Gerald Saelzer

Gerry grew up in Port Jefferson, N.Y. He moved to South Florida with his family in 1982 to further his education and finally settled in Stuart in 1987.

Gerry's experience as a financial advisor and a certified public accountant enables him to help clients plan in a tax-efficient manner. Balancing the need for consistent, long-term income with the preservation of principal is one of his main objectives.

He also has extensive experience in a variety of income producing investments including dividend growth companies, income producing mutual funds, fixed and variable annuities and tax free and taxable bonds.

Earlier in his career, he served as a senior accountant for Proctor, Crook & Crowder CPAs. His duties included preparing federal and state income tax returns, assisting clients with their tax planning and implementing advantageous tax strategies for his clients.

He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. In 1989 he attained his Certified Public Accounting designation and relocated to Stuart, Fla.

Gerry was an active member on the Finance Committee of Martin County's Council on Aging and continues to support the organization. Additionally, he is a former president of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Sailfish Chapter. Gerry also has an enormous passion for animals and is an advocate for the Treasure Coast Humane Society.

Changing market conditions can create fluctuations in the value of a mutual fund investment. In addition, there are fees and expenses associated with investing in mutual funds that do not usually occur when purchasing individual securities directly. With variable annuities, any withdrawals may be subject to income taxes and, prior to age 59 1/2, a 10% federal penalty tax may apply. Withdrawals from annuities will affect both the account value and the death benefit. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. An annual contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) may apply. A fixed annuity is a long-term, tax-deferred insurance contract designed for retirement. It allows you to create a fixed stream of income through a process called annuitization and also provides a fixed rate of return based on the terms of the contract. Fixed annuities have limitations. If you decide to take your money out early, you may face fees called surrender charges. Plus, if you're not yet 59½, you may also have to pay an additional 10% tax penalty on top of ordinary income taxes. You should also know that a fixed annuity contains guarantees and protections that are subject to the issuing insurance company’s ability to pay for them. Dividends are not guaranteed and must be authorized by the company’s board of directors.

Raymond James is not affiliated with the above organizations and/or charitable causes.

Raymond James does not provide tax or accounting services.

Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

There are special risks associated with investing with bonds such as interest rate risk, market risk, call risk, prepayment risk, credit risk, reinvestment risk, and unique tax consequences. There is an inverse relationship between interest rate movements and bond prices. Generally, when interest rates rise, bond prices fall and when interest rates fall, bond prices generally rise.