Insights

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The Importance of Diversification

Diversification is a key element of any investment strategy. By putting your investment dollars in a variety of assets, you can limit the risk of significant losses, reduce volatility in your portfolio, and take advantage of a wider array of opportunities, potentially ...

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What to Do When Your Company Stock Falls Below Its IPO Price

When you’re working for a startup and receiving equity compensation, hopes can run high at IPO time. Often, pre-IPO employees enjoy sizable boosts in their wealth after their companies go public. When things don’t go as planned, it can be hard to let go of the hope ...

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ISOs vs. NSOs—What’s the Difference?

Incentive and non-qualified stock options (ISOs and NSOs) are two types of equity compensation that companies use to attract, incentivize, and retain top talent. Incentive stock options receive preferential tax treatment but come with limitations that don’t apply to ...

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Maximizing Employee Equity: Stripe's Early Liquidity Approach

When you have options or restricted shares in a private company, your equity compensation is in an uncertain state. You might anxiously await news of an anticipated IPO or SPAC acquisition and strategize how to pay the tax bill on your shares when it comes due, since ...

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Zoom—An IPO Done Right?

Outstanding Returns for Pre-IPO Investors The Zoom IPO is an example of a pre-IPO shareholder’s dream. After first announcing an opening share price in the range of $28–$32, the company announced a revised initial offering price of $36 the day before public trading ...

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IPO vs. Direct Listing vs. Tender Offer

If your company is about to undergo a liquidity event, congratulations! While many companies achieve this milestone by going through the IPO process, an IPO isn’t the only way to get there. Your company may reach public equities markets through a SPAC acquisition or ...

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What to Expect when You're Expecting (an IPO)

If you receive equity compensation in your pre-IPO company, you have several important decisions to make before IPO day. In this article, we’ll walk you through various stages of the IPO process and what you need to know at each step to get the most out of your options ...

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What Should I Know Before Selling My Stock?

Stock in your rising company can present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build wealth. To make the most of it, however, it’s important to understand the nuances involved in buying, selling, and tax planning. Once you’re holding vested shares, you face important ...

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What Pre-IPO Employees Should Know About the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)

What is Alternative Minimum Tax? The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a provision of the tax code designed to obligate high-income taxpayers to pay at least a minimum amount of tax. When the AMT is triggered, a taxpayer must calculate their taxable income twice: once ...

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What to Do If Your IPO Is Delayed

Volatile economic conditions are having a big impact on startups. Inflation and market declines have spurred many companies to cut costs in a variety of ways. In addition to hiring freezes, layoffs, and consolidations, some companies are delaying their IPO dates in the ...

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