About the Program
Built by people who have spent decades inside federal benefits.
The Registered Federal Benefits Specialist℠ (RFBS℠) program exists for one reason: federal employees deserve advisors who actually understand FERS, TSP, FEGLI, FEHB, and the special provisions that govern their careers. The program is operated by Federal Employee Benefits Advocates, LLC (FEBA) and powered by the FedEd Academy™ curriculum.
Our mission
Better-trained advisors. Better decisions for federal families.
There are roughly 2.8 million federal employees in the United States, and the financial rules that govern their careers look almost nothing like the private sector. Decisions about retirement timing, TSP rollovers, FEGLI conversions, FEHB and Medicare coordination, and survivor benefits routinely involve choices worth six and seven figures over a lifetime — yet most financial advisors never receive structured training on any of it.
The RFBS℠ designation closes that gap. It identifies advisors who have completed a focused federal-benefits curriculum, passed a proctored examination, agreed in writing to a published Code of Ethics, and maintain the designation through ongoing continuing education.
What guides the program
Four principles, not negotiable.
Education first
The designation is earned through the FedEd Academy™ curriculum and a proctored exam — not bought.
Client-first ethics
Every designee signs the RFBS℠ Code of Ethics, with a published disciplinary process and public sanctions.
No pay-to-play leads
We don’t charge designees for inquiries, placement, or referrals. The directory is free for federal employees to use.
Independent designees
Every RFBS℠ is an independent professional, accountable for their own advice, with their own clients and practice.
The organizations
FEBA, FedEd Academy™, and RFBS℠.
Federal Employee Benefits Advocates, LLC (FEBA)
FEBA is the legal entity that operates the RFBS℠ program. It is responsible for administering the designation, maintaining the directory and verification systems, publishing the Code of Ethics, and overseeing the complaint and disciplinary processes. FEBA is headquartered in Florence, Alabama.
FedEd Academy™
FedEd Academy™ is FEBA’s educational arm. It delivers the curriculum that financial professionals complete to become eligible for the RFBS℠ designation. Programs are offered as three virtual half-day sessions or two full in-person days and include 11 hours of CFP® continuing-education credit. The Academy has educated more than 38,000 federal employees directly through nationwide workshops, in addition to training the advisors who serve them.
The RFBS℠ designation
The designation is awarded by FEBA to financial professionals who complete the FedEd Academy™ curriculum, pass the proctored RFBS℠ examination, agree in writing to the RFBS℠ Code of Ethics, and maintain the designation through continuing education and an annual maintenance fee. RFBS℠ designees are independent professionals, not employees or agents of FEBA.
K. Shawn McCoy
Founder, FedEd Academy™ & FEBA
Founder
Thirty-seven years of federal-benefits expertise.
Shawn McCoy began his career with MetLife in Carrollton, Texas, focused on the federal-employee market. Over the next three decades he held roles in management, group sales, compliance, and wholesaling — building a working command of how federal benefits actually function in the context of a real client’s life.
In the last 15 years alone, Shawn has educated more than 38,000 federal employees on retirement, life, health, and other government benefits through nationwide workshops, and has trained financial advisors across the country to do the same work with the same depth.
A former registered representative, Shawn previously held Series 7, 63, 24, and 65 licenses. He founded FedEd Academy™ and Federal Employee Benefits Advocates, LLC to scale that expertise into a credentialing program the federal community could trust. He resides in Shreveport, Louisiana.
For federal employees
Find a Registered Federal Benefits Specialist℠ near you.
Browse the directory of credentialed designees by state and specialty.
Open the directoryFor financial advisors
Earn the RFBS℠ designation through FedEd Academy™.
Three virtual half-days or two in-person days. 11 hours of CFP® CE credit included.
See the program