Stock options

What Happens to Stock Options When a Public Company Goes Private?

With so much emphasis on IPOs, investors are sometimes surprised when publicly traded companies decide to go private. There are many reasons a company may choose to go private. Dry powder flowing into private equity funds only fuel the trend. For employees of a public company going private via buyout,…

Kristin McKennaOctober 5, 2020

Diversification Forbes Investing Managing Risk Stock options

If You Own Too Much Stock In One Company, It’s a Good Time To Consider Diversifying

Can you own too much of your employer's stock? Undoubtedly, yes. Does holding a lot of company stock create the potential for a large windfall? Also, yes. For employees, it can be difficult to know how much company stock is too much. But identifying a concentrated position is often just…

Kristin McKennaSeptember 21, 2020

ISOs NQSOs Stock options Tax planning Updated for 2021

How Are Stock Options Taxed?

How are stock options taxed? If you have stock options or equity-based compensation as a large part of your income, the tax treatment of your stock options is especially important. How stock options are taxed depends on the type of options you have (incentive or non-qualified) and your sale and…

Kristin McKennaJune 24, 2020

ISOs Job Transition NQSOs Stock options

What Happens To Stock Options If You Are Laid Off?

Losing your job is stressful. If you've been laid off, you may be wondering what will happen to your stock options or restricted stock units. It will depend on some specific details about your company, grant agreement, and the type of stock options or awards you have. Here's what you…

Kristin McKennaApril 22, 2020

Diversification Employee benefits Investing Investing During a Crisis ISOs Managing Risk NQSOs Restricted Stock Awards RSUs SARs Stock options

Don’t Get Taken Down When Your Employer’s Stock Sinks

What can happen if you own too much of your company's stock? The coronavirus outbreak is yet another example of the dangers of having too much company stock. Some C-level executives are required to hold a certain amount, but many employees voluntarily double-down by either holding vested stock or buying…

Kristin McKennaMarch 24, 2020

Employee benefits IPO Stock options

What Happens to Stock Options After a Failed IPO?

What Happens to Stock Options After a Failed IPO? WeWork (now called The We Company) was just steps from a historic initial public offering when mounting concerns over the company's rampant spending, erratic behavior by then-CEO Adam Neumann, and sloppy IPO filings effectively forced the startup to shelve its highly-anticipated…

Kristin McKennaOctober 30, 2019

Financial Planning ISOs NQSOs Restricted Stock Awards RSUs Stock options

Should You Sell Stock Options After The IPO Lockup Period?

What's your IPO lockup expiration strategy? Working for a company as it goes public can be a very exciting and rewarding experience. If you have company stock, an IPO means there will soon be a public market for your shares. IPOs make it much easier to sell stock options after…

Kristin McKennaAugust 6, 2019

Employee benefits ISOs NQSOs RSUs SARs Stock options

What Happens to Stock Options if I Leave the Company?

It's common for employees to move around, especially in tech and biotech. Before signing a new offer letter, make sure to understand what could happen to your stock options, restricted stock units, or other forms of equity-based compensation if you leave the company. Also, remember that each company has their…

Kristin McKennaMay 29, 2018

Employee benefits Financial Planning Investing ISOs NQSOs RSUs Stock options

Employee Stock Options Explained

Stock options or awards can be quite complex. The goal of Employee Stock Options Explained is to provide employees with a complete primer to their stock options. Simple explanations so you have the tools to begin to manage your stock options. Employer stock may be a significant part of your…

Kristin McKennaSeptember 12, 2017

Diversification IPO ISOs NQSOs RSUs Stock options

What Happens to Stock Options After a Company Goes Public?

Whether you work for a company that is pre-IPO or has recently gone public, you may wonder what that means for your stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs). The truth is, there are many different things that can happen to your stock options after an IPO. Here's a summary…

Kristin McKennaAugust 8, 2017