By Bruce Brumberg, JD in Forbes.com
Stock-price volatility and market declines can rattle anyone—especially this time. Between the market lows of 2008–2009 and the recent market shocks caused by the pandemic and inflation, many employees with stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) saw only rising stock prices. For many of you, the recent market drop may be your first time on the rollercoaster of volatility. Should you change your financial plan or stick with it?
Financial strategies for equity compensation amid volatility and falling stock prices were dominant themes in two recent webinars held by myStockOptions.com, a website with extensive resources on all aspects of stock comp, employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs), and holdings of company shares. In one webinar on stock option exercise strategies and another on planning for restricted stock and RSUs, panels of financial advisors and tax experts discussed how to navigate volatility and down markets. This diverse group, including CFPs, EAs, and JDs, presented a variety of insights from different angles.
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6. Now Is The Time To Seek Professional Financial Advice
Bill Dillhoefer, the CEO of Net Worth Strategies (Bend, Oregon), which developed the StockOpter analysis tool, urges employees with equity comp in a downturn to seek advice from a professional financial planner, if they haven’t already. “When the stock price is going up, you may be getting advice from the watercooler chat and think you don’t need a financial advisor,” he said in the stock option webinar. Confidence is easy in bull markets. However, the game changes when stock prices tank and a bear market looms.
Bill emphasized how much a financial advisor can help you make better decisions and avoid mistakes with stock compensation. A good advisor can “establish and track diversification criteria based on risk.” He recommended understanding your “forfeit value,” a metric an advisor can calculate that shows the value lost if you leave your company to work for a competitor. Even if you’re generally confident in your knowledge of personal finance, advisors can help you “be a little more secure about lasting through these volatile markets without going crazy.”
Further Resources
The webinars in which these financial-planning experts spoke are available on demand at the myStockOptions Webinar Channel: