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Have you ever purchased an extra car, boat, or even vacation home? If you have, you may know that most experts recommend having an exit or selling strategy in place before making the purchase. As a top-level executive, you’ve likely experienced this on a corporate level too. For example, you might have allocated funds to…

Executives considering investing in exchange-traded funds will find that they can be effective asset allocation tools to spread risk across multiple assets, and even multiple asset classes. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of investing in exchange-traded funds.

When executives are faced with the challenge of planning out the legacy they would like to leave, it can be a daunting task. How do you ensure your loved ones are cared for, but still impact causes you believe in? In estate planning, there are many methods and strategies to choose from and utilize. Which…

One of the greatest benefits of working your way to becoming a C-suite-level employee is receiving equity compensation, whether it be in the form of qualified or non-qualified stock options, or restricted stock units. There is really no greater way for an employer to ensure that its top employees are vested in the future growth…

As an executive, you may find yourself making a choice between these two bonus types, especially when joining a new company. That is why it’s important to understand the pros and cons of a cash bonus vs. stock bonus, and how each might best fit your financial situation.

Let’s take a look at the donor-advised fund vs. private foundation by considering the benefits and drawbacks of each, with the goal of guiding you in choosing a method that best suits you and your charitable giving endeavors.

Insider trading has been a hot topic in the last few years, due in part to unethical behavior by top-level executives and traders alike, along with the added exposure from social media and other news outlets. While insider trading is not a new concept, it is one that can be avoided if the parties involved…

As a financial advisor, I help executives establish a charitable giving plan that aligns with their financial portfolio. Part of that process includes exploring the key considerations you should make when setting up a private foundation, as well as exploring alternatives to private foundations that still allow you to achieve your charitable gifting goals.

My goal today is to show you the benefits of each charitable donation strategy as well as open your mind to the possibility of starting your own private fund regardless of your income level.

Due to ever-shifting rules and regulations set forth by the IRS, it is important to understand how non-qualified stock options tax treatment works today, as well as to seek the guidance of an experienced executive financial advisor who can keep you abreast of equity compensation taxation changes in the future.

Knowing that more than a decade ago many corporations saw the upside of offering restricted stock units to their employees, it’s important for you to know more about this type of executive compensation. Specifically, what does the restricted stock tax treatment look like when you’re offered these units?

“Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” We likely have all heard this old adage at one time or another, but have you ever considered how this very simple saying relates to your investment portfolio as a top-level executive? If not, there’s no better time than today to consider the risks of concentrated…

One of our clients was being granted restricted stock from his employer, something that he had never been offered before. He was very excited about the prospect of this executive compensation until he began to talk about the tax implications. “When I become fully vested in this restricted stock program, I will pay income tax…

Many life decisions that used to be simple are now more complicated than ever. Take claiming your Social Security benefits, for example. I was sitting down with a couple just the other day, and they were blown away by the number of claiming options—there are now more than 80 ways for a married couple to…

After helping many clients through this process, here are some tips for executives starting a business in retirement.

Using exchange funds for concentrated positions is a strategy that offers instant diversification to offset the risk of a concentrated portfolio.

When it comes to incentive stock options, you have some favorable tax treatment on your side. However, you have to consider the burden of alternative minimum tax. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here’s a closer look at how incentive stock options are taxed and what those tax implications could mean for your overall financial plan.

Entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously once said, “All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.” If there’s one thing nearly everyone can agree on, it’s that we want to leave the world a better place than…

To better understand how an incentive stock options swap works, and if it might be a good strategy for you, here’s a closer look at this method and the considerations to make before moving forward with this strategy.

Many times, in working with top-level executives, the conversation of charitable gifting will lead us into the realm of charitable trusts and whether or not they are a good fit for your estate plan. One question many executives have is: Are charitable trusts tax exempt? Here’s a closer look at that question.

Regardless of what is currently available to you, it is important to understand the differences between restricted stock units vs. options in the case you are offered either or both in the future.

Knowing that both active and passive investing can help you achieve portfolio diversification and asset allocation, which one is right for you? Here’s a look at the differences between active vs. passive investing, industry trends around both of these types, and ways to determine which one makes most sense for your portfolio.

A donor-advised fund can be a powerful charitable planning tool for executives. Here’s a closer look at these tools and how you can earn a donor-advised fund tax deduction.

Having an understanding of strategic nonqualified deferred compensation plan tax treatment options can help you make an educated decision about opting in or continuing to utilize your deferred compensation plan.

Here are some strategies that address wealth management for entrepreneurs by either reducing the size of your estate or assisting in the transition of your business and estate. These strategies can be used to formulate a balanced estate plan that helps ensure the results of your hard work live on.

When you establish a charitable remainder trust, you are able to generate income for yourself and your family while you are alive. When you pass on, the trust leverages your remaining wealth to impact the charities of your choice. Here’s a closer look at this wealth preservation and distribution strategy and when setting up a charitable trust makes sense for your financial and estate plans.

As an executive financial advisor, I’ve helped many directors and other executives of publicly traded companies establish 10b5-1 plans. If you’re a holder of company stock, it’s something you should consider not only to maintain public perception, but to protect yourself and the financial portfolio you’ve worked hard for. Here’s a closer look at these plans, as well as some 10b5-1 plan best practices executives should know.

It is important for executives to have a strategy in place to maximize and balance your portfolio. As an executive financial advisor, there are a few investment strategies for high income earners I find most effective for doing this. Here’s a look at those strategies in more detail.

There are certain tax exemption amounts and limits that corporate executives can’t afford to ignore. One of the most important is the federal estate tax exemption. Here’s a closer look at how that amount, as well as some strategies for lowering your taxable estate.

One of my clients was recently offered restricted stock units as part of his executive compensation package. He and his wife always had aspirations of international travel. All of their children would be out of the house in a few years, so they would finally have the time and energy to do it. The vesting…

If you are an executive with company stock options, here’s a closer look at how the new estate tax laws in 2018 can affect you. We’ll also discuss why you should consider removing your stock options from your estate and a strategy for doing that.

When many people think of making a charitable donation, their mind immediately goes to pulling out the checkbook to make that gift. However, there are other methods that can be tax efficient for high net worth individuals, making them a “win-win” for the charity and the executive. Here’s a closer look at five charitable giving tax strategies to consider. When implemented with an experienced wealth manager, these strategies can help you to maximize your charitable donation and lessen your tax burden at the same time.

Stock options are rarely talked about when it comes to investing, even though they typically make up a large portion of a top-level executives’ overall net worth. The good news is that, by working with an experienced executive financial advisor, you can learn more about strategies for investing non-qualified stock options and make informed decisions that benefit your financial portfolio.

A living trust can be a valuable estate planning tool for executives. It’s one I’ve helped many of my clients implement because of the benefits it offers. Here’s a closer look at the living trust benefits to consider as you plan what will happen with your hard-earned assets when you’re no longer able to manage them.

By working with an advisor who specializes in equity compensation planning, you can be sure the pilot of your financial plan has flown this route before and knows exactly what to look and plan for. They can guide you through asking the right questions and gathering the necessary information to help you make an informed decision.

Smart legacy wealth management strategies can help ensure that your priorities are evident through your charitable gifting. With the help of an executive financial advisor, you can effectively implement these strategies to create a legacy of giving. Let’s look at some of them in more detail.

As an executive financial advisor, part of my job is simply to educate clients about the stock options they’ve been offered so we can devise a strategy together. With that in mind, I’d like to offer a closer look at differences between two common types of stock options you may face at some point in your career—incentive stock options vs. non-qualified stock options.

While the 2018 tax reform has loosened up the estate tax laws and limits, executive stock options and equity compensation plans can still have a major impact on your taxable estate. That’s why I want to share with you one estate planning strategy for corporate executives with equity compensation plans: gifting stock options.

Tax Day. While some people embrace the fact that it comes every year like clockwork, others dread it. Bidding adieu to another year’s filing deadline, for many, means an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief and to not have to think about it again for another year. As an executive financial advisor, however, the topic of taxes is never far from my mind. When I’m consulting my clients, a top priority is always how the decisions we make will affect their tax situation.

While I always recommend that you work with a trusted tax professional in conjunction with a seasoned wealth manager before making any large charitable donations, in my experience, I have yet to find a downside to donating stock to charity.

I heard an interesting fact the other day: The average American will work for the same employer for four years. Unless you only have a few working years left, there is a high probability that you won’t be employed by your current company when work becomes optional for you. This is why rollover and exit strategies are something you seriously need to consider and discuss with your wealth manager before opting into retirement accounts offered by your employer, especially executive deferred compensation plans.

Estate planning is an essential part of an executive’s wealth management strategy both while you are here on this earth and when your legacy outlives you. As a wealth manager to executives and their families, I am frequently asked about estate planning and how it fits into an overall financial plan.

One of the frequent questions I field as an executive financial advisor involves understanding the difference between deferred compensation plans vs. 401(k) plans. The short answer is that there are pros and cons to both, which is why I’d like to explore these differences in more detail.

As a corporate executive, your days are highly scheduled and regulated. The time you can devote to working with charities may be limited, but you can nevertheless make a substantial impact without the time commitment.

Many C-level executives find themselves with questions about the most effective incentive stock options tax strategies. However, there’s a clear gap in the wealth management marketplace: very few financial advisors or tax professionals actually discuss how to strategically optimize equity compensation planning with their clients.