Founder Equity Decisions Deserve a Coordinated Financial Plan
Equity grants, tax elections, company milestones, and personal goals can intersect quickly. Our CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents help founders organize the planning questions around ownership, taxes, liquidity, and life beyond the company.
Your Cap Table Does Not Fit a Standard Financial Plan
Founder wealth may be tied to equity, irregular compensation, and decisions that affect both company ownership and personal finances. A useful plan needs to account for those connections.
Equity tax elections have short decision windows
An 83(b) election is generally due within 30 days after a qualifying property transfer. The decision can involve tax, valuation, and liquidity considerations, so founders may benefit from coordinating with their tax and legal professionals promptly.
QSBS planning depends on facts and documentation
Section 1202 treatment depends on statutory requirements, holding periods, company circumstances, and records that may need attention over time. We help integrate the financial and tax planning questions with your broader personal plan, alongside appropriate legal guidance.
Liquidity can create several decisions at once
A secondary sale or company exit may change your cash flow, tax picture, concentration, and estate considerations at the same time. Coordinated planning can help you evaluate trade-offs before acting under time pressure.
Founder income can change from year to year
Salary, draws, equity, and company milestones may not follow a predictable schedule. Your personal plan should reflect the uncertainty, liquidity constraints, and tax considerations that come with that structure.
Your founder planning desk
From Cap Table to Personal Planning, Coordinated
Our CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents work together so equity planning, tax questions, and personal financial decisions can be considered in the same conversation.
Different questions may need attention at different stages. Start with the area most relevant to your next decision.
Equity Compensation Planning
We help founders organize the questions around equity grants, tax elections, early exercise decisions, QSBS considerations, and how ownership fits within a broader personal plan.
Tax Planning
Our CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents coordinate tax planning with the financial decisions surrounding equity, cash flow, and company milestones throughout the year.
Financial Planning
We help you organize liquid and illiquid assets, personal cash needs, evolving income, and long-term goals into a plan that reflects your circumstances.
Investment Management
Following a liquidity event, investment decisions may need to be considered alongside taxes, concentration, cash needs, and your broader financial plan.
A coordinated planning process
Planning Through Each Stage of Founder Wealth
Founder planning is not a one-time event. The questions can change as your ownership, income, company, and personal priorities evolve.
Before an equity decision
Review grant documents, timing considerations, cash needs, and the tax or legal questions that may need attention before you act.
As the company grows
Coordinate evolving compensation, estimated taxes, personal cash flow, and planning priorities as circumstances change.
Before a liquidity event
Assess tax exposure, concentration, charitable and estate considerations, and near-term liquidity needs before a sale or exit.
After liquidity
Revisit cash flow, investment management, tax preparation, and long-term family goals in light of your new circumstances.
Optional preparation
A Few Documents Can Make the First Conversation More Productive
You do not need to have everything organized before reaching out. If these documents are readily available, they can provide useful context.
- An equity summary or cap table, if available
- Grant agreements and exercise history
- Your most recent tax return
- Expected company milestones or liquidity constraints
- Existing estate documents, if applicable
Founder resources
Explore the Questions Behind the Decisions
QSBS and Section 1202 planning
A detailed overview of questions founders and pre-IPO employees may need to consider around Qualified Small Business Stock.
Read the articleEquity compensation planning for startup employees
How equity compensation can connect with tax planning and a broader personal financial plan.
Read the articleISO and NSO tax considerations
An educational comparison of incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options for New York startup employees.
Read the articlePlanning around a concentrated stock position
Questions to consider when a substantial share of personal wealth is tied to one company position.
Read the articleWhat Changes When Everything Works Together
Most advisory firms do one thing well and outsource the rest. At United Financial Planning Group, your investment decisions, retirement timeline, and tax planning reinforce each other, because the same team handles all three.
CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents work side by side, not across town. Hover over a service to see how it connects to your complete financial picture.
Guidance from our team of CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents. Meet the team
Last updated: September 2026
We Also Work With
Our integrated approach helps people across many financial situations.
We work with software engineers navigating RSU vesting, stock refreshers, ESPP decisions, and high W-2 income — bringing financial planning, investment management, and tax strategy together on one team.
United Financial Planning Group brings CFP® professionals, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents together under one roof — so your equity events, tax strategy, and long-term wealth all move in the same direction.
Ready to Stop Coordinating Between Advisors?
Schedule a no-pressure conversation. We'll listen to what's going on in your financial life and help you decide if working together makes sense.