The right choice depends on your situation and the type of equity compensation you have. A few things to consider:

• When your shares vest
• When your stock options expire
• How taxes may be affected
• How much company stock you already own
• What you may need the money for

The key isn’t to look at each decision by itself. Selling shares, holding company stock or exercising stock options can affect your taxes, investments and future plans. A good strategy looks at all of those pieces together and helps you decide what fits your goals.

There’s no one percentage that’s right for everyone. The bigger question is how much of your financial future depends on one company.

For many tech professionals, the same company may provide your paycheck, benefits, future RSUs or stock options, and a large part of your investments. That can create more risk than it may seem at first.

Before deciding whether to sell, it helps to look at how much company stock you own, how much more may vest, the taxes involved, your other investments, your cash needs and how close you are to retirement. The goal is to reduce risk in a thoughtful way without making a decision based only on today’s stock price.

A job change can affect much more than your paycheck.

Before you leave, it’s worth checking what happens to:

• RSUs, stock options and ESPP shares
• 401(k)
• Health insurance and HSA
• Bonuses and other company benefits

Some of these may be lost when you leave, and some decisions come with deadlines.

Timing can matter too. Leaving a few weeks earlier or later could affect a stock vesting date, bonus, benefit or even your taxes.

That’s why it helps to review everything before giving notice, when possible. It’s about knowing what you may be giving up, what decisions need attention, and how the job change fits into the rest of your financial plan.

It may be time to get help when your financial decisions start affecting one another and it becomes hard to see the whole picture.

This often happens as your income grows, you receive more company stock, you have accounts from several employers, taxes become harder to manage, or retirement gets closer.

You may understand each piece on its own but still wonder whether everything is working together. A financial advisor can help organize the moving parts, point out things you may be missing and help you make decisions that fit your goals.

The value isn’t simply getting more information. It’s having a clear plan for what to do, when to do it and why.

Having a large retirement balance doesn’t automatically mean you’re ready to retire. What matters is whether your savings and other income can support the life you want for as long as you may need them.

That means looking at:

• Your expected spending
• Social Security, pensions or other income
• Taxes
• Healthcare costs
• Investments
• Inflation
• How long your money may need to last

It’s also important to see what could happen if markets fall early in retirement or expenses are higher than expected.

The goal isn’t just to reach a certain dollar amount. It’s to understand how all of the pieces work together and whether your plan can handle both expected and unexpected changes.

The years before retirement can be some of the most important planning years because you still have time to make changes.

This is a good time to look at:

• How much you are saving
• Where your money is invested
• How much company stock you own
• When you may claim Social Security
• What healthcare may cost
• How taxes could change once your paycheck stops

You may also have choices about paying down debt, building cash reserves, moving money between different types of retirement accounts, or changing how much investment risk you take.

These decisions are best made together, as one plan, rather than rushed in the final few months before retirement.

Retirement can change where your income comes from and how it’s taxed. Before you retire, it helps to look ahead at income from your paycheck, investments, retirement accounts, Social Security and other sources.

The timing of withdrawals, selling investments, Roth conversions and Social Security can affect how much tax you pay now and later. Some decisions can also affect Medicare premiums once you reach Medicare age.

The best tax decision isn’t always the one with the lowest bill this year. It’s the one that works well across many years, alongside your retirement income, investments and other goals.

Retirement changes the question from “How much should I save?” to “Where should my income come from, and when?”

A retirement income plan looks at:

• Social Security
• Pensions, if you have them
• Withdrawals from retirement accounts
• Taxable investments
• Cash

It also considers taxes, investment risk, inflation, healthcare costs and how much flexibility you have if markets or spending change.

Getting the order and timing right can make a real difference. The goal is a plan that supports your spending, helps your money last and leaves room to adjust as life changes.

Tech professionals are my primary focus, and it’s where I’ve built the deepest experience: RSUs, stock options, job changes, taxes and the decisions that come with a tech career.

I also work with clients outside of tech, including physicians and other healthcare professionals, when it’s a good fit for how I work: bringing the different parts of your financial life together into one ongoing plan, rather than making each decision on its own.

Yes. Pinecrest Financial is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but I also work with clients virtually in other states.

Video meetings make it possible to have the same planning conversations and ongoing relationships without living nearby. If registration is required in your state and I’m not already registered there, I can take care of that before we begin working together.

Yes. When I provide investment advisory services, I act as a fiduciary. That means I’m required to put your interests first and not put my interests ahead of yours.

I’m also licensed to provide brokerage and insurance products, including annuities. Different rules can apply depending on the type of account or product we’re discussing. I believe you should understand those differences, so I explain the role I’m acting in, how I’m paid and any important conflicts before you make a decision.

I believe you should understand how I’m paid before we work together.

For investment accounts that I manage on an ongoing basis, I generally charge an annual fee based on the amount I manage. My fee is typically between 1% and 1.25%, with a tiered schedule so the percentage decreases as the amount I manage increases.

Some financial products, such as annuities, may pay me a commission from the insurance company rather than an asset-based advisory fee. How that compensation is paid can vary by product. My work doesn’t stop when a product is purchased. I continue to review it as part of your overall financial plan and stay involved as your needs and circumstances change.

Before I recommend an investment or insurance product, I walk you through how I’ll be paid and what it costs, so nothing’s a surprise later.