Your Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) is a cornerstone of your financial plan, providing a vital safety net for your loved ones. However, a recent FEDweek article highlights a critical and often misunderstood feature of this benefit: the opportunities to increase your coverage are extremely rare. Unlike the annual open season for health benefits, the chance to boost your FEGLI life insurance only comes around once every several years, if at all. Missing this fleeting window can have permanent consequences for your family’s financial security.
The last FEGLI open season was held in 2016, and before that, in 2004. There is no predictable schedule, meaning federal employees can go a decade or more without an opportunity to enroll or increase their coverage. This rigid structure fails to account for the dynamic nature of life. Consider the numbers: according to the CDC, there are over 2.3 million marriages and 3.5 million births in the United States each year. For federal employees, these significant life events—along with others like divorce or acquiring a new dependent—trigger a brief, 60-day window to increase FEGLI coverage. If you miss that two-month period, you may have to wait years for another chance, leaving a potentially dangerous gap in your family’s financial protection.
This is a significant risk, especially when you consider how many federal employees rely on this benefit. With over 4 million federal workers and retirees enrolled, FEGLI is one of the largest group life insurance programs in the world. Yet, many employees operate under the mistaken belief that they can simply adjust their coverage whenever they want. This misconception can lead to a state of being dangerously underinsured, a problem that often isn’t discovered until it’s too late.
Beyond the Basics: Taking Proactive Control of Your Family’s Security
The restrictive nature of FEGLI underscores a crucial point: you cannot afford to have a passive “set it and forget it” approach to your federal benefits. Your family’s needs change over time, and your financial plan must be agile enough to adapt. Simply relying on the default options or waiting for a rare open season is not a strategy; it’s a gamble.
This is where specialized, expert guidance becomes an indispensable tool. Internal Benefit Advisors is dedicated to educating federal and state employees on the intricacies of their benefits, helping them build a comprehensive and resilient financial plan that leaves nothing to chance.
Here’s how they help you navigate the complexities of FEGLI and beyond:
- Comprehensive Benefits and Life Insurance Analysis: Is your FEGLI coverage enough? Are there more flexible or affordable options available to you? Internal Benefit Advisors can provide a thorough analysis of your current life insurance and help you understand all your options, both inside and outside the federal system, to ensure your family is truly protected.
- Proactive Life Event Planning: They help you anticipate and plan for major life events, ensuring you never miss a critical 60-day window to update your benefits. Their proactive approach means you’re always prepared, not just reacting to changes.
- Empowerment Through Education: The rules governing federal benefits are complex and often confusing. Internal Benefit Advisors provides the clear, unbiased education you need to understand every component of your compensation and make confident, informed decisions that safeguard your family’s future.
Your family’s security is too important to be left to the mercy of a rare and unpredictable open season. Take control of your financial future today.
Contact Internal Benefit Advisors for a consultation and build the robust, comprehensive financial plan your loved ones deserve.
References
- FEDweek. “The Limited Opportunities to Increase Your FEGLI Coverage.”
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FEGLI Program Information.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2025). National Vital Statistics Report.
- Internal Benefit Advisors. Retrieved from https://internalbenefitadvisors.com
