Alongside the 2020 NAPA 401(k) Cyber Summit, we sat down (virtually) with a number of leading advisors for some insights on how they got started, what keeps them going, and what they see for the future of retirement and their practice(s).
A conversation with Eva Kalivas, Senior Vice President of Retirement and Wealth Management, HUB International’s Northeast Division.
Background: In 1999, Eva co-founded EPIC Retirement Services Consulting, LLC, which specializes in the area of qualified retirement plans and provides complete independent and unbiased consultative advice. EPIC is built around providing Excellence, Principle, Integrity and Care to both institutional and individual clients alike, nationwide. Eva, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, has been a financial advisor since 1990. She’s a member of Women in Pensions, Beta Gamma Sigma, the Golden Key Honor Society, the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Hellenic American Women’s Council, and is one of NAPA’s Top Women Retirement Plan Advisors. She’s also an author of “I Get Knocked Down—A Woman’s Survival Guide to Business and Life.”
NN: What led you to become an advisor?
Kalivas: I was always drawn to sales, helping people, finance and controlling my own income. It’s all I really know—I worked as an intern in high school, studied and passed my Series 7 while in college and decided to focus on the 401(k) market as it truly seemed to be underserved, particularly through independent advisors, co-founding EPIC in 1999.
NN: What/Who inspires you?
Kalivas: As a first generation American, the immigrants that came here, worked hard, remained honest and succeeded.
NN: What’s the biggest challenge facing you as an advisor today?
Kalivas: The constant fee compression—we need to remain focused on value added by advisors. I am not of the belief that every aspect of our consulting can be streamlined. Advisors are dealing with new Retirement Committee members, participants, changing Plan design features and laws as well and the service cuts that have been made by most Providers.
NN: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned this year?
Kalivas: Expect the unexpected—again.
NN: What’s the best day/experience you’ve had as a retirement plan advisor—and why?
Kalivas: Beating out a large wire house advisor, at the start of EPIC—they remain on as a client until today. That “win” reinforced that we were on to something!
