Thompson Wealth Management
of Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC

 
 

financial advisor image

Mark G. Thompson
CFP®, Member, Financial Advisors Council
Investment Management Consultant
Senior Vice President, Investments

202 N. Harbor City Blvd.
Suite 200
Melbourne, FL 32935
Phone: 321-253-7900
Fax: 866-522-9580
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
Direct: 321-253-7980
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About Us

financial advisor imageMark G. Thompson
CFP®, Member, Financial Advisors Council
Investment Management Consultant
Senior Vice President, Investments
Direct: 321-253-7980
mark.thompson@raymondjames.com

Congratulations on achieving
membership in the 2008
Chairman's Council.



With more than twenty years experience in the financial services arena, Mark Thompson advises on over $200 million in assets for individuals, corporations and retirement plans. He and his team specialize in estate planning, retirement planning, financial planning, insurance analysis, risk management and investment allocation--all facets of wealth management. Focusing on legacy planning, Mark works alongside other professionals such as estate planning attorneys and CPAs to design, implement and monitor solutions to help clients reach their financial goals and objectives. He is the founding member of the Thompson Team.

Mark is a graduate of the University of Florida and was employed as a Unit Manager for several years with Procter & Gamble in Memphis, Tennessee. He began his career in the financial services arena with E.F. Hutton (now Smith Barney) in 1987. He accepted a Senior Vice-President’s position with Raymond James & Associates in 1995 and opened the Melbourne, Florida office.

Mark attained the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 1993 and is an active member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). He contributes regularly to industry and trade publications such as On Wall Street, Research and Financial Planning, and was also a guest columnist for seven years in Florida Today. Senior management at the firm continues to request Mark’s input and presentation at regional meetings, giving other advisors and industry leaders the chance to benefit from his experience.

Mark recently served on the Raymond James Executive Council by request of Chairman and CEO Tom James. The Council represents various business segments within Raymond James Financial and meets regularly to weigh in on issues affecting the firm. Mark also contributes to the Mutual Fund Advisory Council and Technology Advisory Committee.

Building on a career without a single customer complaint is one of Mark’s strong points. He was therefore honored when asked to speak for Raymond James & Associates at a recent focus group for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in Atlanta. The FINRA is the primary private-sector regulator of the securities industry, overseeing the activities of more than 5,000 brokerage firms and 663,000 registered representatives. He represented the firm at this focus group as a leading advisor, communicating client needs, advisor concerns and a state of the industry.

Mark is also a member of the Financial Advisors Council inside Raymond James & Associates, again using his knowledge and experience to influence firm policy and advisor direction. 2007 marked the eighth year in a row that he and his team achieved the coveted Chairman’s Council designation, an honor reserved for advisors who demonstrate the highest dedication to serving their clients as well as continued desire for professional growth.

In 2008 he earned the Investment Management Consultant designation. The certification program covered essential investment management consulting topics such as asset allocation, manager selection and portfolio construction, providing advisors with knowledge commensurate with high-level institutional money management consultants.

Over the years he has completed numerous hours of instruction to earn the internal designation of Trust Specialist, advising on Charitable Remainder Trusts and Charitable Lead Trusts. He is also a Retirement Plan Consultant, helping companies review their employee retirement plans for investment suitability as well as addressing fiduciary concerns.

Mark was awarded the Raymond James Circle of Life award in 1998. This was given to him for balancing his career and donating time to the community, all alongside the challenges of raising three children, two of whom are handicapped twins who continue to face medical hardships.

Finally, until just recently Mark was an active board member for Space Coast Early Intervention Center, a school that educates and prepares children with and without special needs for the outside world. He served as chairman of their capital building campaign, coordinating fundraising activities and sharing the school’s message with the local community to raise support for a new school facility in Melbourne. He has also been an active fundraiser for several Christian schools in the area.

financial advisor imageEdwin Retter
Investment Management Consultant
Wealth Management Specialist
Financial Advisor
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
edwin.retter@raymondjames.com

Edwin has worked directly with Mark since 1997, assisting in all areas of the wealth management practice. He advises clients with investment and derivatives analysis, risk management, tactical and strategic portfolio management, financial reviews and investment recommendations.

He attained the industry designation of Wealth Management Specialist (WMS) in 2004. In 2005 he completed several months of training through the firm’s Financial Planner Series. These educational modules provided an overview of industry concepts including estate planning, taxation, investment analysis and legacy planning. He also attained the Investment Management Consultant designation with Mark in 2008.

Edwin holds two degrees in aviation management from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. When not in the office he enjoys golfing and working on classic cars.

financial advisor imageRobert Fritz
MBA
Vice-President, Investments
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
robert.fritz@raymondjames.com

To continue providing a high level of wealth management services to our clients, we recently welcomed a new advisor, Robert Fritz, into the practice. This is our first addition in many years, and we are excited about what he will offer clients.     

Rob is a graduate of State University of New York at Albany, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and minor in Economics. After moving to Florida upon graduation, he completed his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at Florida Institute of Technology with a concentration in Finance.   

Rob worked locally at Harris Corporation for several years as a Supervisor of Cost Accounting. This gave way to a Corporate Controller position at an international company in Georgia before he returned to Florida to join Shearson Lehman Hutton (now Smith Barney) with me in 1990. In fact, he and I were two of the individuals that established the current Raymond James Melbourne, Florida office in 1995. After 18 years advising clients individually, he has accepted an advisory position within our practice. 

As a currently enrolled candidate in the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ program, Rob expects to achieve this prestigious CFP® certification in 2009.  This will complement his existing Investment Management Consultant designation which he completed with Ed and me earlier this year.

Rob will assist in many areas of our wealth management practice, including portfolio consultation, insurance and annuity review, retirement/financial planning analysis, and more.  Working closely alongside Ed, Paula, Rebecca, Dorothea and me, he is available to answer any questions or concerns you may have in these challenging market conditions.     

When not in the office, he enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking, surfing, cycling, and spending time with his son, Kyler.    

Please join me in welcoming Rob Fritz to our practice!

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PAULA NELSEN
Registered Service Associate II
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
paula.nelsen@raymondjames.com

Paula has worked with Mark since 1998 and has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry. Focusing her efforts on support of annuities and life insurance, Paula is responsible for preparing comprehensive estate and financial plans, account reviews, retirement cash flow analyses and insurance planning.

financial advisor imageRebecca Stafford
Registered Service Associate
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
rebecca.stafford@raymondjames.com

Rebecca joined the Thompson Team in 1997. She earned her Series 7 license in 2004 and expects to complete the licensing requirements for the Series 66 in 2008. She is responsible for assisting with service requests and manages essential internal functions to ensure smooth operations for clients and the team.

financial advisor imageDorothea Retter
Client Service Associate
Toll-Free: 800-838-4488
dorothea.retter@raymondjames.com

Dorothea joined the team part-time in 2004 to provide internal support. Her duties include database maintenance, client correspondence, document archiving, research requests and marketing efforts. Having lived around the world, she has many years of experience assisting high-level executives and their teams with critical everyday functions.





Raymond James financial advisors may only conduct business with residents of the states and/or jurisdictions for which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state. Investors outside of the United States are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this site. Contact your local Raymond James office for information and availability.

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