Who we serve Equity compensation

Equity compensation planning for pre-retirees and retirees.

Stock options, RSUs and ESPP shares can make up a large share of what you’ve built. We help you decide when to exercise, sell or hold, and how those choices fit your retirement income and tax picture.

Book with Steve What to expect

Is this you?

You’re within about ten years of retirement, or already retired, and a meaningful part of your net worth is in company stock or equity awards.

Decisions we help you make

Every plan is built around your situation. These are the questions we work through most often.

Exercise and sale timing

When to exercise options or sell vested shares, considering taxes, vesting schedules and your retirement date.

Concentrated stock

A plan to reduce single-company risk over time, at a pace that weighs taxes against market risk.

RSU and ESPP taxes

Understanding withholding gaps, holding periods and how vesting income affects your bracket.

ISOs and AMT

Modeling incentive stock option exercises and the alternative minimum tax before you act.

Retirement income

Coordinating equity, 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions and Social Security into dependable income.

Charitable and estate strategies

Gifting appreciated shares, donor-advised funds and passing wealth on efficiently.

A situation we often see

Every client is different. This hypothetical example shows how we might approach a common situation.

This case study is hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. It is a composite based on situations we commonly see and does not represent any specific client. Your results will depend on your own circumstances. It is not a guarantee of future results or a recommendation for any individual.

Reducing concentrated company stock

The situation: A 55-year-old executive with roughly 40% of his net worth in employer stock from RSUs and incentive stock options.
What we did: We built a multi-year diversification schedule, modeled ISO exercises to manage alternative minimum tax and gifted highly appreciated shares to a donor-advised fund.
The outcome: A step-by-step plan to lower single-stock risk over three years, with the tax impact of each step understood before acting.

Common questions

General information to help you think through your situation. Your plan will depend on your own circumstances.

Should I sell my RSUs when they vest?

RSUs are taxed as ordinary income when they vest, whether you sell or hold. Holding is essentially a decision to buy more company stock, so we weigh it against your diversification, tax and retirement goals.

Can incentive stock options trigger the AMT?

Yes. Exercising ISOs and holding the shares can trigger the alternative minimum tax even though you haven’t sold anything. We model exercises before you act so you know the tax cost in advance.

How much company stock is too much?

There’s no single rule, but many planners treat more than 10% of your net worth in one stock as a concentration worth addressing. We build a schedule to reduce it over time while managing the taxes.

Getting started

Your first meeting is free, with no obligation. If you have them handy, it helps to bring: your most recent equity award statements, a recent pay stub, last year’s tax return and statements for your retirement accounts. Nothing is required for the first conversation.

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