As privately held companies prepare for their market debuts, they make changes in equity compensation programs. Compensation consultant Ryan Harvey explains some of the shifts you can expect in your stock grants both during the period leading up to your IPO and after your company goes public. This audio recording is a companion to an article by Mr. Harvey and Bryan Smith in the Pre-IPO section of this website.

CFP Geoffrey Zimmerman explains why it is important to see equity awards in the big picture of your life, including your circumstances, values, activities, and goals, before you make any financial-planning decisions with your grants. He also comments on the special planning dilemmas faced by senior executives with stock compensation. This audio recording is a companion to Mr. Zimmerman's articles on the holistic approach to stock comp and special issues for executives in the Financial Planning section of this website.

Financial advisor Robert Gordon explains some advanced techniques that can be used to hedge employee stock options or concentrated holdings in company stock as a way to reduce investment risk, especially among executives who have significant amounts of compensation tied up in equity awards or company shares. This interview is a companion to Mr. Gordon's articles on hedging topics in the section Financial Planning: High Net Worth.

Compensation expert Richard Friedman (Ayco Company) explains what makes restricted stock and restricted stock units valuable equity awards. While these types of grants do not have the potential upside of stock options, they offer their own significant benefits. This interview is a companion to Mr. Friedman's article on this topic in the Restricted Stock section of the website, where he also has articles on financial and tax planning for restricted stock and RSUs.

CFP Alan Ungar gives guidance on the best time to exercise stock options, and expresses his strong point of view on what employees should do with shares acquired from restricted stock/RSU vesting. This audio recording is a companion to Mr. Ungar's article series on option exercise strategies.

In this interview, college-funding advisor Troy Onink explains strategies for the use of stock options, restricted stock/RSUs, and other equity awards to pay for the ever-increasing costs of higher education. This audio recording is a companion to Mr. Onink's article series in the College Funding section of this website.

CFP Laura Tanner shares her wisdom on investment diversification for employees with holdings of company stock. This audio recording is a companion to Ms. Tanner's article on diversification on the website.

Get the latest on Form 1099-B, Form 8949, Schedule D, and other tax-return topics involving stock compensation.

Bruce Brumberg, the editor-in-chief of myStockOptions.com, explains the securities laws and regulations you need to know to stay out of trouble with the SEC, with a focus on insider trading, 10b5-1 plans, Rule 144, and Section 16.

Bruce Brumberg, editor-in-chief of myStockOptions.com, explains tax-return reporting for stock compensation and how to avoid expensive mistakes that attract unwanted IRS attention.