Tech employees whose biggest asset is company stock.
In-person in Raleigh. Virtual nationwide.
$250K–$2M+ of equity- Majority of portfolio concentrated in your company's stock
- Compensated in ISOs, RSUs, NSOs
- Pre-IPO or high-growth technology company
- Upcoming equity event: a vesting cliff, exercise window, tender offer, or IPO
Our experience working with tech professionals
Mitchell Ludwig, CFP®, leads the planning and implementation as a Certified Financial Planner® professional with 10 years guiding tech professionals through vesting cliffs, ISO exercises, tender offers, and IPOs, doing the equity-specific work many advisors treat as a line item.
Jon Ludwig sat where you’re sitting. He spent his career as a software product manager at a leading technology systems-integration consulting firm, working through promotions and the corporate world while collecting equity packages of his own.
From two sides of the table, Mitch as the advisor and Jon as the tech employee, they watched the same people run into the same equity challenges, so they designed The EQUITY System™ to address them.
The five situations we built this for
The First-Cliff
Mid-career engineers and product leaders who just hit their first major vesting event. The paper number on their grant portal is suddenly real, and the tax implications are bigger than anything they’ve faced before.
Core tensions
- First time the equity number exceeds their cash compensation — and the tax bill is coming in April.
- No idea whether to sell at vest, hold for long-term gains, or diversify into something different.
- Googling answers late at night and ending up more confused than when they started.
The Hoarder
Senior ICs and managers several years into a stable public-company grant stack. Each new refresh adds to a growing concentration in one ticker, and the “I’ll deal with it later” approach is wearing thin.
Core tensions
- Net worth is 60–80% concentrated in employer stock — one earnings miss could erase years of progress.
- Quarterly vests trigger tax bills that never quite match what payroll withheld.
- Knows diversification matters intellectually but can’t bring themselves to sell at what feels like “the wrong time.”
The Paper Prisoner
Long-tenured employees at pre-IPO companies sitting on substantial ISO grants. The spread between strike and 409A has grown into six- or seven-figure territory, and every exercise decision now carries AMT consequences.
Core tensions
- A large early-exercise or post-termination window is closing — and exercising triggers AMT.
- Can’t tell whether QSBS eligibility is on the table or already off.
- Watching peers at other startups make expensive mistakes and determined not to repeat them.
The 90-Day Sprinter
Employees who just left (or are about to leave) a company with unexercised options and a post-termination exercise window measured in days, not years. Every decision is high-stakes and reversible only by writing checks.
Core tensions
- Post-termination window is 90 days — or less — and the exercise cost is life-changing.
- Needs a tax, cash-flow, and funding plan built in weeks, not quarters.
- One wrong call permanently forfeits equity they’ve already earned.
The Paper Millionaire
Early employees and founders coming out of a successful IPO, acquisition, or tender offer. The equity finally converted to real money, and the questions shift from “how do I not mess this up” to “how do I make this last.”
Core tensions
- A liquidity event turned years of paper gains into a taxable reality — all at once.
- Needs a more diversified, giving, and long-term wealth plan without the overfitting of a boilerplate portfolio.
- Wants an advisor who actually understands 10b5-1 plans, QSBS rollovers, and concentrated-stock strategy.
Neither United Planners nor its financial professionals render tax advice. Please consult with your accountant or tax advisor for specific guidance.
Sound like you?
No matter which one you’re in, there’s a clear path through it. The EQUITY System™ is the step-by-step plan we use to address each situation.
Book an Equity Strategy Call