Equity Compensation
RSU taxation, withholding elections, concentration risk, and how to think about tech-industry equity comp alongside the rest of your financial picture.
6 guides in this topic
Strategy14 min readCalculator
Cash vs Equity Election: When Your Employer Lets You Convert Future Awards
Some employers now let you swap future equity for fixed cash on the same vesting schedule. It is a forward sale of single-employer exposure, not cash-now-vs-stock-later. With an interactive decision tool.
Strategy7 min read
Sell Your RSUs at Vest: The Cash-Bonus Test for Tech Workers
When RSUs vest, the rational default is sell-all and diversify. Sell-to-cover and deposit-cash are concentration bets, not tax strategies. The cash-bonus test, side-by-side comparison, and 10b5-1 exception.
Strategy14 min readCalculator
RSU Withholding Calculator: What Federal Rate Should You Choose at Each Vest?
Your RSUs are not taxed at 22%. They are often withheld at 22%. Use this per-vest calculator to project your real federal tax, pick the right election, and check IRS safe harbor before April.
Strategy16 min read
Your Portfolio Is Not Just Your Brokerage Account: Human Capital Risk for Tech Workers
RSU-heavy tech workers are already concentrated in U.S. mega-cap growth before buying a single ETF. Here is why the standard index fund portfolio has gaps, and what to do about it.
Strategy14 min read
Concentration Risk: When to Sell Your Company Stock and How to Diversify
Single-stock concentration increases volatility without increasing expected returns. Learn how to measure concentration with HHI, run the sell-vs-hold math, and use multi-year projections to build a diversification plan.
Strategy12 min readCalculator
RSU Tax Strategy: What Engineers Get Wrong About Equity Compensation
RSU vests are taxable income that can push you into a higher bracket. Learn the sell-vs-hold framework, how to use tax-loss harvesting when diversifying, and the common mistakes engineers make with equity comp.
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