Throughout his 42-year career as a financial professional, Rick Fontana has realized immense satisfaction in facilitating the financial independence of his clients by focusing on their unique needs and specific goals. He takes great pride in the fact that he is instrumental toward attaining success in those goals.

He holds Series 7, 63, 65, life and health insurance licenses and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. His objective is to deliver a well-designed, confident long-term financial planning experience while managing it from inception to beyond its implementation and for multi generations to come.

Rick maintains a strong background in investment selection, particularly fixed-income investments, asset allocation strategies and value-oriented stock selection, and wants his clients invested appropriately for their risk tolerance. He believes it is vital they have realistic expectations for returns. His expertise, while inclusive of investments, extends to those financial matters and events that impact the lives of his clients.

Prior to joining Raymond James in 2013, he was a first vice president with Smith Barney (currently Morgan Stanley) for 23 years. He had spent 10 years at Ryan Beck & Co., prior to joining Smith Barney, where he was a vice president. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, in 1976 and completed his CFP^® studies at Fairleigh Dickenson in 1992.

Throughout his career, Rick has always been involved in the community. He is a former Freeholder in Somerset County, having served 12 years on the Board of Freeholders, and served as a Commissioner on the Somerset Board of Elections for 10 years. He is a member of the Somerville Elks, and a board member of the Community visiting Nurses Association. He also serves on the board of the Somerset County Business Partnership.

In 2011, the Somerset County Business Partnership recognized Rick as Citizen of the Year for his contributions to the community. He was also inducted by Essex Catholic High School into its Hall of Fame in 2011. Rick was born in Newark and grew up in the Nutley-Montclair area of northern New Jersey. He lives in Punta Gorda, Florida, and spends summer in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with his wife, Karen. They have two children, Zachary and Kenneth who were married in 2020 and now have a new grandchild Patricia and another on the way in March, Michael. In his free time, Rick enjoys sailing, playing guitar and performing in benefit concerts for charitable organizations.