I believe my strength and focus in finance comes from being a devoted husband and father, as well as, a proud Western Michigan University Alumni. I grew up in the Kalamazoo area and now live with my family in Portage, MI. I love watching college football, playing hockey, and giving to the community. I founded Face 2 Face on a vision that started when I was a young teenager. My father used to take me to factories so I could watch him give financial education seminars to factory workers about their 401k options. That experience and my years of working for a large firm set my vision for wanting a firm that had no minimum asset levels. This gives me the ability to work with clients that want conflict-free advice on topics ranging from college planning to their 401k and all the way up to their retirement. I wanted to make a firm that was different. That’s why I built a firm to serve not only those who are retired but also the 30, 40 and 50-year-olds who want help along the way. I saw from working at larger firms that clients would come to me at retirement and they would have the money that they have, which may or may not have been enough. I felt that if I could help them earlier to make small changes, their future retirement would be in a much better place. This is why I offer different options, from hourly planning to full comprehensive financial planning.

Ryan Hekman is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a founding partner of the Hekman & VanderStraaten Group. He has been a financial services professional since 1994 and joined Merrill Lynch in 1999. Ryan works alongside Wealth Management Advisor Jeff VanderStraaten, Financial Advisor Floyd Tucker, and Client Associate Janene Breneman to support clients in achieving their financial goals through personalized planning and portfolio management. Ryan’s expertise includes divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, portfolio management, and investment strategy for individuals and corporations. He follows a defined process to develop customized financial strategies aimed at helping individuals, families, and businesses. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Western Michigan University and has earned the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He serves on the board of the Grandville Walker Foundation. Outside of his professional life, Ryan lives in Grandville and enjoys spending time with his five children, playing basketball, biking, boating, cooking, golfing, traveling, and watching sports.