Equity Compensation Financial Advisor
Fee-only financial planning and investment management for professionals with RSUs, stock options, ESPPs, and concentrated company stock, with a focus on taxes, diversification, and long-term financial decisions.
Financial Planning for Equity Compensation
Inclinevest Wealth Management is based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and works with professionals in Denver, throughout Colorado, and nationwide. Gabriel Motta, CFP®, MBA, works with professionals whose compensation and net worth include employer stock, RSUs, stock options, ESPPs, or other forms of equity compensation.
Decisions around vesting, exercising, selling, diversification, and taxes can affect your investment portfolio, cash flow, and retirement strategy. We coordinate those decisions with the rest of your financial plan rather than treating your company stock separately.
Equity Compensation Planning
Different forms of equity compensation create different planning decisions. We help you understand what you own, what is changing, and how it fits into your broader financial plan.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Plan around vesting schedules, withholding, selling decisions, capital gains, and the role of company stock in your overall portfolio.
Stock Option Financial Planning
Evaluate exercise decisions for incentive stock options (ISOs) and nonqualified stock options (NSOs), including taxes, cash requirements, expiration dates, and concentration.
Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs)
Coordinate ESPP purchases and sales with your cash flow, tax situation, investment strategy, and broader financial goals.
Concentrated Company Stock
Develop a thoughtful approach to reducing concentration while considering taxes, portfolio risk, career exposure, and long-term goals.
Private Company Equity
Plan around private-company options, restricted stock, liquidity events, and other equity that may be difficult to value or sell.
Equity Compensation & Retirement
Coordinate employer stock with retirement savings, future income needs, taxes, Social Security, and the transition away from employment.
The Decisions Around Your Company Stock Matter
Equity compensation can become a significant part of your financial life, particularly after years of vesting and appreciation. The planning question is often larger than whether to hold or sell a particular position.
We look at equity compensation alongside your taxes, investments, retirement accounts, income, cash reserves, and other financial goals.
For clients approaching retirement, concentrated company stock deserves particular attention. Your salary, future compensation, investment portfolio, and retirement income can all be affected by the same company's performance.
- RSU vesting and selling decisions
- Stock option exercise decisions
- ESPP purchase and sale decisions
- Capital gains and tax considerations
- Reducing concentrated company stock
- Reinvesting proceeds after a sale
- Coordinating equity with retirement accounts
- Integrating equity decisions into your investment plan
Equity Compensation Across Your Career
Equity decisions change as your career and financial priorities change. Early in your career, the focus may be on understanding your compensation and building wealth. Later, diversification, taxes, retirement, and investment management can become more important.
Aerospace & Defense Professionals
Financial planning for professionals whose compensation includes employer stock, RSUs, options, retirement benefits, and other complex compensation.
Explore aerospace & defense planning →
Complex Financial Planning
Coordinate equity compensation with taxes, investments, retirement, and other financial decisions when your financial situation has multiple moving parts.
Explore complex financial planning →
Equity Compensation and Retirement Planning
Your relationship with company stock can change significantly as retirement approaches. You may have accumulated substantial shares while still relying on the same company for your employment income.
Retirement planning creates an opportunity to evaluate how much company stock you want to continue holding, how sales may affect your taxes, and how proceeds could fit into a diversified investment portfolio and future retirement income.
We can coordinate these decisions with your broader retirement strategy, including investment management, tax planning, and retirement income planning.
- Company stock concentration
- Timing of stock sales
- Capital gains considerations
- Retirement portfolio allocation
- Future retirement income needs
- Social Security timing
- Roth conversion opportunities
- Coordination with your tax professional
Related Financial Planning
Equity compensation is one part of a larger financial plan. These areas often become especially important when company stock represents a meaningful portion of your wealth.
Retirement Income Planning
Plan how your investments, retirement accounts, Social Security, and other resources can support your spending throughout retirement.
Learn about retirement income planning →Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Learn how Inclinevest's fee-only fiduciary approach fits into ongoing financial planning and investment management.
Learn about fiduciary planning →Complex Financial Planning
Coordinate investments, taxes, retirement, equity compensation, and other decisions when your financial situation has multiple moving parts.
Explore complex financial planning →Equity Compensation Questions
Some of the questions we commonly discuss with professionals who have RSUs, stock options, ESPPs, or concentrated company stock.
How are RSUs taxed?
RSUs generally become taxable income when they vest. The amount included in income is generally based on the value of the shares at vesting. Withholding is typically handled through your employer, but higher-income households may need to consider whether withholding is sufficient for their overall tax liability. We can incorporate RSU vesting into your broader financial and tax planning and coordinate with your tax professional.
Should I sell RSUs when they vest?
There is no universal answer. The decision depends on your tax situation, investment portfolio, company stock concentration, cash needs, risk tolerance, and long-term goals. We can evaluate the role of the shares within your overall investment plan rather than treating the RSUs in isolation.
What's the difference between ISOs and NSOs?
Incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options have different tax rules and exercise considerations. ISOs can involve alternative minimum tax considerations, while NSOs generally create ordinary income when exercised based on the spread between the exercise price and fair market value. The appropriate planning approach depends on your specific grants, income, liquidity, and goals.
How can I reduce my company stock concentration?
A diversification strategy can consider future vesting, existing shares, tax consequences, investment objectives, and your broader financial plan. Some clients use a systematic approach to selling shares over time, while others may have specific tax or liquidity reasons to hold certain positions.
Can you help with private-company stock options?
Yes. Private-company equity can involve additional questions around valuation, exercise costs, expiration dates, liquidity, and potential company transactions. We can help evaluate those decisions within your overall financial plan.
Do you work with equity compensation outside Colorado?
Yes. Inclinevest is based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and works with clients nationwide through virtual meetings. We work with professionals across technology, aerospace, defense, and other industries where equity compensation is part of the financial picture.
Talk Through Your Equity Compensation
If RSUs, stock options, ESPPs, or company stock have become an important part of your financial picture, an introductory conversation can help determine whether ongoing financial planning and investment management are a good fit.
Schedule an Intro Call