Thomas Lee, Founder and Daniel Sipe, FounderServing Those Who Serve (STWS) steps into the second story as a support system and guide for federal personnel as they make critical financial decisions.
Its advisory services cover the full spectrum of financial and retirement planning to meet the distinct nature of the federal compensation and benefits structure. It provides clarity by simplifying the intricacies of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, as well as Social Security rules and the federal special retirement provisions.
Founders Daniel Sipe and Thomas Lee, both accomplished financial advisors coming from families who served in the federal government, witnessed firsthand the knowledge and support gap in financial decision-making. They understood how a lack of access to information leads to a lack of understanding of the benefits, which hampers financial futures.
“We realized if we couldn't see somebody looking out for the federal employees, it was up to us to do it,” says Sipe.
The financial advisory firm stands apart with its emphasis on making benefits information accessible and coherent to federal workers. Driven by an education-first philosophy, it takes an industry-first pro bono approach to making complex benefits understandable and actionable. Its content ecosystem, freely accessible on its website, is one of the most comprehensive educational platforms available to the federal workforce.
Safeguarding their financial futures is a team of expert advisors, all of whom are credentialed Certified Financial Planners (CFP) and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultants (ChFEBC). A highlight is that four of its six credentialed advisors are women, including two who hold director-level positions—a rarity in the industry. The team is committed to protecting the financial dignity of those who have dedicated their lives to civil service.
An Advisory Framework Designed for Federal Realities
STWS frames its mission around three interconnected pillars meant to support federal employees with reliable financial advice.
When someone trusts us with their life savings, our team brings full effort, heart and energy to that relationship.
Its first pillar, financial planning, is built around an understanding of a federal employee’s goals, concerns, risk tolerance and family needs to build a strong retirement corpus.
Wealth management is the second pillar. The planners take responsibility for investment and portfolio allocation in alignment with the federal employee’s distinct financial context.
The third pillar, comprising benefits education, truly distinguishes STWS. It has two parts. The first part is a learning platform built for federal workers, featuring podcasts, blog posts, articles and webinars.
The Fed15 podcast is co-hosted weekly by Sipe and Katelyn Murray, director of relationship management. FedLife, a biweekly podcast, is hosted by Sipe alongside federal benefits expert Ed Zurndorfer, a long-term contractor of the firm. Zurndorfer’s in-depth insights on benefits breakdowns and planning are features through focused articles in the website’s Fed Zone section. Live webinars covering TSP, FERS, FEHB, survivor benefits, taxes, and estate planning further expand the platform, along with open Q&A sessions for real-time guidance.
One-on-one sessions are conducted to address deeper, personalized questions. STWS walks each federal employee through the benefits and how these apply to their individual situation.
“We call these personal education sessions ‘part two,’ where we explain what aspects are already covered by a client’s federal benefits, highlight any gaps and discuss the strategic choices and solutions available to them,” says Lee.
Every educational resource and session is free and open to all federal personnel, regardless of whether they use a planner's services.
“Not everybody can afford a financial planner, but everybody should have a plan. That plan begins with benefits literacy, and our content delivers exactly that,” says Murray.
To support the broader federal community, the firm has introduced advanced planning calculators for decision-making.
It equips federal employees with the knowledge to plan their investments and efficiently navigate the retirement system.
The FERS system is often described as a three-legged system, balanced by the federal pension, Social Security and the TSP. But STWS has long emphasized the presence of a ‘fourth leg’—strategy. That strategic layer is where the firm’s true value in building and executing a robust financial plan comes into focus.
A powerful example of that ‘fourth leg’ in action came from a former military service member who was not yet a client, but was referred to STWS while transitioning into a federal civilian role after a stint in the private sector. When the team discovered that he had retired from the military without a survivor benefit on his pension, it recommended him to stop his military pension and merge it with his federal civilian service to receive a stronger FERS pension.
As he had also lost his company-provided life insurance by leaving a private-sector job to join federal service, STWS advised him to enrol in Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI). Months later, when he realized his FEGLI deductions hadn’t begun, the team urged him to provide his dated enrollment copy to his personnel office, which ensured his coverage went into effect. The overwhelming support led him to become a client.
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We realized if we couldn't see somebody looking out for the federal employees, it was up to us to do it.
Years later, when he became eligible to retire from federal service, STWS advised him to elect a survivor benefit to protect his family. He passed away unexpectedly about a year later. Because of the steps STWS helped him take, his family received the substantial pension and life insurance protections he had intended for them.
“Our planning focus extends beyond immediate outcomes to developing long-term relationships and delivering lifetime value,” says Jason Snyder, wealth planner.
Preserving the Human Side of Financial Guidance
A singular focus on being a support system to federal workers has never mattered more. The workers experienced an emotionally and financially taxing time in 2025, facing record instability due to abrupt reduction-in-force (RIF) measures implemented by the recently established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
STWS became a source of clarity in the chaos. Its four decades of experience guiding federal workers through past RIF cycles helped individuals quickly re-evaluate their benefits and make critical decisions to serve their immediate needs and protect long-term financial security.
“Many people had less than a week to make life-altering decisions on opting for the deferred resignation program or the voluntary early retirement scheme,” says Rebecca Blaschak, relationship manager. “Us being in touch with them helped them feel more confident in making those decisions.”
A recent experience illustrates the profound impact that support can have in moments of crisis.
A federal employee who had spent more than 30 years in service was abruptly laid off during the 2025 DOGE furlough. The same week, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The situation, overwhelming on financial and psychological levels, made her lean heavily on STWS advisors. The team immediately reassessed her financial landscape and mapped out a way for her to retire earlier than expected, which helped her focus on her health.
Stories like these showcase how STWS shoulders the invisible personal weight of financial decisions. Its advisors see themselves as relationship managers holding space for the emotional and psychological components of each decision. This stewardship aligns with its broader mission to guide federal employees with empathy through the complexities of financial planning and the human challenges that accompany it.
A Team Built for Navigating Federal Complexity
The engine powering STWS’s Fed-focused financial planning abilities is its team. The team takes its fiduciary responsibility very seriously. Advisors examine the full landscape of their clients' financial lives, including their insurance needs, estate considerations and umbrella coverage, before offering solutions.
“The foundation of our culture is teamwork and a shared purpose,” says Jennifer Meyer, financial planner. “We invest heavily in developing our people, which ultimately adds to the client experience.”
Weekly ‘hive mind’ sessions keep the advisors aligned and informed. A suite of cutting-edge software further empowers them to augment their planning skills and build long-term financial confidence among clients.
“We use the most up-to-date and comprehensive technology available when it comes to planning all aspects of a client's financial life,” says Matthew Kramer, financial planner.
Every relationship begins with the team creating an indepth federal benefits report that serves as the foundation for future planning. Advisors walk clients through the findings before moving on to broader strategies.
“When someone trusts us with their life savings, our team brings full effort, heart and energy to that relationship,” says Sandra Presgraves, wealth planner.
From the onboarding stage, STWS brings a distinct focus on delivering lifetime value to federal employees and retirees by catering to their lifelong needs. Advisors remain partners throughout a client's financial journey, guiding them through tax law changes and the impact of mandatory withdrawals on Medicare premiums in various stages of retirement.
Trusted Counsel for Those Who Serve the Nation
With federal workforce anticipating increased RIF pressures in 2026, STWS' work as a stabilizing force for civil servants has never been more essential.
Its next chapter reflects that responsibility. STWS is scaling its advisor team and leveraging technology and AI to expand capacity without losing the human touch and personal attention. The goal is to remain the most trusted financial planning resource for the federal community in the country.
Serving Those Who Serve embodies what its name promises—a steady financial guide and unwavering ally to those who serve the nation every day.
