Don't feel anxious or discouraged about stock-price volatility. As the experts will tell you, equity compensation is a tool for building wealth over the long term.

• Stock Options 101: The Essentials
• How Does Your Company's Stock Plan Compare? (Part 1)
• How To Avoid The Most Common Stock Option Mistakes (Part 1)

Restricted stock units (RSUs) have become the most popular alternative to stock options. This article explains what you need to know about RSUs to make the most of them.

• Why You'll Learn To Like Restricted Stock Grants
• Restricted Stock 101: Five Essentials Of Restricted Stock & RSUs

An employee stock purchase plan can be a great benefit, but the rules and taxation are tricky. This two-part article presents six topics you must be familiar with to get the most from your ESPP. Part 1 covers enrollment, plan types, and offering/purchase periods.

• Fundamentals Of Employee Stock Purchase Plans (Part 1): Basic Structure And Terms
• VIDEO! Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs): Core Concepts & Benefits

Managing stock options is one of the most complex financial-planning challenges an employee may face. These 10 guidelines will help you get the most out of your option grants.

• Ten Financial-Planning Rules Every ESPP Participant Should Know
• Your Company Stock: The Importance Of Diversification
• A Holistic Approach To Managing Equity Compensation

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.

• I'm Getting Divorced: What Happens To My Stock Options? (Part 1)
• Funding Your Child's College Education With Stock Options And Other Stock Grants (Part 1)

"My income is around half a million dollars, and I'm paying the alternative minimum tax. It's annoying, and I feel trapped. Now what?" Surprisingly, the best move may be to increase income, and pay even more alternative minimum tax! Find out why by reading this intriguing article.

• Dr. Strange Tax, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The AMT
• The ISO Tax Trap And The AMT Credit Myth: What To Do Before Exercise And At Year-End

Podcast included! Executives, as corporate insiders, must perform a delicate balancing act to meet the needs, demands, and perceptions of the various constituencies interested in their company's stock. This article looks at these concerns and explores ways to manage them that can improve the chances of achieving financial goals.

• Tax Planning For Options, Restricted Stock, And ESPPs After Recent Tax Law Changes: High-Income Taxpayers Impacted Most (Part 1)

The terms of your option grants, the terms of the M&A deal, and the valuation of your company's stock all affect the treatment of stock options in M&A. What happens to your unvested options is the main focus of concern.

• My Company Is Being Acquired: What Happens To My Stock Options? (Part 2)
• Understanding The Risks In Your Pre-IPO Stock Options (Part 2)