Tag: investing

My (private) company is doing a tender offer. Should I participate?

Flow FP's block woman brings a stack of shares to the powers that be.

When you work at a private company, you might dream about your company going IPO one day, and all your company stock turning into riches. If you’re reading this post, I imagine you are now contending with one of the other ways to turn private-company stock into grocery money: a tender offer.

A Collection of The Most Important Bits About Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

Flow FP's block woman contemplates future cash with a checklist in hand

Over many blog posts and over many conversations with clients and colleagues, I’ve trotted out a few different ways of framing and understanding RSUs. I never know what framing is going to hit home, so I thought I’d gather them all into one post. Maybe one thing I write below will finally make you go, “Oooooohhhhh! That’s how they work.” A gal can hope.

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Is Airbnb EVER Going Public?

Flow FP's Block Woman, overwhelmed by paper, feels a sense of Urgency. Of sorts.

Have you been waiting a Very Long Time for Airbnb to go public? Did you get all excited back in September of last year when Airbnb announced that it would go public in 2020? Are you beginning to wonder if it will ever happen? All that lovely stock, all those beautiful RSUs, all those tempting stock options…when will they turn into MONEY?!

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My Airbnb Options Are Expiring Soon. What Should I Do with Them?

Flow FP's block woman, up to her neck in paperwork, worries as things burn up.

If you started at Airbnb several years ago, you might be coming up hard and fast on an unpleasant deadline: The expiration of your options.

airbnb company stock company stock options exercising options investing Options stock options stock options expiring

What Should I Do with My Vesting RSUs, Now that the Stock Market Is Tanking?

You work for a public company. Your RSUs are continuing to vest. The stock market and, more importantly, your company stock have dropped a lot in price. Even if you’ve been comfortably following a strategy with your RSUs, are you feeling a wee bit less certain about the strategy right now?

company stock investing RSU RSUs stock market stock market down

Tricks (Witting or Not) that Investment Advisors Play

Flow FP's Block Woman Contemplates the Shell Game

I am an investment advisor. I believe that I, and many other investment advisors, bring real value to our clients’ lives. But man, this profession is rife with, mmmm, unseemly behavior.Continue reading

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You have lots of private-company stock. Should you sell it on a private secondary market?

Flow FP's block woman balances precariously on a large pile of stock.

You’ve got gobs of stock or options in Airbnb. Or Palantir. Or some other valuable but private company. The money is So Close. You can almost feel it. And yet, you can’t. ‘Cause your company is private. Oh, the torture.

company stock investing private company stock privately held company secondary market stock market stock options

It’s 20 (40) years until I retire! How do I save and invest for the between-now-and-then? (Video)

We’re pretty good at saving for the long term (retirement). We have our 401(k)s and IRAs. We’re pretty good at saving for now. We have cash in our bank accounts. But what do we do for the *decades* between now and retirement? How do we save and invest for that?

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Should I Use the Brokerage Window in My 401(k)? What IS the Brokerage Window in My 401(k)?

When you log on to your 401(k) website at, say, Fidelity, do you see a mysterious mention of a “BrokerageLink®”? Have you ever wondered what it is and whether you should use it?

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How Focused Should I Be on Investing? There Are So Many Other Pieces of My Financial Puzzle.

It depends.

Thank you. Thank you. I’m here all week.

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What? You mean my 401(k) can go DOWN? Well, I never…

How long have you been paying attention to your investments, or to the stock market? Has it been only for the last few years, or, maybe only since 2009? Continue reading

401(k) investing stock market

Anatomy of an Awesome 401(k). How Does Yours Compare?

Recently a few of my clients at major tech companies (to remain nameless!) have forwarded to me company emails proclaiming the latest improvements in their 401(k) offering. These improvements have included a “true up” of matching contributions and dead-easy-to-use after-tax-401(k) contributions.
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