Equity compensation / Start here
A reference for your equity decisions.
RSUs, stock options, employee stock purchases, and the decisions around them. Practical reading for professionals in Raleigh, Durham, and Research Triangle Park—organized by the question in front of you.
Find a starting point
8 guidesRead a chapter on its own, or follow the paired references below.
Understand an RSU award
Connect the agreement, payroll records, and federal and North Carolina tax questions.
Separate cost from potential value
Identify option terms and cash requirements without assuming a sale or an exit.
Make a career decision
Compare an offer or map departure deadlines using the terms of each grant.
Review your employer-stock exposure
Look at purchased shares, existing holdings, and the income tied to one company.
Keep the events separate
These terms describe different events. Your award documents determine which ones apply and when.
- Vesting
- Satisfying an award’s conditions. It does not necessarily mean shares have settled or can be sold.
- Settlement
- Delivery under the award’s terms. Confirm the timing rather than treating it as identical to vesting.
- Exercise
- Using an option to buy shares. Purchase cost, possible tax, and sale proceeds are separate questions.
- Sale
- A separate transaction, subject to applicable restrictions, with its own records and tax questions.
Start with the source. A portal balance is a summary. Your grant agreement, governing plan, and administrator’s records supply the terms.
Build a working record
- Identify the award.Keep the agreement, plan, grant identifier, and relevant amendments together.
- Record the events.Distinguish vesting, settlement, expiration, purchase, and sale dates. Note who confirmed them.
- Add the household context.List near-term cash needs, existing employer shares, and the question you need to resolve.
Triangle Equity Guide links each guide to its primary sources. Use the source section to continue your reading.
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