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For a large ISO exercise with potential Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exposure, you generally want a fee-only fiduciary advisor who specifically handles equity compensation planning for executives, ideally working alongside a CPA who models multi-year AMT outcomes.
In this article we’ll explore wealth advisors with experience in equity stock options, including Secfi, Brooklyn FI, Morgan Stanley and Titan.
| Provider | Best for | Notable capabilities | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
Secfi | Startup executives | Proprietary AMT modeling, QSBS planning, non-recourse financing, secondary liquidity | From $1,800/quarter |
Brooklyn FI | Tech professionals | Integrated tax planning, CFP + CPA collaboration, equity compensation planning | Custom |
Titan | High-net-worth investors | Investment management, tax-smart portfolios, digital client experience | Asset-based fee |
Morgan Stanley | Corporate executives | 10b5-1 plans, securities-backed lending, executive services | Asset-based fee |
Secfi provides equity planning experience, tools, and financing so startup employees can own their stock options with confidence. We focus on the intersection of startup equity and tax planning to ensure exercise strategies align with broader financial goals.
You get access to a team that understands the specific financial landscape of startup leadership. We operate as a federally registered investment advisor with a transparent, fee-based structure, which means our advice is guided by your best interests rather than commissions.
Personalized roadmap: You receive a financial plan built around your private stock positions, career stage, and family values.
Data-driven modeling: You can identify the optimal number of ISOs to exercise annually to stay within AMT credit limits using our proprietary calculation engine.
Fit assessment: During your intro call, we determine if your equity situation has the complexity where our specialized expertise provides a tangible advantage.
Iterative strategy: You get ongoing support to adjust your equity strategy as your company valuation shifts or an IPO approaches.
Executive planning isn't a 1:1 relationship between an advisor and a client; it is a "three-party problem-solving" exercise involving the advisor, the executive, and the executive's existing team (e.g., Goldman Sachs private bankers or personal CPAs). The best advisor in this space must be able to "speak the lingo" to vet strategies with these other high-level institutions.
Our all-inclusive pricing begins at $1,800/quarter. You receive a fiduciary standard of care with no hidden kickbacks. We focus on outcome-driven strategies like multi-year AMT modeling and specialized tax optimization for QSBS.
Beyond strategic planning, we offer unique financial products designed specifically for the venture-backed community.
If the cost of exercising is the primary barrier, our non-recourse financing allows you to exercise your options without spending your own cash or putting personal assets at risk. Additionally, our secondary market services provide a path to liquidity if you need to diversify before your company officially exits.
Read more: When should you hire a financial advisor?
Brooklyn FI is a fee-only financial planning firm that focuses on founders, startup employees, and high-income professionals.
The firm's strength lies in combining:
tax planning
investment management
retirement planning
cash flow planning
For executives looking for integrated tax and financial advice, Brooklyn FI can be a strong option.
Where it differs from equity specialists is that its focus is broader than private-company equity alone.
If your primary concern is AMT exposure on a multi-million-dollar ISO exercise, you may still need specialist modelling alongside traditional financial planning.
Morgan Stanley at Work provides bespoke support for corporate leaders. Their Executive Services team is designed to help key employees stay compliant with regulatory requirements while managing complex equity positions.
Compliance management: The firm provides hands-on support for 10b5-1 trading plans and Rule 144 form filings.
Concentration risk reduction: Advisors work one-on-one with executives to model hypothetical tax scenarios and diversify holdings.
Portfolio borrowing: Executives can strategically borrow against their portfolio using lines of credit to finance real estate or tax bills without selling shares.
Titan has built a reputation as a modern, digital-first wealth manager.
Its platform combines investment management with financial planning and appeals to professionals who want technology alongside access to advisors.
Titan may be a good fit if your priorities include:
portfolio management
long-term investing
retirement planning
tax-aware investing
However, executives with complex startup equity often require advice that goes beyond traditional investment management.
Issues such as:
AMT
QSBS
liquidity events
concentrated private stock
secondary sales
are highly specialized areas that not every wealth manager focuses on.
Many executives choose an independent advisor rather than a larger advisory firm.
For the right client, this can be an excellent relationship.
A solo advisor typically offers:
Highly personalized service
Direct access to the same advisor every time
Long-term relationship building
Flexible communication
Deep understanding of your personal goals
Many executives value knowing exactly who they'll speak to whenever they have an important financial decision.
The biggest downside is key-person risk.
If your advisor:
retires
becomes unavailable
sells their practice
changes firms
your relationship can change overnight.
When your financial plan spans multiple funding rounds, IPO preparation, and years of equity planning, continuity becomes increasingly valuable.
Today's startup executives often need advice across several disciplines simultaneously.
That includes:
AMT
ISO strategy
QSBS
concentrated stock
estate planning
liquidity planning
investment management
tax coordination
No individual advisor can be an expert in every area.
Larger specialist firms typically have multiple professionals who collaborate across tax planning, investment management, and equity compensation.
For executives with highly complex equity, that broader expertise can become increasingly valuable.
Deciding how to manage a large block of Incentive Stock Options is often one of the most significant financial milestones in an executive's career. The complexity of the tax code, specifically regarding AMT, means that the timing and structure of your exercise can have a major impact on your net wealth. Selecting an advisor who understands these nuances is critical to optimizing your outcome.
Whether you choose a specialized platform, a traditional wealth management firm or an experienced independent advisor, the goal remains the same: ensuring your equity decisions are integrated into a broader, long-term financial plan. By evaluating providers based on their technical expertise, transparency, and alignment with your goals, you can move forward with the confidence that your wealth is being managed effectively.
An advisor can't change the tax code, but they can change how and when you exercise, which we feel is where most of the savings come from. The main lever is multi-year planning: spreading exercises across tax years so you stay within your AMT credit limits instead of triggering a large one-time bill.
An advisor with an AMT modeling tool can identify roughly how many ISOs you can exercise each year before the tax cost spikes, and coordinate with your CPA so the numbers are locked in before filing deadlines. The earlier you start, the more room you have to work with.
For a large ISO exercise, most executives end up working with both. A CPA handles the tax return and the precise AMT calculations, while a wealth advisor sets the strategy and fits the exercise into your broader financial plan, things like diversification, financing the exercise, and liquidity timing.
The two roles overlap on AMT modeling, so the advisor and CPA need to coordinate directly rather than work in isolation. Some firms, including Secfi, build that coordination in and act as the point of contact for your wider financial team.
The tool shown here uses artificial intelligence and is for illustrative purposes only and not necessarily indicative of future results and there is no guarantee that similar results can be achieved. The information provided by the tool is not professional advice and is not intended by Secfi, Inc., its affiliates, and Secfi representatives, to be deemed as investment, legal, tax or other professional advice or recommendations of any kind, or to form the basis of any decision to do or to refrain from doing anything. Secfi does not review the accuracy or completeness of the information provided to us within the tool.
Sources:
https://www.titan.com/offerings/persona/core-wealth-management