Welcome to March. At this point, it feels like every month for the past six years has ended with some major global event shaking the snow globe again. And here we are—right back in the middle of it—with a widening conflict in the Middle East. But this time, it’s not the familiar U.S./Israel versus Iran…...
Caine S. Crawford, Jr. is a Benefits Counselor at the Federal Employee Advocacy Group in Durham, NC, where he is committed to guiding federal employees through every step of their benefits journey. His approach centers on discovery, taking the time to understand each client’s unique federal service history, goals, and future plans so that every decision they make is grounded in purpose and clarity. Caine finds deep fulfillment in watching clients enter retirement better prepared and more confident than when they first walked through the door.
With approximately four years of experience in the financial services industry, Caine holds a Producer License and brings a ‘client first’ mindset to every engagement. His dedication to education and thoughtful planning has earned him an extremely high level of client and prospect satisfaction.
Originally from Colorado and a University of South Carolina alumnus, Caine has a strong passion for family, fitness, and adventure. When not helping clients financially, he may be teaching them Fitness. As long time certified personal trainer, he has long embraced an active lifestyle, with a love for football and travel rounding out who he is both inside and outside of the office.
Caleb Crawford serves as the Operations and Marketing Manager at the Federal Employee Advocacy Group, based out of the West Palm Beach office, where he plays a key role in connecting federal employees with the education and resources they need to make informed decisions about their FERS and CSRS benefits and retirement plans. With a background spanning over many years in marketing and most recently in office operations, Caleb approaches his work with a commitment to strengthen client relationships and bring clear, purposeful communication. For Caleb, marketing is not just about visibility, it is about ensuring that every piece of content serves the client’s needs and empowers smarter decision making.
Caleb holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and correlates his values to FEAG’s outreach model. Through complimentary workshops and webinars, the organization demonstrates its expertise to federal employees at every stage of their career, maintaining ongoing relationships that extend well into retirement. Caleb is dedicated to staying connected with clients throughout their entire journey, not just at the moment of engagement.
Outside of the office, Caleb is a passionate traveler who loves immersing himself in new cultures and environments. He stays active through hiking and golf, and channels his creativity into content creation, and bringing ideas and stories to life in ways that connect with and inspire the people around him.
Connor Girard is a Benefits Counselor at the Federal Employee Advocacy Group, in Seattle, WA. He’s bringing a distinctive background in luxury hospitality leadership to the world of personal finance. Having managed multi-million-dollar budgets and having upheld the brand standards of acclaimed properties such as Marriott’s Autograph Collection and Auberge Resorts, Connor has a deep understanding of what precision, accountability, and five star service truly look like in practice. He applies that same standard to every client relationship, translating complex federal benefits and retirement systems into clear, actionable paths forward.
Connor holds a Washington State Life Pre-Licensing certification and attended Highline College. His brand promise, Operational Excellence for Your Personal Wealth, reflects core values of transparency, disciplined growth, and meticulous attention to detail. He approaches each client engagement as a consultative partner, functioning as a director of operations for their financial lives rather than simply offering products. Notable accomplishments include founding Kimpton Cares Seattle, a community volunteer organization, and achieving an 84.9% MI Health Check audit score in recognition of his mastery of compliance and operational standards.
Connor lives in the Seattle area with his partner, Raegan. Outside of work, he is a devoted Seattle Mariners fan, a committed fitness enthusiast, and an avid film lover with a particular appreciation for horror and surrealist cinema. He enjoys exploring the culinary scene and travel opportunities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Nick Snyder serves as a Benefits Counselor and Life Specialist at the Federal Employee Advocacy Group in San Antonio, TX where his mission is simple: help federal employees retire on their own terms. Nick understands that many federal workers carry real stress around retirement uncertainty, and he takes genuine pride in replacing that anxiety with clarity, confidence, and a plan that works. For Nick, the most rewarding moment is seeing the visible relief on a client’s face when they realize they are truly prepared for the future they have worked toward. That same sense of purpose extends to his life insurance work, where doing the right thing and protecting clients when the unexpected happens remains a guiding principle.
With two years of experience in financial services and a prior five-year senior leadership background in healthcare, Nick brings a well-rounded perspective to every client relationship. He is also a former high school soccer captain, a detail that speaks to his longstanding commitment to teamwork and leadership. Nick’s core value is straightforward: always serve the client’s best interests, and the rest will follow.
When he is not working with clients, Nick can be found on the golf course, lacing up for a hockey game, or tracking lap times as an avid Formula 1 and sports car racing fan
Brandon Snyder is a Benefits Counselor at the Federal Employee Advocacy Group based in the Home office in Denver, CO. He is dedicated to empowering federal employees with the knowledge they need to make confident, well informed decisions as they plan for retirement. Through comprehensive educational workshops, Brandon helps clients fully understand and maximize their federal benefits so they can look forward to a financially secure future. His passion lies in developing thoughtful, personalized retirement plans that deliver peace of mind not just on the day of retirement, but throughout the years that follow.
Brandon brings a background in business management from the University of Memphis alongside a Life Insurance License and is currently pursuing his Series 65. His commitment to client education and thorough planning has resulted in an extremely high level of satisfaction among the clients and prospects he serves.
Outside of work, Brandon is someone who thrives in the outdoors. Whether he is out on the water, enjoying time in nature, or cheering from the sidelines at a lacrosse game, he brings the same energy and enthusiasm to his personal life as he does to helping his clients plan for the future. Family is at the center of everything he does.
As Area Vice President and Lead Benefits counselor at FEAG’s home office in Denver, CO, Derek has extensively studied the various federal benefits packages to provide clients with a tailored analysis to address their specific retirement needs. By participating in federal retirement workshops and getting to know clients on an individual basis, Derek can help address many of the possible shortcomings in existing plans to ensure a secure retirement with lifetime income options.
Derek has a history of business success, having established several profitable companies in the communications arena. He studied at Mesa State University before becoming a business owner for more than 20 years, gaining invaluable experience managing finances and cash flow. After weathering the 2008 recession, Derek learned the importance of building a secure retirement strategy that could withstand market fluctuations and provide lifetime income. In 2011, he seized the chance to help others establish a solid retirement strategy by joining the western region of FEAG, based at the Denver Federal Center.
Stephen Crawford joined FEAG in 2015 to address shortfalls with the retirement benefits process within the federal government. His priority is to inform federal employees, so they can enjoy a lifetime of income.
Stephen brings over 30 years of government experience, including positions with the Air Force Contract Management and the Defense Contract Management Agency. Additionally, he retired from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). He recently worked as a counselor with the nonprofit Colorado Procurement and Technical Assistance Center.
As a federal CSRS retiree, Stephen knows federal benefits (CSRS/FERS/TSP/spousal benefits) carry a lack of clarity. He has assisted many federal employees with their benefit analysis outlining gaps in the retirement plan, mapping out TSP growth based on historical data or providing a FEGLI versus commercial insurance comparison. Stephen knows from firsthand experience the significance of the survivor benefit option, Social Security timing options, Social Security offsets, or, as applicable, CSRS or FERS pension options. He also takes FEGLI retirement options and TSP options into account for the individual’s overall, personalized financial strategy.
Stephen lives in Castle Rock with his bride of nearly 50 years. He studied at Weber State University and Colorado Mesa University and is a graduate of the strategic marketing program from the University of Chicago’s graduate school.
Caine Crawford Sr. uses his more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry to help Federal Employees throughout the United States with their Benefits and retirement needs. Caine is President and Lead Benefits Counselor for the Federal Employee Advocacy Group, based in Denver Colorado.
When Caine’s father sought to retire from CSRS, he came to Caine for help. It was then that Caine discovered a lack of financial resources readily available to federal employees, and he sought to become better informed to help others. Caine met with his first GSA client in 2008, and he was shocked to learn that client truly did not know what to do with a thrift savings plan (TSP) after retirement. Following that meeting, Caine founded Federal Employee Advocacy Group and became laser-focused on helping federal employees maximize income and benefits while minimizing expenses and taxes.
Caine teaches Federal Benefits and Retirement workshops for Federal Agencies, all across the Country. He understands federal benefits can appear somewhat complex and lack clarity. By creating a custom benefit analysis, Caine pinpoints the gaps in clients’ current plans, maps out TSP growth based on historical data and ensures clients have a lifetime of income and a dignified retirement.
Caine has now published his book, The Educated Fed: Your Guide to Understanding & Maximizing Federal Benefits. The Educated Fed is a self-help book for federal employees who want to learn how to maximize their federal benefits for retirement. Inside you’ll find answers you didn’t even know you had questions for…With the help of a retired Department of Defense employee, Caine will walk you through all of the moving parts that are your federal benefits and show you which ones you have control of, which ones will make you money, and which ones could cost you. Even though we’re in the information age, we’ve found out that an “informed” federal employee is not as well positioned as an “educated” federal employee. The Educated Fed aims to address the gap between information and real education that we observed in teaching hundreds of federal benefits workshops across the country for numerous agencies.
Caine graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in finance. He then lived in Colorado for 25 years before moving with his family back to South Carolina to live near a lake. He and his wife have four children and enjoy spending time together when they can among their busy schedules. Caine also enjoys coaching lacrosse at the local high school.