Her Story
About Ricki
Ricki Evans is a Retirement Planner at Fidelity Investments, where she specializes in tax-exempt retirement planning and advice. Promoted to her current role in June 2026, she works with clients in the tax-exempt market, including professionals such as doctors, nurses, police officers, and firefighters. Her work centers on helping clients understand how their present financial decisions can influence their future retirement and developing personalized approaches to help them work toward their long-term financial goals. Her career at Fidelity has progressed from Customer Relationship Advocate to Financial Representative and now Retirement Planner, building on more than three years of experience with the firm and more than 10 years of client-facing experience overall.
Ricki’s interest in financial education is deeply personal. Her grandmother’s limited financial education regarding Social Security in Louisiana helped inspire her desire to help others better understand financial decisions and prepare for the future. She is also proud of completing her bachelor’s degree, preparing for and passing the Series 7 examination, and caring for her six-month-old daughter as a single mother during that period. Her experiences, including a brain tumor diagnosis in 2020, became an important source of motivation and reinforced her desire to make the most of her opportunities. Ricki holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University and is pursuing an M.B.A. with a concentration in Investments and Securities.
Throughout her career, Ricki has remained focused on service, personal growth, and financial empowerment. She holds the SIE, Series 7, Series 63, and Series 66 credentials and has been recognized with an Excellence in Action Award for going above and beyond in client service. She also participates in Fidelity Cares, supporting community initiatives through activities such as park cleanups, painting and building homes, assembling bikes, and assisting food pantries. Looking ahead, Ricki hopes to become a Financial Consultant and earn her CFP certification. Her approach is guided by care for her clients, initiative, perseverance, and a commitment to passing knowledge forward while demonstrating to her daughter that circumstances do not define what a person can achieve.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ricki
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my daughter and the life experiences that have shaped me. One of the most meaningful periods of my journey was becoming a new mother while also completing my bachelor's degree and studying for my Series 7 examination. Going through those experiences while navigating a brain tumor diagnosis in 2020 challenged me personally, but it also strengthened my determination and gave me an even greater appreciation for life and the opportunities in front of me.
Those experiences continue to motivate me professionally. I want my daughter to understand that you are not defined by your circumstances and that it is possible to work toward and achieve your goals regardless of the obstacles you encounter. My experiences have taught me the importance of perseverance, initiative, and believing in what I am capable of accomplishing.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Bet on yourself every time. When you bet on yourself, nobody knows the potential you have better than you do. Believe in your abilities, take the opportunity to move forward, and do not allow circumstances or uncertainty to prevent you from pursuing what you know you are capable of achieving.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the challenges in financial services is navigating market volatility influenced by political developments, global events, and factors such as changes in gas prices and their broader effects on investments. These factors can create uncertainty for clients as they make decisions about their financial futures.
At the same time, there are significant opportunities because people want to preserve and grow their money while navigating inflation and changes in the economy. This creates an important opportunity for financial professionals to have meaningful conversations with clients about saving, investing, and preparing for retirement. I see value in helping clients understand how their current financial decisions can affect the quality of their future retirement.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Care and initiative are two of the values that are most important to me. In my work, I genuinely care about my clients and their individual situations because I want to help them avoid being negatively affected in retirement. I believe retirement planning should be connected to the person and their circumstances rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all process.
I also value initiative. I believe in taking the next step rather than waiting for someone else to tell me what to do. I want to continue learning, moving forward, and passing the torch to others by sharing what I have learned and helping the next generation grow.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.