Who We Serve/Tech & Corporate Professionals
RSUs · ISOs · ESPP · deferred comp

Your comp package is a tax problem dressed as a benefit

RSUs that under-withhold, options with an AMT trap, and a net worth quietly concentrated in one employer's stock. Planned by a CFP® professional who is also an Enrolled Agent.

Book a free intro call → See equity comp planning

High income is not the same thing as a plan.

You're compensated well and you're saving. But equity vests on a schedule nobody coordinated with your tax year, the company stock keeps growing as a share of your net worth, and the benefits portal has options in it you've never had explained — mega backdoor Roth, deferred comp, ESPP lookbacks.

Most of the money in a comp package is won or lost in the details. Whether you exercise before or after year-end, how much you actually owe on a vest, whether that concentrated position gets trimmed on a schedule or on a hunch. None of that is investment picking — it's arithmetic that somebody has to do.

Sound Familiar
If you're thinking any of this
"I owed a lot more than I expected last April and I think RSUs were why."
"I have ISOs and I've been told exercising could trigger AMT. I don't know what that means."
"Over half my net worth is in my employer's stock. That feels like a lot."
"There's a mega backdoor Roth option in the portal. Should I be using it?"
"We're pre-IPO. Do I exercise now, wait, or do nothing?"
"I'm changing jobs and I have 90 days to decide about my options."
What We Handle
The parts of your package nobody explains
No. 1
RSUs and the withholding gap
Vesting RSUs are ordinary income, and employers commonly withhold at a flat supplemental rate well below what a high earner actually owes — which is why April comes as a shock. We size the gap, fix the withholding or estimates, and set a default sell-on-vest policy.
No. 2
ISOs, NSOs, and AMT
Exercising incentive stock options can create alternative minimum tax on a gain you haven't received in cash. We model exercise amounts and timing across tax years, compare holding for long-term treatment against the risk of holding at all, and coordinate with expiration dates.
No. 3
ESPP, done properly
A discounted purchase plan with a lookback is often the best straightforward return in your benefits package — provided you understand the qualifying versus disqualifying disposition rules and don't quietly accumulate more employer stock than you intended.
No. 4
Maxing every tax-advantaged dollar
401(k) to the limit and the true-up rules if you front-load, backdoor and mega backdoor Roth where the plan allows it, HSA as a long-term investment account, and deferred compensation elections — which are irrevocable and deserve real analysis.
No. 5
Concentration risk, unwound on a schedule
Your salary, bonus, equity, and often your health coverage already depend on one company. We set a target concentration and get there through scheduled, tax-aware sales — including 10b5-1 plans where trading windows apply — instead of waiting for a feeling.
No. 6
Job changes, IPOs, and layoffs
Post-termination exercise windows, unvested equity left on the table, a new offer's package compared against the old one, severance timing, and what actually changes at a liquidity event. Decisions with short clocks, handled before the clock runs out.

One fee covers the whole relationship

Every service below is included in the advisory fee. Nothing here is an add-on, and nothing here pays a commission.

No. 01
Equity Compensation
RSU, ISO, NSO, and ESPP strategy built around your vest calendar.
No. 02
Tax Planning
Year-round strategy from an Enrolled Agent, built into every decision.
No. 03
Investment Management
Tax-aware portfolios built around your goals and timeline.
No. 04
Retirement Planning
Early retirement modeling, not just the standard age-65 version.

Blended advisory fee from 1.50% to 0.75%, no account minimum. See the full fee schedule →

Common Questions
Fair questions, straight answers
Should I sell my RSUs as soon as they vest?
As a starting point, usually yes. You already paid ordinary income tax on the full value at vest, so holding is economically identical to taking your after-tax cash and buying more of your employer's stock — which most people would never do deliberately. There are real exceptions around trading windows, tax-year timing, and existing concentration, and those are what we work through.
My company is pre-IPO. What should I do with my options?
It depends on your strike price, the current 409A valuation, your AMT exposure, expiration dates, and — bluntly — how much you can afford to lose entirely. Early exercise can be very valuable and can also be money that never comes back. We'll model the scenarios and be candid about which parts are planning and which parts are a bet.
How much of my employer's stock is too much?
There's no universal number, but the exposure is bigger than the balance suggests: your income, your equity, and often your health coverage all sit with the same company. We set a target with you and unwind toward it on a schedule, which removes the "is now the right time" question entirely.
I got hit with a huge tax bill last year. Can that be prevented?
Almost always. Large April bills for high earners usually trace to under-withheld equity, an unplanned exercise, or capital gains with no estimated payments made. Once the vest and exercise calendar is mapped, the number becomes predictable — and the safe-harbor rules can keep penalties out of it.
Do I have enough assets for you to work with me?
There's no account minimum here, which is deliberate. Mid-career professionals with a large income and a complicated comp package are frequently turned away by firms that only count investable assets — and they're exactly the people for whom good planning compounds the longest.
I'm not in Arizona. Does that matter?
Usually not. We're based in the Phoenix area and work with clients remotely; state registration rules determine where we can take on clients, so just ask and we'll confirm for your state. Multi-state and equity-heavy tax situations are a normal part of the work.
Next Step

Bring your vest schedule. We'll do the math.

A free 30-minute call. Grant details and a recent pay stub are enough to find the obvious gaps.

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Golden Acre Wealth Management LLC is an investment adviser registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission (CRD #337930). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. All fees are negotiable and are described fully in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A, available upon request or at adviserinfo.sec.gov. Equity compensation outcomes depend on your specific grant documents, plan rules, employer trading policies, holding periods, and individual tax circumstances; withholding rates, AMT treatment, and plan-level features such as mega backdoor Roth contributions vary and change over time. Examples on this page are general in nature and are not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or exercise any specific security. Golden Acre Wealth Management does not provide legal services. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., awarded to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.