AndyHVandenBerg launches wealth series

AndyHVandenBerg’s new series is aimed at one of the least glamorous but most expensive problems in tech compensation: what to do when stock awards, options and taxes all hit at once. The starter episode, posted on May 20, frames wealth management for tech professionals as a system rather than a collection of one-off decisions. That matters because many employees treat grants, vesting, withholding and account choices as separate events, even though they interact. The result is often a portfolio that is more concentrated, less tax-aware and less intentional than the employee realizes. ### Why does a tech-focused wealth series matter now? Tech compensation has become more complex than salary plus bonus. Many engineers and other employees are paid with RSUs, stock options, employee stock purchase plans and refresh grants, alongside retirement accounts and taxable brokerage accounts. That means a worker can be making a career bet, a tax bet and an investment bet on the same company at the same time. The starter episode appears to target that overlap directly. The pitch is not just “invest more,” but to build rules around how equity compensation fits into a broader plan. For early-career high earners, that is usually the difference between having a compensation package and having a repeatable system. ### What is the tax problem with RSUs that people keep missing? RSUs are generally taxed when they vest, not when you later decide whether to hold or sell the stock, according to IRS materials and stock-plan guidance. The fair market value at vest is typically treated as wages and reported through payroll, while any later move in the stock price becomes a separate capital gain or loss when you sell. The withholding piece is where many employees get tripped up. The IRS says supplemental wages can be withheld at a flat 22% rate in many cases, even though the employee’s actual marginal federal tax rate may be higher. That gap can leave high earners underwithheld, especially when state taxes and other compensation are layered in. ### Why does that change the sell-versus-hold decision? (irs.gov) Once RSUs vest, the tax event has largely already happened. At that point, the decision to keep the shares is no longer about “waiting to avoid tax” on the vest itself; it is an investment choice about whether to stay concentrated in the employer’s stock. Charles Schwab and Fidelity both describe RSUs as stock delivered after vesting requirements are met, with taxation tied to vesting and later sale treatment handled separately. (irs.gov) That is why a series built around rules could be useful. A worker who writes down “sell on vest,” “sell enough to cover projected taxes,” or “cap employer stock at X% of net worth” is making a portfolio decision in advance, not improvising after a big vest. ### Where do stock options fit into this? Stock options add another layer because the tax timing depends on the type of option. The IRS says nonstatutory options and incentive stock options are treated differently, and the tax result can depend on grant, exercise and sale dates. (schwab.com) That makes “account placement” and exercise planning more than administrative details. A worker deciding when to exercise options, when to sell shares and which accounts to fund first is making choices that affect liquidity, concentration and tax timing all at once. ### What does “holistic wealth management” mean in practice for tech workers? For most tech employees, holistic planning starts with linking compensation events to account decisions. (irs.gov) That means mapping vest dates against cash needs, estimating whether payroll withholding will be enough, and deciding in advance whether new money goes to a 401(k), IRA, taxable brokerage or cash reserve. The appeal of AndyHVandenBerg’s framing is that it treats equity compensation as part of household balance-sheet management rather than as a side topic. That is especially relevant for workers whose largest asset may be future earnings from one employer and whose second-largest exposure may already be that same employer’s stock. ### What should readers watch for in the next installments? The most useful follow-up would be a concrete walkthrough of RSU withholding, option tax mechanics and post-vest sell rules. A practical episode would also show how to separate tax withholding from final tax liability, and how to decide whether employer stock belongs in a long-term portfolio at all. AndyHVandenBerg launched the series with the May 20 post on X, and the next signals on scope and cadence are likely to appear there first.