Restricted Stock
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Restricted Stock - Basics

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Articles

The Great Benefits Of Restricted Stock And Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

Podcast and video included! Receiving a grant of restricted stock or restricted stock units (RSUs) is a reason to celebrate. This article explains the value to you.

VIDEO! Restricted Stock & RSUs (Part 1): Key Aspects To Know

Presented by the editor-in-chief of myStockOptions.com, this engaging video covers the fundamentals of restricted stock, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares to help you make the most of these grants. This video covers key concepts, such as vesting schedules and understanding your grant's value. Running time: 4:37

Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Securities: How To Tell Them Apart And Avoid Confusion This is premium content

Restricted stock, restricted stock units (RSUs), and restricted securities are often confused by employees, companies, and financial advisors alike. That can be problematic. Those three things are not the same—and understanding which you have matters, as a lawsuit by current and former Uber employees demonstrates. This article explains the differences.
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Restricted Stock 101: Five Essentials Of Restricted Stock & RSUs This is premium content

Podcast and video included! While restricted stock and RSUs are relatively straightforward, they have technical aspects you must understand to make the most of them. Learn the essential facts of restricted stock and RSUs, including basic concepts, vesting schedules, and tax treatment.

Restricted Stock & RSU Fundamentals: What You Need To Know (Part 1)

Video included! Understand what you must know to make the most of restricted stock or RSUs. In Part 1 we discuss the rules and restrictions of vesting and sale.

Presentation! Restricted Stock And RSUs: Core Concepts, Vesting, And Taxation

myStockOptions.com
PowerPoint presentation (in PDF) that Bruce Brumberg, editor-in-chief of myStockOptions.com, developed for talks and meetings on restricted stock and RSUs. myStockOptions Pro members may request permission to use it for company employees or financial-planning clients.

FAQs

Video included! What are the top 10 questions I should ask about my grant of restricted stock or RSUs?

You should know the answers to the questions in this FAQ's checklist and be familiar with the topics presented in the related video. Understanding these will help you make the most of your restricted stock/RSU grant and prevent costly mistakes...

My restricted stock/RSUs will vest soon. What must I do and decide? This is premium content

When vesting occurs and the restriction on the shares lapses, you have some choices but fewer than you would with stock options, which require decisions about exercise timing and method. Restricted stock and restricted stock units do not...

What are restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs), and how do they differ?

While restricted stock and RSUs are siblings, they have important differences, as explained by this FAQ, which includes a quick-reference table clearly presenting the comparison...
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Can restricted stock, RSUs, and performance shares go underwater? This is premium content

Not in the way stock options can. Restricted stock is worth the full market value of the stock when it vests (or, with restricted stock units, when shares are delivered). It does not matter if...

Once my restricted stock vests, is it mine forever? This is premium content

After restricted stock vests, it becomes stock that you own outright, like shares bought on the open market. However, as with any stock you own, you can lose the shares...

What is restricted stock? Does it differ from restricted securities?

Don't confuse restricted securities and restricted stock. They are very different...

Are restricted tokens similar to restricted stock? This is premium content

While the two grant types have some similarities, the worth of restricted tokens depends on the value of an underlying cryptocurrency, not the company’s stock price. Tokens are attracting attention as a form of compensation because...

Does this website's content on restricted stock also apply to restricted stock units (RSUs)?

Generally, yes, with two exceptions. First, with RSUs you cannot...

Why do many companies grant restricted stock and RSUs instead of stock options? This is premium content

The compensation philosophies of companies are continually changing under the influence of many factors, from accounting rules to...

What advantages do restricted stock and RSUs have over stock options? How do the two grant types compare? This is premium content

It's not easy to determine which type of grant is better for you. While restricted stock and RSUs are siblings, they have important differences, as explained by this FAQ, which includes a quick-reference table clearly presenting the comparison...

Why do companies shift from granting stock options to granting restricted stock units, and then sometimes back again to granting at least some stock options? This is premium content

Surveys indicate that many companies use a variety of grants, including both stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) in tandem. There are many possible reasons why a company might switch from options to RSUs...

Which do companies grant more often: restricted stock or restricted stock units (RSUs)? This is premium content

Starting with broad grants of RSUs at Microsoft and Amazon, recent corporate practices and survey data suggest it is more likely that your company will grant you...

Do I receive dividends on unvested restricted stock and have voting rights? This is premium content

Shares of restricted stock are issued to you and are outstanding in your name from the time of grant, though typically you cannot transfer them until vesting. Most stock plans...

UPDATES! What is the process of granting equity awards?

Stock grants, such as options or restricted stock, are typically determined by the group or person that sets cash compensation levels and bonuses at your company. The full board, compensation committee, or authorized officer of the company then...

Are stock option and restricted stock grants negotiable? What terms are negotiable at hire? This is premium content

In most instances, stock grants are subject to the same types of practical limitations as negotiations for your cash compensation. For example, an employer may...

What guidelines do employers use to determine how many stock options or restricted shares to grant? This is premium content

Guidelines about grant sizes vary among industries and corporate peer groups. Most companies...

My company granted me stock options and restricted stock under its 2016 plan. Why wasn't my grant under a plan of the current year? This is premium content

Some companies have more than one stock plan. When a company offers just one omnibus plan...

What does a stock grant agreement look like, and what terms does it cover? Where can I find samples? This is premium content

Depending on the type of equity award, a stock grant agreement can have one or several pages setting forth a range of terms for you to review, including...

Does a grant of restricted stock or performance shares have an expiration date, as stock options do? This is premium content

Not for standard time-vested restricted stock. These grants do not have a term, as stock options do. The vesting of restricted stock depends on...

Do I need to buy the restricted stock from my company or exercise something to get it? This is premium content

In a public company, the shares are usually granted at no cost to you, and there is no exercise. Under a few states' corporation laws, lawyers recommend that you...

How do I calculate the value of my restricted stock? This is premium content

The calculation is simple. You multiply the number of shares you received by the...

How does a stock split affect my restricted stock/RSU grant?

Your grant is adjusted according to the split ratio that applies...

Can I reinvest my restricted stock dividends in more company stock instead of taking cash income now? This is premium content

Instead of paying cash dividends, a small number of companies require...

Do I get to hold the stock itself with a restricted stock grant?

Usually the shares are legended with the restrictions, and they are often...

What is a vesting schedule?

A vesting schedule dictates when you may exercise stock options, when forfeiture restrictions lapse on restricted stock, or when shares are delivered with RSUs. Each grant has its own vesting schedule. A schedule is time-based if...

Are there different types of time-based vesting schedules? Which are most common? This is premium content

Vesting schedules provide for either "cliff" vesting or "graded" vesting. Most graded-vesting stock grants have restrictions that...

UPDATES! What is a typical vesting schedule? Do you have any data on vesting schedules and their design? This is premium content

Graded vesting is more common than cliff vesting. According to surveys, the most common vesting schedule for these grants is...

What service counts toward vesting?

Unlike in some benefit plans, service for time-vested option and restricted stock grants is rarely...

Video included! Do I forfeit my restricted stock or RSUs if I leave the company before vesting?

Generally, leaving the company before the vesting date of restricted stock or RSUs typically causes the forfeiture of shares that have not vested. Exceptions can occur, depending on...

Can my company fire me or reduce the size of my grant just before the vesting of my stock options or restricted stock/RSUs?

In short, yes, assuming this termination is made for good-faith reasons, such as business downsizing. Most employees are "at will," which means...

If my company declares bankruptcy, do I have any special rights in my restricted stock or RSUs?

While restricted stock or RSUs still have value even when a company's stock price is lower than the grant price (stock options would be underwater), any type of equity grant can be worthless if a company goes bankrupt. That is one of the many lessons of...

My stock will be "released" or "delivered" at vesting. What does that mean? This is premium content

"Releasing" restricted stock is the process by which your company transfers or "frees" shares to you when...

What is a lapse election, and why do I need to make it before the restricted stock or restricted stock units vest? This is premium content

The "lapse" is the end of the restriction that prevented the shares from vesting and being transferred to you. The lapse election is the method by which you choose withholding methods and what will be done with the...

How do I sell shares that I acquired through a stock option exercise, restricted stock vesting, or ESPP?

Whether you hold stock certificates, hold your shares in a brokerage account, or have an online trading account, you will need the assistance of a stockbroker...
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