EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION · RSU & STOCK OPTION STRATEGY · ALPHARETTA, GA
Turning Corporate Stock And Options Into Lasting Family Independence
Stock grants and options are a rewarding reflection of your leadership and corporate success. But when a significant portion of your net worth is tied to a single company stock, uncoordinated vesting schedules and tax withholding gaps can create unnecessary financial risk. We help senior leaders across North Fulton coordinate RSUs, stock options, and Rule 10b5-1 plans—transforming corporate equity into enduring personal wealth.
Why software alone falls short: How automated algorithms fail during critical life transitions, tax adjustments, and market volatility.
The four pillars of human wealth management: How direct access to a dedicated senior advisor, 100% fee-only fiduciary independence, comprehensive wealth coordination, and long-term continuity protect your legacy.
What you can expect as a client: The exact written deliverables, fee transparency, and local face-to-face access you gain by partnering with an independent CFP® lead advisor.
Why software alone falls short: How automated algorithms fail during critical life transitions, tax adjustments, and market volatility.
The four pillars of human wealth management: How direct access to a dedicated senior advisor, 100% fee-only fiduciary independence, comprehensive wealth coordination, and long-term continuity protect your legacy.
What you can expect as a client: The exact written deliverables, fee transparency, and local face-to-face access you gain by partnering with an independent CFP® lead advisor.
Advisory services offered through Financial Consultants Group, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal.
Managing the Opportunity and the Concentration Risk
Strategic equity planning connects company vesting with your family goals Body: For corporate executives across Alpharetta, Milton, and Johns Creek, company equity often represents the largest driver of annual earnings. However, holding concentrated shares exposes your family's balance sheet to market volatility, strict trading blackout windows, and unexpected tax liabilities.
A proactive executive equity plan answers essential questions:
- How much of our vesting company stock should we hold versus diversify into an independent portfolio?
- Why did our vesting RSUs trigger an unexpected tax shortfall in April, and how do we prevent it?
- When does exercising Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) make sense without triggering Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)?
- How do we use SEC-compliant Rule 10b5-1 trading plans to diversify during corporate blackout windows?
- Can we donate appreciated company shares to a family donor-advised fund to help reduce capital gains taxes?
- How do executive deferred compensation payouts integrate with our retirement timeline?
Our role is to bring your corporate benefit plan, your personal tax strategy, and your long-term family goals into a single coordinated framework.
Core Disciplines of Our Executive Equity Strategy
(Built on 30 years of fiduciary guidance across North Georgia.)
RSU vesting management and tax calibration
Employers typically withhold federal taxes on vesting Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) at the statutory supplemental rate of 22%. For leaders in the 32%, 35%, or 37% tax brackets, this creates an unexpected tax bill each spring. We model these withholding gaps in advance, set aside dedicated cash flow buffers, and establish disciplined share-diversification schedules at vesting.
Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) planning
Exercising Incentive Stock Options requires careful timing to capture long-term capital gains rates without triggering substantial Alternative Minimum Tax on unsold shares. We calculate your annual AMT crossover point, evaluate Section 83(b) elections for early-stage grants, and establish multi-year AMT credit recovery schedules alongside your CPA.
Rule 10b5-1 trading plans and multi-benefit coordination
For corporate officers and directors subject to strict insider trading blackouts, pre-scheduled Rule 10b5-1 plans allow you to systematically diversify company stock compliantly. We synchronize your stock sales with Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC), Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs), and tax-smart charitable gifting.
How the Executive Equity Process Works
A clear, disciplined approach Body: We guide corporate leaders through a multi-year coordination process:
Equity grant & blackout analysis: We review your grant agreements, unvested RSUs, stock option strike prices, and corporate trading blackout policies.
Multi-year tax modeling: We analyze your income tax brackets, RSU withholding shortfalls, and annual AMT thresholds to identify optimal exercise windows.
Disciplined diversification: We execute scheduled share sales and reinvest net proceeds into an independent, globally diversified investment portfolio.
CPA & corporate counsel coordination: We align transaction timing and Form 1099-B reporting directly with your tax professional and company legal team.
Working Together with Your CPA and Corporate Counsel
Seamless collaboration across your professional team Body: Fountain Wealth Partners does not prepare tax returns or draft legal contracts. We collaborate directly with your qualified CPA and corporate legal counsel to ensure accurate reporting and compliant execution.
With your permission, we work with your team to:
- Verify cost basis and Form 3921 / 3922 equity documentation.
- Provide multi-year projections for estimated quarterly tax payments.
- Coordinate Rule 10b5-1 plan structures with corporate compliance officers.
- Track cumulative Alternative Minimum Tax credits for future tax savings.
Transparent, Fee-Only Fiduciary Alignment
Objective guidance with zero product sales Body: As a pure fee-only fiduciary, our advice is unconflicted. We sell zero insurance products, accept no investment commissions, and receive zero third-party referral fees.
Your liquid wealth remains titled directly in your name at independent institutional custodians, including Charles Schwab and Axos.
Certified planners leading your equity and tax strategy.
Helping you build financial security outside the fortunes of a single company.
Who We Serve Across North Fulton
We structure custom equity compensation strategies for corporate leaders and executives throughout Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Roswell, and Cumming:
- Closing the gap between 22% statutory RSU tax withholding and top federal brackets.
- Designing staged Rule 10b5-1 diversification schedules to reduce single-stock exposure.
- Rebalancing concentrated company stock into diversified, tax-managed liquid portfolios.
- Calculating annual AMT crossover points to exercise options without triggering taxes.
- Structuring multi-year hold periods to achieve qualifying long-term capital gains rates.
- Modeling Section 83(b) elections and AMT credit recovery strategies with CPAs.
- Coordinating SEC-compliant trading plans within strict corporate blackout windows.
- Synchronizing Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) payout elections.
- Donating appreciated company shares to Donor-Advised Funds for maximum tax deductions.
David Fountain, CFP® — Founder & Lead Advisor
LET'S TALK
Request a Confidential Executive Equity Diagnostic
Let's discuss your executive equity compensation plan Subhead: Partner with an experienced, fee-only advisory team dedicated to securing your lifestyle and preserving your legacy.
Direct phone:
(770) 650-9392 A complimentary 15-minute introductory conversation.
What our clients say
Verified client experiences reflect our dedication to fiduciary transparency, disciplined equity diversification, and proactive tax planning.
TESTIMONIALS HERE
SEC Rule 206(4)-1 Disclosure: Testimonial provided by a current client who has not received cash or non-cash compensation, directly or indirectly, for this statement. Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other clients and provide no guarantee of future investment performance or equity planning success. Working with Fountain Wealth Partners does not ensure a specific level of portfolio return or financial outcome.
Our Straightforward 3-step Onboarding Roadmap
Our onboarding process delivers a comprehensive, written executive equity roadmap before you make any commitment to work together:
Clarify your equity structure in a 20-minute discovery call: An introductory conversation to review your vesting timeline, stock grants, and diversification goals. No sensitive corporate documents required.
Review your written equity and tax roadmap: We evaluate your grant agreements, tax brackets, and portfolio allocation, delivering a clear written summary of tax withholding buffers, option exercise strategies, and fee transparency—yours to keep.
Implement your strategy with direct partner quarterbacking: When you choose to engage us, we transfer non-restricted assets in-kind via ACATS to prevent tax triggers, coordinate with your CPA on estimated tax payments, and execute your diversification schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions About Executive Equity Compensation
How does executive equity planning in Alpharetta differ from general wealth management?
Executive equity planning specifically addresses the complexities of corporate stock compensation, including Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), Non-Qualified Stock Options (NQSOs), and Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. Standard wealth management typically oversees liquid brokerage accounts, whereas our fee-only fiduciary service coordinates corporate vesting schedules, Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) crossover points, and statutory tax withholding gaps directly with your CPA.
Why do I owe unexpected taxes when my RSUs vest?
When RSUs vest, employers are legally required to withhold federal taxes at the statutory supplemental rate of 22% (or 37% on amounts over $1 million). If your household taxable income places you in the 32%, 35%, or 37% tax bracket, your employer’s withholding will be insufficient, creating an unexpected tax bill when filing. We model this gap in advance and establish cash flow reserves to prevent tax season shortfalls.
What is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) on Incentive Stock Options?
When you exercise an ISO and hold the shares, the spread between the fair market value and the exercise strike price is treated as an AMT preference item. While no ordinary income tax is due upon exercise, this spread can trigger substantial AMT liability in the year of exercise. We calculate your annual AMT crossover point to maximize option exercise without triggering unnecessary tax liabilities.
How does a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan protect corporate executives?
A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan establishes a predetermined schedule to sell company shares at specific dates, prices, or intervals. Designed in compliance with SEC rules and corporate insider policies, it allows corporate officers and directors to systematically diversify concentrated stock positions without violating insider trading restrictions or trading blackouts.
What is your advisory fee model for executive wealth planning?
Fountain Wealth Partners operates on a 100% fee-only basis. We charge a transparent, tiered advisory fee calculated as an annual percentage of assets under management (AUM) or a structured comprehensive financial planning fee. We accept zero commissions, sales loads, or third-party referral fees, ensuring objective advice.
How are my investment assets protected?
Fountain Wealth Partners never takes direct custody of client funds. All investment accounts and diversified proceeds are held in your name at leading, independent, SIPC-insured institutional custodians. You maintain 24/7 direct online access and receive independent custodial statements.
FEES & TRANSPARENCY
Transparent, flat-fee pricing. No surprises
We believe you should know exactly what you are paying for and what you are getting in return. We operate under a transparent, flat fee-only pricing model.
Zero Commissions: We never profit from product sales or transactions
Zero Hidden Costs: No referral fees, third-party incentives, or asset-under-management markups
Complete Alignment: Our flat-fee structure ensures our incentives are completely aligned with your long-term financial security
Align Your Executive Equity With an Independent Fiduciary Strategy
Discover how proactive tax modeling, disciplined stock diversification, and fee-only fiduciary guidance can transform corporate equity into enduring family wealth.
Direct partner access with David Fountain, CFP® professional • In-person at 12600 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via secure video • (770) 650-9392
Regulatory Disclosures & Legal Notices
Entity Disclosure: Fountain Wealth Partners is a marketing name for advisory services offered through Financial Consultants Group, Inc., an Investment Adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
General Investment Risk: Advisory services are only offered where Financial Consultants Group, Inc. (d/b/a Fountain Wealth Partners) and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal.
Tax & Legal Limitations: Fountain Wealth Partners does not provide legal or tax advice. We coordinate executive equity strategies alongside clients' qualified CPAs, corporate legal counsel, and tax professionals.
CFP® Certification Notice: Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and the CFP (with flame design)® in the United States to registered individuals who have successfully completed the initial and ongoing certification requirements.
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Fountain Wealth Partners. All Rights Reserved. Firm history dating to 1996.
