Concentration risk is an issue of interest to nearly every employee, executive, business owner, or anyone else holding company stock and employee stock options. What is concentration risk? It’s loosely defined as holding a significant portion of wealth in a single stock, which could result in an inappropriately diversified portfolio. Unfortunately, the ambiguity associated
Category: Considerations When You Have Significant Equity Compensation
What Executives Need to Know About Performance Awards
A performance award is a grant of company stock or stock units, typically tied to a pre-determined metric or goal that is specific to the recipient or award itself. More often than not, the recipient is an executive. Interchangeably referred
The 10b5-1 Plan: 8 Frequently Asked Questions and Recent Updates
If you’re an executive or an employee with significant equity in your company from employee stock options, restricted stock units, or other stock grants, you may have a continual need to sell stock. However, SEC regulations, company insider trading policies and fears of allegations of insider trading may prevent proper diversification of holdings. Fortunately for executives and insiders, Rule 10b5-1 trading plans can allow flexibility to sell stock without regard to limitations imposed by company insider trading policies while complying with SEC regulations. Such plans also provide an affirmative defense to allegations of insider trading.
A Quick Take on the Tax Treatment of Incentive Stock Options
If your employer has granted you incentive stock options (ISOs), you’ve likely spent time researching the tax treatment. If so, you’ve probably read about the alternative minimum tax (AMT), and qualifying and disqualifying dispositions. Perhaps the complication has left you wondering: What does this mean to me as a taxpayer?
What Equity Compensation Shares Are the Best to Contribute to a Donor Advised Fund? Part 1
If there’s such a thing as a match made in philanthropic heaven, it may be the ability to donate a portion of your equity compensation shares to a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). DAFs are relatively easy to fund, easy to manage, and they ensure that you get a tax deduction for the full, appreciated value of your donated stock.
How to Coordinate a Donor Advised Fund and Your Equity Compensation
If you have equity compensation and are in an abnormally high-income tax year, it often makes sense to consider how you may be able to offset that pending tax liability.
What to Expect When Your Company IPOs and How to Prepare for a Liquidity Event
Being part of an initial public offering, or IPO, is an exciting time. This is when a private company goes through the process of getting listed on a publicly-traded exchange. Where shareholders may have previously only been able to buy or sell the company’s equity in private deals (if allowed by the company), an IPO allows for company stock to be bought, sold, or traded…
Dive Deeper
Whether you’re just getting started or expanding your knowledge, here are some resources to get you started.
NEW! The Ultimate Guide to Equity Compensation
Understand what you have, what you should consider, and what ultimately matters to you.
Hi, I'm Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA
I write about equity compensation and employee stock options in a way that is easy to understand.
NEW! The Ultimate Guide to Equity Compensation
Understand what you have, what you should consider, and what ultimately matters to you.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Get the Ultimate Guide to Incentive Stock Options to better understand your equity compensation.