The 3 Biggest, Most Common Mistakes We See With Equity Compensation
Over the past year, we've seen a noticeable increase in people coming to us with questions about equity compensation.
Some are approaching major liquidity events. Others are navigating RSU vesting for the first time. A few are realizing, a little too late, that taxes and concentrated stock positions can create real problems.
The same mistakes show up again and again — across industries, job titles, and company sizes. The good news is that many of the most common issues are preventable.
Behind the Scenes of Your Portfolio: Taxes & Asset Location
Often overlooked when thinking about your portfolio are the different ways that taxes are generated, based upon the type of accounts that own various asset classes. According to the “Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha” framework study from August 12, 2022, just by optimizing the location that different asset classes are held can add up to 0.60% annually in higher after-tax returns for investors!
FSA vs HSA – What are the differences and how do I use them?
Put company benefits and IRS regulations together, and you’re just asking for complexity masked as an acronym. Many employers provide access to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA) to employees to allow pre-tax payments of various expenses. Let’s dive into the different types and strategies around each.
5 Good Options for Whole Life Insurance Cash Value (plus 1 bad option)
In Fee-Only Financial Planning circles, it is a continual struggle to avoid blasting the insurance industry for their elaborate marketing of life insurance as anything other than insurance.
In working with clients in their 20’s all the way into their 90’s, we’ve seen countless examples of permanent life insurance sold to people who didn’t need it. Most of these are Whole Life policies that our clients come to us decades after purchasing, but while they are still paying premiums.
3 Big Things About Snowflake Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment, that time when you get a bunch of emails from HR but never seem to find the time to look into it. Then, on the last day, you just keep things the same as last year…
Give More To Your Heirs, Not the Government
Since 1997, the estate tax exemption has been increasing with the tax rates dropping. This means that estate tax planning has not been a factor for many people. Looking ahead, there are a few things to look out for, and, depending on your current and projected estate size, you may want to begin taking steps here in 2020.
Another Way to Think About Spending: Taxes, Fixed Expenses and Variable Spending
In our first two posts on financial independence, we focused on saving instead of spending and on increasing your savings rate. But, what if you’re trying to find more room in your “budget” to save more money? How should you think about approaching your spending?