Christine Sivak

Financial Advisor, Signature Estate and Investment Advisors, LLC

Business at a Glance

PLANADVISER: What differentiates your team in a crowded advisory marketplace today?

Sivak: My practice is differentiated by my foundation in retirement plan administration and my commitment to delivering highly personalized, hands-on service.

During the first decade of my career, I worked as a plan administrator for third-party administrators. In that role, I developed technical knowledge and learned the industry terminology. More importantly, I saw first-hand the operational issues and the challenges plan sponsors face when navigating complex retirement plan regulations.

I launched my independent practice in 2012, and that TPA experience shapes how my team supports clients today. Many of the organizations we serve have lean finance and HR departments, so we act as an extension of their team, helping them manage administrative and fiduciary responsibilities.

Because of my compliance background, I focus on addressing operational details before discussing investment strategy. For example, at the start of 2026, we worked with plan sponsors to help them validate 2025 census data, review employee classifications and analyze testing results to identify potential opportunities to improve participation and savings rates. While we leverage the investment research capabilities of our RIA when appropriate, our recommendations are developed in close partnership with plan sponsors based on their objectives.

By combining technical plan knowledge with strategic advisory support, we help sponsors run their plans and support their employees in working toward their retirement goals.

PLANADVISER: What does “success” look like for your firm beyond asset growth?

Sivak: To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, success is “to laugh often; to win the respect of intelligent people; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.”

Success means plan sponsors feel confident in how their plans are being managed and employees are better prepared for retirement.

One measure is helping plan sponsors reduce their administrative burden and manage their fiduciary duties with confidence. I believe thoughtful plan design can help reduce the likelihood of future compliance-related issues. My advice to clients is simple: “Don’t set yourself up for failure.” For example, if they don’t track hours in payroll, I would not use that metric to determine service and vested status. The right design from the start can help reduce administrative complications over time.

Another measure of success is employee engagement and plan utilization. In 2025, a portion of our plan sponsor clients increased their automatic contribution rates and “stretched their match,” leveraging plan design changes to encourage higher participation and savings behavior. We expanded participant touchpoints to include virtual seminars, onsite meetings and targeted communications covering not only the workplace retirement plan, but also budgeting, investments, Social Security, Medicare, insurance and college savings. The goal is to improve financial education and engagement, not just plan enrollment.

Finally, success means building something that lasts. I am committed to developing my team through industry credentials, licensing and ongoing education. They are not just my staff—they are part of my succession plan. Investing in their growth helps ensure continuity of service for every plan sponsor and participant we serve.

PLANADVISER: What are the biggest barriers preventing small or startup employers from offering retirement plans today?

Sivak: In my experience working closely with small and startup employers, the barriers to offering a retirement plan are rarely just one thing—they’re often a combination of awareness, cost considerations and perceived complexity that can make the decision feel overwhelming.

Many business owners I sit down with aren’t familiar with the options available. They often picture plans designed for large organizations and assume it’s not realistic for a company their size. Part of what I love about my work is helping shift that perception—showing them how flexible and accessible today’s options really are.

Cost is almost always part of the conversation. For a growing business to which every dollar matters, committing to contributions and administrative expenses can feel like a big leap, especially when cash flow may be unpredictable. I try to work with employers to find a structure that fits within their current reality.

There’s also a real fear of complexity. Compliance, administration and government reporting can sound like a full-time responsibility on top of an already full-time job. Helping employers understand that much of this burden can be outsourced or streamlined is often what helps move the conversation forward.

Finally, some owners are uncertain whether employees will even value the benefit, making it hard to justify the investment. When we walk through the role a plan can play in attracting and retaining talent, that concern tends to fade.

Ultimately, my job is to help employers see past those barriers and feel more confident deciding whether and how to move forward.

PLANADVISER: What specific approaches have you used to move these employers from hesitation to action?

Sivak: I am affiliated with an independent RIA that believes comprehensive financial planning is an important foundation for prudent wealth management. Business owners may benefit from creating wealth outside of their business, and qualified plans provide a mechanism to do so in a tax-efficient manner.

I have had more success when I can illustrate the options; as they say, the “proof is in the pudding.” Using an employer’s census information, I work with service providers to create plan design examples. The illustrations include potential payroll savings rates, contribution costs and tax benefits. We also walk through the compliance calendar so they understand their administrative and fiduciary responsibilities ahead of time and who they can turn to for assistance.

As independent financial advisers, we are not limited to a single provider or investment offering, which allows us to support an objective and independent request-for-proposal process. Our clients value that we help them evaluate the marketplace and the multitude of options.

Lastly, I understand that smaller employers’ priority is often their business itself. We need to meet them where they are, and this may mean that meetings and calls occur after hours or weekends.

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC (SEIA) is an SEC-registered investment adviser; however, such registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training and no inference to the contrary should be made. Securities offered through Signature Estate Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through SEIA, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90067, (310) 712-2323. For additional disclosure information, please visit our website at: https://www.seia.com/disclosures/