Ryan Bassett

DDL & Co. Area of Specialty

I have held my Certified Financial Planner designation since 2016 and as a result feel that my specialty with DDL is in the Tax department.  Tax, income and retirement planning are areas where I excel, and my training and skillset are well suited to help out clients get the most out of their pension incomes, investments, and any other financial structures they have set up.  There is always plenty of opportunities to review how we’re managing and investing our finances in our accumulating years, how we’re collecting/reporting our incomes annually both while working and when retired, and what can be done differently to improve our overall tax liability.

What do you enjoy most about working at DDL & Co. in St. Catharines?

With a firm the size of DDL & Co., there is plenty of opportunity to grow and learn based on exposure to a multitude of different tax and planning situations.  My day to day is new and exciting, and there is plenty of chances for me to apply my specific skillset to provide solutions in several different situations.  DDL goes above and beyond when it comes to employee health and happiness by hosting various staff appreciation events, lunches, trainings and social events.  I appreciate the opportunity to apply myself and have an impact with the work I do.

Why did you choose an accounting career?

The accounting field choose me.  I have been in financial services for the better part of the last 20 years, starting in property and casualty insurance, and moving into financial planning services.  I quickly found that my passion for planning and understanding/organizing a client’s financial puzzle lent itself extremely well to the accounting field.  Not only can I have a hand in helping clients plan on how to best frame their current tax reporting, but I can help shape future income and tax planning opportunities.

Inspirational quote(s) or idea(s) you live by:

“If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.”  

Favourite Hobbies:

These days most of my “free” time is spent managing my kids extra curriculars.  Between shuttling my daughter back and forth to her first job, and getting my boys to their basketball games, it doesn’t leave a lot of extra time for my hobbies.  When I do get some time to myself, I enjoy playing my guitar, watching movies with my wife, and once in a blue moon I find myself on a golf course.  I also grew up in the era of video games, so if that means I need to beat my kids at a game of Mario Kart, well… it’s the only way they’ll learn.

Favourite show:

Currently, it’s Ted Lasso, though tragically I think we’re a week away from the finale.  It’s not often that a show can be both funny, yet at the same time have compassionate, real characters that all have likable qualities.  Ted Lasso presents characters that I think we’d all like to have real everyday interactions with.