A Higher Standard of Federal Retirement Planning
Expert Fiduciary guidance for wealthy feds who want more freedom, clarity & control. Work directly with a seasoned Federal Retirement Consultant who architects sophisticated, tax-efficient, values-aligned financial planning, tailored to your unique values, and goals.
Better Planning. Better Investing. Better Retirement.
Request a ConsultationA Better Federal Retirement™ Starts Here
🧠Clarity. Confidence. Control.
Step into a concierge-level planning experience built exclusively for federal employees. Your benefits are great. Your retirement should be too. Through fiduciary guidance, the RISA assessment, The Bucket Plan®, Family Estate Organizer, tax planning, and sophisticated investment solutions that reach far beyond the Thrift Plan, we help you protect income, reduce taxes, and invest with purpose. High-touch service, values-aligned strategy, and a plan that supports the life you want every single day of retirement.
Our Comprehensive Federal Retirement Planning Process
Retirement planning deserves more than guesswork and one-size-fits-all portfolios. We optimize every piece of your federal benefits while designing institutional-style investment strategies using Unified Managed Accounts (UMAs), ESG options, alternatives, and disciplined risk management. The result: income that lasts, taxes minimized, and a portfolio built bespoke for you. Everything works together through The Bucket Plan® so you can live retirement with clarity and conviction.
Evidence-Based Investing
What is a Fiduciary’s Duty?
Why the Wealthy Should Invest Differently
The Reality Behind TSP Roll-Over Pitches Targeting Federal Employees
Meet the UMA: A Thrift Upgrade for Federal Employees
How Much Can You Spend In Retirement?
Understanding Capital Gains: When and How They Affect Your Taxes
Common Investing Mistakes to Avoid in Your Retirement Income Planning
Simplicity: The Ultimate Sophistication
Independent — Not Alone: The Power Behind “Better Federal Retirement”
Mid-Career Financial Planning Decisions You Shouldn’t Ignore
What Retirees Actually Worry About—And a Smarter Way to Plan for It
Our Process-Driven Financial Planning Services
To help provide the guidance and blueprint you need, we offer a variety of tailored retirement planning services for federal employees.
Federal Employee Benefit Analysis
Retirement Income Style Awareness Profile (RISA™)
Better Federal Retirement Plan
Thrift Master Plan
Family Estate Organizer
Discover Your Retirement Income Style with RISA®
At Better Federal Retirement, we believe your retirement plan should align with your unique preferences and decision-making style.
That’s why we recommend taking the RISA® (Retirement Income Style Awareness) assessment. This insightful tool helps identify the retirement income strategies that resonate most with your personality, helping ensure a tailored plan that fits your vision for the future.
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Who We Are
Better Federal Retirement is an independent fiduciary firm led by Nigel Valdez, Certified Financial Fiduciary® and Federal Retirement Consultant®, serving a select group of federal employees who value thoughtful guidance and long-term partnership.
For more than two decades, Nigel has helped high-achieving public servants transform complex benefits into coordinated, purpose-driven wealth. His work blends precision analysis with a deep respect for each client’s life goals—because better planning leads to better investing, and ultimately, a better retirement.
Our Promise to You
Fiduciary, Independent, Uncompromising
We serve as true fiduciaries—adamantly independent, and devoted to a select number of clients. Every recommendation is grounded in research, transparency, and long-term alignment with your goals—not sales incentives or product quotas.
Expertise Beyond the Ordinary
Our planning integrates the intricate details of your federal benefits with the sophistication of private-wealth management. From UMAs to Roth conversions to values-aligned portfolios, we bring institutional-level strategy to the personal scale of your life.
A Partnership Build on Intention
You’ll work directly with Nigel Valdez, not a team of juniors or call-center reps. We take on fewer relationships – so every client receives the time, clarity, and stewardship their wealth deserves.
Take a thoughtful first step toward clarity and confidence in your federal retirement.
Our discovery conversation is designed for federal employees seeking a more refined, fiduciary approach to wealth management. If you value thoughtful guidance and a lasting relationship, let’s start there.
