Specialty Services
RSU and Equity Compensation Planning for High-Income Professionals
Equity compensation is one of the most powerful wealth-building tools available to tech and corporate professionals—and one of the most mismanaged. RSUs, ISOs, ESPPs, and options each carry distinct tax consequences, exercise windows, and strategic trade-offs that most high earners navigate without real guidance.
The hidden cost of unplanned equity decisions
Every time you exercise an option, sell an RSU, or participate in an ESPP without a coordinated strategy, you are making a tax decision—whether you realize it or not. Depending on your income, existing capital gains positions, and the timing of each transaction, the difference between a planned and unplanned equity liquidation can represent $20,000 to $150,000 or more in avoidable taxes in a single year.
The challenge isn't complexity for its own sake. It's that equity compensation sits at the intersection of income tax, capital gains tax, AMT, and securities law—and most CPAs don't have time to model multi-year scenarios during tax season. By the time your return is filed, the decisions have already been made.
Proactive equity planning means making decisions before vesting events, not after. It means modeling ISO exercises against your AMT exposure in February, not explaining the bill in April.
What we typically find when clients come to us
- →Selling RSUs immediately upon vesting without considering bracket impact
- →Exercising ISOs without modeling Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exposure first
- →Missing the 83(b) election window on early-stage or founders' shares
- →Participating in ESPP without a holding period or tax strategy
- →Holding a concentrated equity position with no diversification or hedging plan
- →Treating equity comp as a bonus rather than a tax planning event
None of these are failures of intelligence. They're the natural result of making high-stakes decisions without access to a coordinated, tax-aware strategy. We built WealthBound specifically to close that gap.
How we approach equity compensation planning
Start with a complete equity inventory
We begin by mapping every equity position you hold—unvested RSUs, outstanding ISOs, ESPP participation, and any legacy options from previous employers. We document vesting schedules, exercise prices, grant dates, and holding periods. Most clients are surprised by how many interdependencies exist across grants they've been treating as independent.
Model scenarios before events happen
For ISOs, we model AMT exposure across multiple exercise scenarios, accounting for your existing income, itemized deductions, and state tax situation. For RSUs, we project the tax impact of vesting against your expected income in that year and the next—so you can make withholding decisions with clear numbers in front of you.
Coordinate with your CPA and other advisors
We don't replace your CPA—we work alongside them. We prepare the analysis and strategy so your tax preparer has exactly what they need to execute. Our goal is to be the quarterback who makes sure every player is running the same play.
Outcomes
What coordinated equity planning delivers
- A clear vesting calendar mapped to your tax bracket projections
- ISO exercise strategy with AMT modeling across multiple scenarios
- ESPP participation and holding period guidance
- Coordinated equity sales spread across tax years to minimize bracket exposure
- Concentration risk assessment and a diversification roadmap
- Coordination with your CPA so nothing falls through the cracks
Who we work with on equity planning
Our equity compensation planning work is most valuable for professionals who:
- •Hold RSUs, ISOs, or ESPPs representing more than $100,000 in value
- •Are at a pre-IPO company approaching a liquidity event
- •Have equity grants from multiple employers over their career
- •Earn $200,000 or more in combined W-2 and equity-related income
- •Have made (or are avoiding) a major equity decision without clear guidance
If you're in Scottsdale, Phoenix, or anywhere in the country and navigating equity compensation without a coordinated plan, we'd like to talk.
Ready to stop making equity decisions in isolation?
Start with a 20-minute intro call. We'll tell you exactly where we can help—and where we can't.
Schedule Your Intro CallFee-only fiduciary. Based in Scottsdale, AZ. Serving clients virtually nationwide.