The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting everyone, including employees with equity compensation.
- You may need to sell company stock for cash to meet living expenses.
- Stock-price drops and sudden rebounds may have left you wondering about your equity comp and financial planning.
- You may have lost your job or been furloughed, or you may have changed jobs.
This alert presents recent articles from the myStockOptions editorial team on these and other timely topics. See also a full list of new and recently updated content at myStockOptions.
What To Do With Your Just-Vested Shares After Your Company's Stock Price Drops
Market volatility can rattle anyone's financial plan for stock compensation and company shares. What should you do with shares acquired from equity awards now? Sell them immediately? Hold them in the hope that the stock price will recover? Should you change the strategy you've been following? A new article by CFP Meg Bartelt (Flow Financial Planning) provides a financial advisor's insights on how to consider these questions.
How Employee Stock Purchase Plans Offer Special Benefits In Down And Volatile Markets
One good thing about employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) is they can't be "underwater" like stock options. In fact, an ESPP with a discount and a lookback can be a good deal even in down markets. A new article at myStockOptions explains the unique shelter from volatile and falling stock prices that ESPPs offer. Meanwhile, in a separate article at Forbes.com, myStockOptions editor-in-chief Bruce Brumberg presents real-world data from Fidelity Investments showing how employees with ESPP purchases during the market lows of March and April saw big gains when stock prices later rebounded.
Market Volatility: A Survival Guide For Equity Comp
When stock markets become a rollercoaster and the economy is in a state of uncertain flux, remember that equity comp and company shares are best viewed as a long-term deal. In addition to the new articles above, other content at myStockOptions provides useful insights on coping with stock-price volatility, down markets, and job termination (whether layoffs or other types). You can find this content in the sections Basics: Volatility and Job Events: Termination, along with guidance from various experts in the sections Financial Planning and Life Events. A list of selected articles:
- Stockbrokers' Secrets: Equity Compensation Strategies For Volatile Markets
- Stomach Volatility In Your Company's Stock Without Losing Your Mind
- Job Loss And Your Stock Grants (Parts 1 and 2)
- Preventing Irrational Decisions About Selling Company Stock Or Exercising Options
- Manage Your Expectations To Avoid The Option Blues
- Reframing Your Stock Option Exercise Strategy In Volatile Markets
- Equity Compensation Strategies For Down And Rising Markets
- Insider Trading: How To Stay Out Of Trouble
- FAQ: Does vesting continue while I am on a leave of absence, sabbatical, or furlough?
Webinar: Financial Planning For Stock Compensation During The Pandemic
On July 22, myStockOptions held its first webinar: Financial Planning For Stock Compensation During The Pandemic, a fascinating panel discussion among three leading financial advisors, a top compensation consultant, and myStockOptions editor-in-chief Bruce Brumberg. In 80 minutes of practical commentary and insights, they covered the current state of equity comp and the related shifts in financial planning amid the various impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A streaming version of this webinar will soon be available on a pay-per-view basis. Please contact us at webinars@mystockoptions.com to be notified when the recording is available and when future webinars are scheduled. Like the live webinar, the streaming version will offer 1.0 CE credit hour for CFP, CEP, CIMA, and CPWA.
myStockOptions.com Celebrates 20 Years!
We launched the website during June 2000, in a very different internet and world to those of today. Thank you for all of your support. Over the past two decades we have become the leading independent educational resource on equity comp, with award-winning content and tools focused on stock options, restricted stock/RSUs, and ESPPs. We especially thank all of our site members, licensing clients, and advertisers. You have supported our growth through many stock market and economic cycles.
Learning Center Offers CE Credits
Keep up your continuing professional education! In our Learning Center, myStockOptions has seven courses and exams offering CE credits for several professional designations, including a new course on taxation and tax reporting. These are online self-study courses and exams you can take at your convenience. They offer:
- 35 continuing-education credits for Certified Equity Professionals (CEPs): over 100% of the total requirement
- 18 continuing-education credits for Certified Financial Planners (CFPs): 60% of the total requirement
- 21 continuing-education credits for Certified Private Wealth Advisors (CPWAs) and Certified Investment Management Analysts (CIMAs): 52.5% of the total requirement
- Chartered Financial Analysts (CFAs) and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are encouraged to take our courses and exams and include them, if possible, when they self-document their continuing professional education
Each course of study features podcasts, articles, and FAQs from myStockOptions. They are woven into a dynamic, interactive learning tool that teaches the topics in a memorable way. The answer key for each exam also links to relevant content on the site for further reading and learning.