It’s January | Welcome to the future!

New Year. Same Stock. New Tax Bill?

January makes everything feel like a reset.

New calendar.
New goals.
Same company stock quietly waiting to remind you — usually in April — that equity compensation doesn’t care about New Year’s resolutions.

The RSUs didn’t change.
The options didn’t reset.
And the tax rules definitely didn’t update just because the year did.

Equity Doesn’t Follow the Calendar

One of the biggest misconceptions about stock-based compensation is that January 1 gives you a clean slate.

It doesn’t.

Vesting happens when it happens.
Options expire when they expire.
Taxes show up when income is recognized — not when it feels convenient.

Which is why early in the year, many executives start asking:

• “Should I sell now?”

• “Am I already behind on taxes?”

• “Do I need to do something before this gets worse?”

Sometimes the answer is yes.
Often, it’s not yet.

The Real January Mistake

The biggest risk at the start of the year isn’t inaction — it’s doing something just to feel productive.

That’s how we see:

• RSUs sold without checking real withholding

• Options exercised without modeling AMT

• Concentration reduced without a tax plan

Movement feels good. Bad sequencing doesn’t.

A Smarter Way to Start

January is usually better spent getting oriented:

• What’s vesting this year?

• What’s expiring?

• What will your income actually look like after equity?

Not every question needs an immediate trade behind it.

Equity Should Still Feel Like a Reward

Company stock is meant to build wealth — not annual tax anxiety.

Equity that looks good on paper is not as good as the equity you actually get to keep.

Because a new year should bring clarity — not another tax surprise.

Cheers.