Daniel Zajac, CFP | Equity Compensation with Daniel Zajac

Understanding the (b) Election for Non Qualified Stock Options ()

Understanding the 83(b) Election for Non-Qualified Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Feb 1, 2026 | Non Qualified Stock Options, Pre-IPO / Private Stock

If you have non-qualified stock options, you’ve likely spent time researching when and how you’ll face taxes for them. As a general rule, you will be subject to ordinary income...

What You Should Know About the Alternative Minimum Tax

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated May 27, 2025 | Alternative Minimum Tax

Created in 1969 as a way to ensure high-income earners paid their fair share in taxes, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) acts as a parallel tax system to the regular...

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Six Things to Know About Pre-IPO Incentive Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated May 27, 2025 | Incentive Stock Options, Pre-IPO / Private Stock

The choice of when to exercise your incentive stock options can be a difficult one, with serious implications for financial planning and taxes. When your company is still pre-IPO, that...

7 Things You Should Know About Incentive Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 | Incentive Stock Options

Incentive stock options (ISOs) are a form of compensation distributed by a company to their employees. Typically, companies use incentive stock options as a vehicle to retain top employees, reward...

7 Things to Know About Your Employee Stock Purchase Plan

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated May 19, 2025 | Employee Stock Purchase Plan

An employee stock purchase plan is a compensation tool that may allow you to purchase shares of company stock through convenient payroll deductions. Employee stock purchase plans, or ESPPs, allow...

How to Use the Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Effectively in Retirement

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 | Incentive Stock Options

If you have incentive stock options, you’ve likely heard of — and perhaps already paid — the alternative minimum tax. This is the tax due in the years you exercise...

5 Reasons Why You Might Want a Disqualifying Disposition for Your Incentive Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 | Incentive Stock Options

Even though you may pay a higher tax rate by selling your incentive stock options as a disqualifying disposition, you may not want to completely discount the benefits of an...

How to Create a Liquidation Plan for Your Restricted Stock Units

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 | Restricted Stock

Restricted stock units are commonly used as a compensation tool by employers who want to reward and retain key employees. If you’re on the receiving end of restricted stock units,...

What Happens to Your Employee Stock Options When You Leave Your Company?

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 | Employee Stock Options

Even if you don’t have plans to leave anytime soon, it’s not unreasonable to consider what happens to your employee stock options when you no longer work for your current...

How Do You Pay the Exercise Cost When You Exercise Your Employee Stock Options?

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 | Employee Stock Options

If you have employee stock options, you’ve likely spent time considering how and when to turn the value of those options into cash proceeds you can actually use. To turn...

How to Use a Stock Swap to Exercise Your Employee Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 | Employee Stock Options

A stock swap can be a great strategy to use if you have employee stock options you’d like to exercise and hold. It allows you to use the fair market...

How Leverage May Impact the Value of Your Employee Stock Options

by Daniel Zajac, CFP®, EA | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 | Employee Stock Options

If you are on the receiving end of employee stock options, you might want to understand the concept of leverage, as it may have a meaningful impact on the future...

Insights

Understanding the 83(b) Election for Non-Qualified Stock Options

What You Should Know About the Alternative Minimum Tax

Six Things to Know About Pre-IPO Incentive Stock Options

7 Things You Should Know About Incentive Stock Options

7 Things to Know About Your Employee Stock Purchase Plan

How to Use the Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Effectively in Retirement

5 Reasons Why You Might Want a Disqualifying Disposition for Your Incentive Stock Options

How to Create a Liquidation Plan for Your Restricted Stock Units

What Happens to Your Employee Stock Options When You Leave Your Company?

How Do You Pay the Exercise Cost When You Exercise Your Employee Stock Options?

How to Use a Stock Swap to Exercise Your Employee Stock Options

How Leverage May Impact the Value of Your Employee Stock Options

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