There’s a strategy
to equity compensation.
Equity comp is usually the single largest wealth-building lever — and the one most likely to be mismanaged in isolation.
By coordinating all calculations in consideration with your plan and tax liability, we apply a thoughtful and tuned strategy.
How we approach
equity compensation:
The specific levers we work across for equity-heavy clients.
RSU vesting & selling discipline
ISOs & AMT coordination
ESPP strategy & 83(b) elections
NSO exercise planning
NUA on company stock
Deferred-compensation election windows
Concentrated-stock diversification
Integration with the rest of the plan
Deferred comp, sized for lifetime taxes
A senior executive had access to a deferred-compensation plan, but wasn’t using it.
The default — taking the full bonus as W-2 income — meant the dollars were taxed at the top federal and state brackets in the year earned, with no flexibility on when that bill arrived.
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We mapped the picture together: W-2 income, RSU vesting cadence, the deferred-comp election windows, and the years ahead when income would step down.
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Several scenarios were modeled side by side under different assumptions about retirement timing and the deferral schedule. Once the cash flows were on the page, the math came clear — deferring a meaningful slice of bonus into lower-bracket years cut the effective tax rate on those dollars substantially over a lifetime.
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The strategy that came out of the work was one we could both stand behind — mathematically consistent, and psychologically comfortable enough to actually live with.
DIVE DEEPER:
Retirement Income Design
We turn what you've saved into reliable income. Always a tax-efficient approach, without outliving it.