Daniel Zajac

CFP®, EA

Educating Clients on Equity Compensation

As a writer, speaker, financial advisor, and Zajac Group managing partner, Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA is dedicated to educating the community about employee stock options, restricted units, and other forms of equity compensation planning.

Whether his audience includes company founders, Section 16 officers, financial colleagues, employees, retirees, or others, Daniel believes anyone can learn how to make informed decisions about equity compensation. He loves bringing clarity to conversations about both pre-IPO and publicly traded forms of equity compensation.

Daniel became a financial advisor in 2004. In 2020, he teamed up with family members to form Zajac Group, where he became managing partner in 2022. When some of Daniel’s earliest financial planning clients needed help managing their equity compensation, he soon discovered a knack and a need for offering practical experience and plain-spoken advice on the subject to business owners and employees alike. He has been helping families ever since as they decide when and how to vest, exercise, hold, sell, and pay taxes on equity grants, while aligning their stock options and other equity compensation with their greater financial plans.

Daniel has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional since 2007. He is also an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Drexel University.

A lifelong teacher and student at heart, Daniel is licensed to provide continuing education (CE) learning for CFP® practitioners. He also has presented at Financial Planning Association events held nationwide, consulted with E-Trade (since acquired), and appears regularly on MyStockOptions.com. Supplementing his own blog on equity compensation, Daniel’s articles, insights, and commentary are frequently cited in a variety of national financial forums and news outlets, including Forbes, Barron’s, Kiplinger, CNBC, and Kitces.com.

Outside of work, Daniel is a devoted father, husband, Ironman athlete, reformed soccer player, and multiple marathon finisher. “I have the honor of doing what I love, surrounded by people I love,” says Daniel. “I’m most energized when I am able to help others find the time and financial freedom to do the same.”