Wealth Management for Executives

From executives to high-performing managers and professionals, those with equity compensation face complex financial decisions involving taxes, investments, and long-term planning. EP Wealth offers comprehensive wealth management services, helping high-earning professionals navigate these challenges with a team that understands the demands of leadership.

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Wealth Strategies for Executives

We support executives, managers, and professionals with services designed to reflect the financial realities of their roles:

Guidance on incentive stock options (ISOs), Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), deferred compensation, and Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs)
Strategies for concentrated stock positions and single-stock risk
Liquidity forecasting and tax-efficient strategies for equity sales
Evaluation of compensation plan elections in connection with retirement timelines
Coordination with HR and outside professionals on benefit and plan design
Planning around blackout windows, trading restrictions, and corporate ownership rules

Financial Planner

An experienced professional collaborating with your advisor to offer holistic financial guidance
Builds your financial plan, including projections tied to equity compensation
Evaluates cash flow strategies and plan scenarios
Provides specific, actionable next steps

Portfolio Manager

Advises on investment diversification, risk, and equity sales
Executes transactions such as tax-loss harvesting or rebalancing
Monitors markets and your plan’s alignment over time
Helps manage concentrated or legacy stock positions

Client Service

Handles account requests, documentation, scheduling, and communication
Provides day-to-day support with efficiency and discretion
Understands your preferences and timelines
Coordinates quickly on time-sensitive matters

Estate/Advanced Planning Team

Assists in reviewing trust structures and long-term legacy strategies
Helps with coordination of asset titling and beneficiary designations
Identifies planning gaps and potential improvements
Collaborates with your attorney and advisor

Tax Specialist

Review equity compensation implications and multi-year tax scenarios
Provide guidance on charitable giving and income timing
Coordinate with your CPA or tax counsel
Support tax planning integration with your wealth plan

Other Dedicated Specialists (where applicable)

Equity Compensation
Real Estate Planning
Charitable and Philanthropic Giving
Divorce Planning

EP Wealth’s Approach to Executive Wealth Management

Professionals with equity compensation often navigate complex financial plans, demanding schedules, and evolving priorities. Our approach to wealth management brings clarity to complexity through comprehensive planning across tax, investment, retirement, estate, and compensation structures.

EP Wealth acts as a dedicated partner, helping you align your decisions with your broader financial life. We serve as an extension of your financial network—collaborating with your CPA, legal counsel, and internal teams to support your goals.

We offer services through the lens of long-term planning, including:

CASE STUDY:

How EP Wealth Could Help a Professional with Equity Compensation The following case study is a hypothetical scenario, based on our experience working with professionals who receive equity compensation and the financial challenges they often face.

Background:

A CFO of a large public company holds a significant portion of her wealth in restricted stock units (RSUs) and deferred compensation. She is preparing for retirement and wants to reduce her tax exposure while supporting philanthropic goals and planning her estate.

Complication:

She faces multiple decision points, including 10b5-1 trading windows, concentrated stock risk, and the lack of an integrated plan for coordinating equity, liquidity, and legacy. Her personal finances have grown more complex as her compensation has expanded.

Outcome:

Without coordinated planning, she risks higher tax exposure, missed opportunities for charitable giving, and a retirement plan that doesn't fully reflect the complexities of her compensation. Addressing these areas could help her transition more confidently into the next phase of her financial life.

How EP Wealth Can Help:

Run tax projections across multiple income streams and scenarios
Coordinate philanthropic structures like donor-advised funds or charitable trusts
Diversify stock holdings in line with her broader investment plan
Integrate deferred comp, retirement assets, and estate goals into one strategy

Conclusion:

Our coordinated, proactive approach to wealth management for professionals with equity compensation can help transform a complex compensation structure into an opportunity to direct wealth with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is executive wealth management?

It refers to financial services specifically designed for executives and professionals with complex compensation, equity, and tax considerations, such as stock options, restricted shares, or deferred compensation plans.

How can you help me manage my stock options or restricted shares?

We evaluate vesting schedules, trading windows, tax implications, and liquidity strategies to help you navigate your equity compensation with care.

Do you offer strategies for deferred compensation or SERPs?

Yes. We help evaluate payout timing, tax exposure, and how these plans interact with your retirement goals and broader financial picture.

What are the tax implications of exercising non-qualified stock options (NSOs) vs. incentive stock options (ISOs)?

Exercising NSOs typically results in ordinary income tax on the difference between the exercise price and the market value at the time of exercise. ISOs may offer more favorable tax treatment if certain holding requirements are met, potentially resulting in long-term capital gains. However, exercising ISOs can trigger alternative minimum tax (AMT). We help clients evaluate timing and strategy to navigate these differences within their broader financial and tax plan.

How can I manage concentrated stock risk without triggering unnecessary tax consequences?

We explore techniques such as staged diversification, 10b5-1 trading plans, charitable gifting of appreciated shares, and potential use of exchange funds or collars.

How should I plan around trading restrictions and blackout periods?

We help design schedules and strategies—such as 10b5-1 plans—that accommodate company policies and provide structured liquidity over time.

How do you coordinate with my CPA or legal team?

Your advisor acts as a central point of coordination, working with your existing professionals to align planning and execution.

What makes EP Wealth’s approach different for executives and key professionals?

Every client works with a dedicated Wealth Team that understands the complexities of planning for executives and other professionals, from tax and investments to equity and estate matters.

Can you help reduce the tax impact of my equity compensation?

We evaluate tax exposure related to equity plans and charitable strategies to help identify opportunities for greater efficiency.

How is my Wealth Team selected?

Your team is built around your needs, led by a dedicated advisor and supported by specialists in tax, investment, estate, and financial planning for executives.

How can a financial advisor help executives with wealth management?

A financial advisor can evaluate complex benefit plans, coordinate planning across compensation types, and align financial decisions with your evolving goals, regardless of whether you are an executive or another professional with equity compensation.

What are common planning gaps for executives?

Some executives and professionals may lack coordination across tax, estate, and equity plans, or don’t model the long-term impact of benefit elections and liquidity events.

What types of clients do you typically work with?

We primarily work with high-net-worth individuals and families with $1 million or more in investable assets, including C-level executives, business owners, attorneys, and professionals in the fields of sports, entertainment, finance, and technology. Many of our clients, from executives to managers and key employees, receive equity compensation and face complex financial planning needs.

DISCLOSURES

EP Wealth Advisors, LLC. is registered as an investment advisor with the SEC and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission nor does it indicate that the advisor has attained a particular level of skill or ability.
Request an appointment with an EP Wealth Advisor when you have a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets – which includes qualified retirement plans (IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), taxable brokerage, cash (savings / checking) and CDs. Investable assets do not include your home, vehicles, or collectibles.
There is no guarantee that all the services detailed herein will be offered to a client. The services EPWA offers clients is dependent on the requirements of each client. In many instances, clients or prospective clients may not have a need for all or some of the services detailed.
Hiring a qualified advisor and/or financial planner does not guarantee investment success, and does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. No guaranty or warranty is made that any direct or implied results or projections being represented here will be met or sustained.
The need for a financial advisor or financial planner and/or the type of services required are specific to the uniqueness of each individual’s circumstances. There is no guarantee or warrantee that the services offered by EP Wealth Advisors, LLC will satisfy your specific financial services requirements. Services offered by other advisors may align more to your specific needs.
Information presented is general in nature and should not be viewed as a comprehensive analysis of the topics discussed. It is intended to serve as a tool containing general information that should assist you in the development of subsequent discussions. Content does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice nor is it intended to supplement professional individualized advice.
EP Wealth Advisors (“EPWA”) makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information presented. All expressions of option are subject to change without notice.
The information presented is hypothetical in nature and not reflective of a real client or scenario. There is no guarantee nor is the intention of this example to establish any sense of assurance, that, if followed, the strategies referenced here will produce a positive or desired outcome. In fact, there is no guarantee or warranty that any of the steps detailed will enable a positive outcome, successful or desired results. The intent of this hypothetical example is strictly for educational and illustrative purposes only.
All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. Different types of investments and investment strategies involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment strategy will be suitable or profitable for a client’s portfolio. The risk of loss can never be eliminated even if working with a professional.
An estate plan is a helpful tool that can assist individuals in managing and arranging affairs in the event of death or incapacity. However, the scope and extent of the plan varies depending on the unique circumstances and desires of the individual client. It is for this reason, that the analysis encompassed herein is not intended to be comprehensive in nature nor should it be interpreted as legal advice. Please consult a legal professional to determine the extent, scope, and the drafting and creation of the appropriate estate documents. EP Wealth Advisors is not in the business of providing legal advice or preparing legal documents. Our review is limited to and in association with Financial Planning only.