The myStockOptions.com Editorial Team
NEW! The current tax law is set to end at the close of 2012. The future tax treatment of equity compensation, and therefore the value of your grants, will be determined amid a comprehensive flood of necessary new legislation affecting all areas of the tax system. This article outlines the major planning issues to follow as the year progresses.
W.E.B. Bantling
Market volatility and declines rattle even the most experienced holders of stock compensation (and their advisors). You may soon face decisions that affect your financial future and long-term wealth in the midst of this market turmoil. Here are 10 topics I find myself discussing over and over again with my best clients.
Richard Friedman
Understand financial planning for restricted stock and RSUs. Part 1 discusses the growing popularity of these grants, their special features, and the related tax planning.
W.E.B. Bantling
Many companies have turned away from stock options and begun to make outright stock grants that must vest before the shares can be issued. For employees, these grants have added a new layer of complexity to their equity compensation. This article presents six questions I get all the time from clients who have received restricted stock, restricted stock units, or performance shares.
Sue Stevens
Could the Roth IRA be your greatest opportunity for accumulating tax-free growth? Well, as with most strategic-planning issues, it all depends. Part 1 of this two-part article series looks at the rules and factors to consider in a Roth IRA conversion.
Bruce Brumberg
Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) are changing in many ways, largely in response to accounting rules. For Part 2, myStockOptions.com asked financial and wealth advisors what they are recommending to clients about ESPP participation.
Geoffrey M. Zimmerman
Successful strategies for equity compensation begin with identifying the role stock grants will play in your life, whether for retirement, college funding, or other goals. The greater the value of your grants, the more important this process becomes. This article provides helpful checklists of points to consider for three different types of investors.
Michael Beriss
Managing your stock options is one of the most complex financial challenges you will face. These 10 rules will help you get the most out of them.
Bruce Brumberg
Whether you are a novice or advanced investor, it can be hard to decide what to do with your company's stock grants. Should you exercise options now or wait? Should you hold company stock at vesting or sell it and reinvest? The study of behavioral economics and investor psychology offers insights that can help.
W.E.B. Bantling
My clients want to exercise options shortly after they vest for a significant purchase, like a fancy boat or a sports car. The most expensive boat or car I can imagine is the one bought with your just-vested options. Tips I tell clients include not exercising too soon or waiting too long.
W.E.B. Bantling
I see too many smart people who have substantial gains in their stock options do dumb things, as I explained in my first article. Here are more of the rules I try to teach my clients, which can act as a guide for you, too.
Carol Cantrell
Stock compensation is important for retirement planning. Understand the issues and explore strategies, whether you are planning for retirement, are nearing retirement, or have retired already.
William Baldwin
Rather than providing you with a guarantee, today's benefit plans offer only an
opportunity to attain financial security. The decisions you must make will turn some of you into financial winners.
William Baldwin
Stock options are a major element of your long-term incentive compensation, offering tremendous potential to accumulate personal wealth. Given your stock options' complexity, it’s essential to develop a strategy to realize their full potential.
Tom Davison
Even under President Barack Obama, the Bush administration's 2003 tax cuts and later extensions (now through 2012) continue to affect tax strategies for NQSOs, ISOs, and restricted stock.
Marie Leone
CFO
Basic financial-planning strategies and mistakes to avoid with your stock options.
Lewis Braham
BusinessWeek
Because stock option and restricted stock grants are part of your overall portfolio, you need a clear strategy for when to hold and when to sell.
Bruce Fraser
Financial Advisor
With many variables to consider, timing and strategy for when to exercise are critical for realizing stock option gains and avoiding tax liabilities.
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The 2010 Tax Relief Act extended the 2010 tax rates through 2012. This FAQ presents eight related planning points for equity compensation...
There's no requirement for which vested options you must exercise first. The decision of which options to exercise first is part of your...
This is a difficult question that only you can really answer, as your exercise timing depends on a number of personal factors unique to you...
Most option plans do not prescribe the order of option exercises, which is usually up to you...
This is wishful thinking, because these are two separate transactions. It does not make sense to...
As other FAQs and articles in this section explain, there is no universal plan for everybody. With that said, we present some general advice from experts...
When the stock market rebounds after a fall, one of the most common mistakes among optionholders is exercising too early to grab quick profits...
To receive a dividend you must own a stock on the record date, so you want to be aware of the ex-dividend date. Also consider...
The 2003 tax law has no provisions that deal directly with employee stock options or stock purchase plans. If your income goes up...
As long as the student is considered a dependent of the parent for financial-aid purposes, the parent does have to report stock options on line...
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