Insurance for Feds

FEGLI is often the first — and sometimes only — life insurance federal employees carry. But it’s rarely the last word in coverage. We help you understand your benefits, explore private options that may offer better value, and build a long-term strategy that protects your income, your legacy, and your family. It’s often the first step in a bigger financial picture.

What is life insurance, really?

It’s a simple but powerful “if/then” contract.
If you pass away, then the people you care about are financially protected. It’s a promise — and one that matters so much that every federal employee is automatically signed up for group life insurance at the start of their service.

Whether you started at Quantico, FLETC in Glynco, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, or another agency academy, life insurance was part of the deal from day one. Why?
Because organizations — and the people who lead them — understand the risk:

No one wants to face a widow saying, “My husband gave everything to this agency, and now I have nothing.”

After enough hard lessons, group life insurance became mandatory enrollment with an opt-out option — not an opt-in. But group coverage raises some important questions:

Group life insurance (like FEGLI) can be a great deal if you have underlying health issues or other risk factors.

But if you’re remotely fit or healthy, you’re probably overpaying compared to private market options.

I didn’t even realize until my 15th year of service that opting out — and securing my own policy — was an option. When I finally made the move, I replaced about $140,000 in FEGLI coverage with $1.25 million in private coverage, locked in well past retirement — at a much lower cost of insurance rate

I should have done it much sooner.

And life insurance planning doesn’t stop at coverage.
When you retire, you’ll face another decision:

Do you take a 0%, 5%, or 10% reduction in your FERS pension to leave a survivor benefit for your spouse?

The 10% reduction option essentially acts like an annuity premium. But what if your spouse predeceases you? What if you both live into your 90s, but she passes away just after you?
You could end up paying 30–40 years of reduced pension for just a few months of benefit.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. There are private insurance solutions that can:

Provide higher, portable coverage during your career

Return value to your family even if you live a long life

Tax Strategy: 

Minimize the bite on your high earning years through Roth optimization, retirement planning, and smart use of taxable accounts.

Federal Life Insurance — Common Questions

What happens to my FEGLI coverage if I leave federal service?

If you resign, retire early, or are dismissed, your FEGLI Basic and Optional coverages don’t automatically continue.

You may be offered the chance to convert it into a private policy at very high, often unaffordable rates, without medical underwriting — but you must act fast, and many don’t.

Bottom Line: FEGLI is tied to your employment. Private coverage gives you flexibility no matter what happens.

Is FEGLI a good deal for healthy people?

Often, no — especially once you’re past your early career.
FEGLI premiums are based on age bands and group pooling, not your personal health. If you’re relatively fit or have no serious medical issues, you’re probably overpaying compared to an individually underwritten private policy.
There’s a reason many feds start peeling off FEGLI in their 30s and 40s.

Why was I automatically enrolled in FEGLI when I started?

Because life insurance isn’t just about protecting you — it’s about protecting the organization.

Enough tragic cases over the years taught agencies that widows and surviving families deserved at least a minimum safety net.
Mandatory life insurance enrollment was the bureaucratic solution.

What are my options when I retire?

When you retire, you can:

Continue Basic FEGLI at a reduced level (free after a certain point)
Pay to maintain full Basic and Optional coverages (expensive)
Replace or supplement coverage with private insurance you own and control.

Choosing between a survivor pension option and building your own private coverage is a major decision — and we can model the tradeoffs for your specific situation.

When should I start thinking about private life insurance?

If you’re between 35 and 55 years old, still relatively healthy, and planning a full federal career, it’s smart to start evaluating private options now.
The younger and healthier you are when you secure coverage, the better the long-term cost and guarantees.

You want to be insured based on your health today — not what it might be 10 years from now.

Did you replace your own FEGLI coverage?

Yes.

After years of assuming FEGLI was “good enough,” I finally ran the math in my 15th year.

I was able to swap limited FEGLI coverage for over $1.25 million in private insurance — locked in past retirement — at a cost that made a lot more sense for my family and goals.
I should have done it sooner.

Choosing Life Insurance: Why Trust Matters

Is some stranger trying to sell you an “Indexed Universal Life” (IUL) policy? Or pitching you the “Infinite Banking Concept”?
Maybe they’re pushing “Final Expense” insurance for every possible scenario?

Slow down.

You need to work with someone you can trust.

I’m an independent life insurance agent, aligned with a Brokerage General Agency (BGA) that gives me access to the widest and deepest portfolio of companies and products I could find.

My job isn’t to push a policy.

It’s to find the right strategy for your life, your risks, and your family’s future.

And to be perfectly clear: I’m fortunate.

I’ll never miss a meal. When it’s hot outside, I’ll be cool. When it’s cold outside, I’ll be warm.  And the rain will never fall on my head - unless I want it to.

I have the financial freedom to work patiently, carefully, and deliberately — to pair you with the right protection, not the product that happens to pay the highest commission.

And I get to use amazing alliteration while I do it.

If life insurance is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

That starts with working with someone whose incentives are clean, whose judgment you can trust, and whose loyalty isn’t for sale.

If you’re ready to have a real conversation — without a sales pitch — let’s talk.