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Massimiliano De Santis, PhD, CFP®
Fee-Only financial planner serving clients in the Austin metro area in person and virtually across the country

Massimiliano ("Massi") De Santis is a Austin, TX fee-only financial planner. DESMO Wealth Advisors, LLC provides objective financial planning and investment management to help clients organize, grow and protect your resources throughout your life. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Massi De Santis is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Massimiliano ("Massi") De Santis 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 academic research has been published in top tier academic journals like the American Economic Review and informs the way we design our plans at DESMO.
Massi is a public speaker and teacher, and has lectured at domestic and international universities, central banks, and professional organizations.
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.
Massimiliano De Santis is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Massi De Santis founded DESMO Wealth to help people live better lives through enhanced financial health and wellness. De Santis founded DESMO after several years in senior investment positions at Dimensional Fund Advisors and Stone Ridge Asset Management. Prior to joining the industry, De Santis was an assistant professor of economics and finance at Dartmouth College. His accomplishments include the development of award winning strategies working alongside Nobel Laureate Robert C. Merton at Dimensional Fund Advisors, and the development of the first set of indices that track retirement readiness with S&P Dow Jones.
Achieving anything important to you in life requires planning and it involves money questions. Relationships, passions, travel, emotions, all things Italian, you name it. At DESMO, we are passionate about building the foundation of your life pursuits through financial planning and coaching. Think of DESMO as your new financial fitness coach. We are going to help you achieve your life goals!
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Massimiliano De Santis is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Massimiliano De Santis is a Member of the XY Planning Network
The XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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Massimiliano De Santis is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Massimiliano De Santis is Quoted ion Benzinga: "Massimiliano De Santis Launches New Financial Planning Firm with XY Planning Network"
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Selected Works of Massimiliano De Santis
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Massimiliano De Santis is a Member of the Knight of Columbus
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Massimiliano De Santis is Featured on S&P Dow Jones Indices: "Advanced DC Uses"
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Massimiliano De Santis is Featured on S&P Dow Jones Indices: "STRIDE vs. Other Income Solutions"
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Massimiliano De Santis is Quoted in InvestmentNews: "Factors to consider when choosing a 529 college savings plan"
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Massimiliano De Santis has a Featured White Paper on Pensions & Investments: "Introducing an Innovative Approach to Retirement Investing"
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Massimiliano De Santis is Quoted on Kiplinger: "Target-Date Funds Creating New Risks for Older Investors"
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Massimiliano De Santis is Quoted in MarketWatch: "How Much Should You Save for Retirement"
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Massimiliano De Santis Authored a White Paper: "Individual Consumption Risk and the Welfare Cost of Business Cycles"
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Massimiliano De Santis is Quoted in Real Investing Journal: "How Much You Need II"
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Massimiliano De Santis is a Featured Author on Indexology Blog
Contact Massimiliano De Santis
Office Locations:
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By Appointment Only
Lakeway, TX 78734