Equity Compensation
Guides for tech employees navigating RSUs, stock options, and liquidity events.
Pre-IPO Options: Complete FAQ
ISOs, NSOs, AMT exposure, 83(b) elections, and expiration rules — all the questions tech employees ask before a major liquidity event.
Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple & Broadcom: Equity & 401(k) Guide
401(k) match formulas, Mega Backdoor Roth eligibility, ESPP details, and RSU vesting schedules compared side by side for the five biggest tech employers.
RSU Tax Planning for Tech Employees
How RSUs are taxed at vest, strategies to manage concentration risk, when to hold vs. sell, and how to pair with a donor-advised fund.
83(b) Election Filing Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for filing your 83(b) election on time — including IRS mailing addresses, what to include, and how to document proof of timely filing.
Hold vs. Sell: RSU Decision Framework
A structured framework for deciding how much employer stock to hold after vesting — accounting for concentration risk, tax efficiency, and personal financial goals.
Mega Backdoor Roth: How It Works
Mechanics, eligibility, and step-by-step walkthrough of the mega backdoor Roth strategy — one of the most underused tax advantages available to high-income tech employees.
Tax Planning
Strategies to reduce your tax bill at every income level — from W-2 earners to business owners.
Tax Reduction Strategies for High-Income W-2 Earners
A prioritized roadmap — from maxing 401(k) and HSA to backdoor Roth, DAFs, and deferred compensation — for professionals earning $300K+.
California Tax Planning: What's Different
California has no preferential long-term capital gains rate, aggressive sourcing rules on deferred comp, and its own AMT. Here's what that means for your planning.
Donor-Advised Funds: The Smart Way to Give
How to donate appreciated stock, bunch charitable deductions, and maximize your tax benefit — whether you give $5,000 or $500,000 a year.
The Backdoor Roth IRA: Still Worth It at High Incomes?
The pro-rata rule, the right sequencing, and how to execute a backdoor Roth without triggering an unexpected tax bill.
Retirement Planning
Practical frameworks for building wealth that lasts — and knowing when you're ready to stop working.
Retirement Planning for Physicians
Late start, high income, and limited tax-sheltered options — plus a plan-by-plan breakdown for UCLA Health, USC Keck, Kaiser Permanente & Cedars-Sinai physicians.
Social Security Optimization Guide
When to claim, spousal strategies, breakeven analysis, and how it interacts with your portfolio withdrawal rate. The decisions you make here can be worth $100,000+.
Roth Conversion Strategy: The Right Way
How to identify the ideal conversion window, how much to convert each year, and how to weigh conversion costs against long-term tax savings.
What to Do With a Large RSU Vest: A Decision Framework
A practical framework for deciding how much to sell, when to diversify, and how to sequence the tax impact when a large vest hits all at once.
Investing & Markets
Tools and frameworks for understanding markets, valuation, and portfolio construction.
S&P 500 Relative Value Dashboard
An interactive tool scoring the broad market on 18 valuation metrics — trailing and forward P/E, Shiller CAPE, price-to-book, the Buffett indicator, and more — against their own long-run history, with live data and mean-reversion analysis.
Box Spreads: A Lower-Cost Alternative to Margin Loans and HELOCs
How a long-used institutional borrowing structure lets you raise cash against a portfolio without selling — often at a lower rate and with a different tax outcome than a margin loan or HELOC.
Business & Alternative Investments
Due diligence tools and frameworks for business owners, franchise investors, and professionals evaluating non-traditional asset classes.
FDD Review Checklist for Franchise Investors
An interactive due diligence checklist covering the FDD items that matter most — Item 19 earnings claims, litigation history, investment estimates, and the 7 steps you must complete before signing any franchise agreement.
Business Exit Planning: What to Do 3–5 Years Out
How to structure your business, optimize entity type, and sequence the tax and estate planning steps that determine how much of the sale price you actually keep.
Real Estate in a Financial Plan: When It Makes Sense
How investment real estate fits alongside a stock portfolio — evaluating returns on an after-tax, after-leverage basis and knowing when concentration risk outweighs the benefits.
From Keep Calm and Invest
Recent thinking on markets, wealth, and what matters in financial planning — published on Nirav's independent blog.
Financial Planning
The Loan Wall Street Doesn’t Advertise
Many high-earning professionals accumulate substantial assets through equity compensation and business interests but may not be aware of specialized financing strategies available to them. Understanding these less-publicized financial tools can be important for optimizing liquidity and managing wealth effectively.
Plain-language financial writing since 2012 Keep calm. Stay invested. Build lasting wealth. Independent financial writing for high-earning...
Read on KCIEconomy
Your Biggest Competitor for Capital Is the US Treasury
Understanding Treasury yields helps high-income professionals and equity holders evaluate where to allocate capital across stocks, bonds, and real estate in a competitive investment environment.
A client called me last month frustrated about mortgage rates. He’s trying to help his daughter buy her first house, and he couldn’t square...
Read on KCIEconomy
Why the Labor Market Isn’t As Good As It Seems
Labor market headline numbers can mask underlying employment challenges that affect professionals seeking new roles. Understanding what's actually happening beneath the hood helps inform career and financial planning decisions.
I had a conversation with a client yesterday. She’d seen the May jobs report. 172,000 jobs added. Unemployment at 4.3 percent. She felt...
Read on KCIYour situation is more specific than any guide
Guides give you frameworks. A conversation gives you answers. If you have equity compensation, a complex tax situation, or are approaching a major financial decision, let's talk through the details.
