Kyler Nielsen, CFP

06/10/2026

Do you know that your company stock is important, but you’re not exactly sure what role it should play in your finances? If that sounds like you, read this!

Equity compensation can be one of the most valuable parts of a high earner’s financial life.

It can help build wealth, support retirement goals, create flexibility, but also create complexity.

The issue I often see is that people know their equity is important, but they do not have a clear system for making decisions around it.

They know when shares vest.
They may know the current stock price.
They may even know the tax withholding mechanics.

The harder question is:
"What is this equity actually supposed to do for me?"

Is it meant to fund retirement? Pay for a home? Create financial independence? Diversify into something less concentrated? Cover future tax liabilities? Support a career transition?

Your stock compensation should not live in a separate mental bucket from the rest of your plan.

It should connect to your cash flow, taxes, investment strategy, risk tolerance, and long-term goals.

You need a structure for making decisions when the stock moves, when shares vest, and when life changes.

If you have meaningful company stock and you’re not sure what role it should play in your broader plan, I've created an Equity Compensation Decision framework that may give you some ideas on how to organize your thinking around your company stock. Follow this link to access it on my website!
https://bit.ly/4uoq9db

06/09/2026

The middle of the year is a good time to pause and ask a simple question:
"Am I actually on track with my retirement savings strategy?"

For high earners, this matters because income alone does not guarantee wealth building.

A strong income creates opportunity, and a clear system turns that opportunity into progress. The first step is usually making sure you are taking full advantage of your 401(k), especially if your employer offers a match.

Before getting into more advanced strategies, it is worth asking:

Am I contributing enough to max out my 401(k) this year?
Am I receiving the full employer match?
Does my current savings rate still make sense based on my income and goals?
Is my cash flow structured enough to support additional saving?

Once the foundation is in place, some high earners may have another opportunity available through their plan:

The Mega Backdoor Roth:

At a high level, this strategy may allow you to save additional dollars beyond the regular 401(k) limit and move those dollars into a Roth account. That can be valuable because Roth dollars may grow tax-free and can create more flexibility later in retirement.

The key word is "may" for a variety of reasons:

Not every 401(k) plan allows it.
Not every high earner has the cash flow to support it.
Not every financial plan needs it.

For high earners, the opportunity is not just to make more money - it's to be more intentional with the money that is already coming in!

Halfway through the year is a great time to make sure your savings strategy is not just happening by default but actually aligned with where you want to go!

Send a message to learn more

06/08/2026

If your company stock is up and you’re telling yourself “I’ll decide later,”

That may feel patient - it may even feel smart, but “later” is not a strategy.

For high earners with equity compensation, strong markets can quietly create more risk, not less.

Your salary, bonus, benefits, retirement contributions, and a growing part of your net worth may all be tied to the same company - when that stock rises, your concentration often rises with it.

That doesn’t mean you should automatically sell everything, really it means you just need a repeatable decision process.

A few questions worth answering before the market forces your hand:

What percentage of each RSU vest should I sell or hold?
How much company stock is too much?
How will equity proceeds connect to taxes, cash flow, and long-term goals?
What would I do if the stock rose another 20%?
What would I do if it fell 20%?

The best time to build structure is before you need it! Your financial plan should drive your equity decisions, not the other way around.

If you have RSUs, stock options, ESPP, or concentrated company stock, I wrote more about this here!

When markets are strong, most professionals with RSUs and company stock do nothing - because things feel fine, but a rising stock price isn’t a plan - it’s a feeling. Here’s why high markets are actually the right time to bring structure to your equity compensation decisions.

06/05/2026

If you have stock compensation and a potential liquidity event coming up, this post is for you.

A liquidity event can be exciting, but it is also one of the easiest moments to make an expensive mistake.

You may be dealing with:

RSUs
ISOs or NSOs
Lockup periods
AMT exposure
Estimated taxes
Concentrated company stock
Timing of sales

That is a lot to manage, especially when real money is finally becoming available.
Before the event happens, get clear on a few things:

What do you own?
Different types of equity are taxed differently.

When will taxes apply?
Vesting, exercising, selling, and settlement can all create different outcomes.

How concentrated are you?
A large company stock position can build wealth, but it can also create risk.

What is your sell strategy?
Waiting until “later” may feel safe, but timing, taxes, and lockups matter.

With equity compensation, “I’ll figure it out later” can become a very expensive sentence.

If you want a clearer starting point, I’ve created equity compensation resources, including an Equity Compensation Checklist, to help you organize the key decisions before they become urgent.

Access it here!
https://bit.ly/3Q1Ss2U

06/04/2026

If you receive RSUs, stock options, ESPP shares, or company stock and you’re not totally sure what to do with them, this webinar is for you.

Equity compensation can be a great wealth-building tool.

It can also create a lot of questions:

"Should I sell or hold?"
"Am I too concentrated in company stock?"
"What taxes should I be planning for?"
"How do I stop making one-off decisions every time shares vest?"

I’m hosting a practical educational webinar to help you bring more structure and clarity to your stock compensation decisions.

Do you have a plan for your stock compensation… or are you just guessing?

Tuesday, July 21, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT

RSVP is required to receive access credentials - register at the link below!

https://bit.ly/3REG8WV

06/03/2026

If you’re trying to buy a home, upgrade your home, or decide whether to move in this housing market, this post is for you!

The housing market right now can feel like the dashboard of a 25-year-old sedan that hasn’t been serviced… ever: like every check engine light is on.

Interest rates are higher.
Home prices are still elevated.
Inventory can feel limited.
Property taxes are expensive.
Insurance costs have become harder to ignore.
Renovations rarely stay on budget.
Somehow, the house still needs a new roof.

For high-earning professionals, the question often gets reduced to:
“Can we afford the house?”

The better question is:
“Can we afford the house without derailing our long-term goals?”

That’s the part that often gets overlooked.

A home decision can affect your cash reserves, monthly flexibility, tax planning, investment contributions, equity compensation decisions, school or childcare costs, career flexibility, retirement progress, and overall peace of mind.

In a challenging housing market, I think the best decisions start with three numbers:

1. A truly comfortable payment
Not the maximum payment a lender approves. The payment should still allow you to save, invest, travel, give, and sleep at night.

2. The total cash needed
The down payment is only one piece. Closing costs, moving expenses, and the inevitable “we didn’t realize that would cost so much” expenses all need to be included.

3. The opportunity cost
If more money goes into the house, what gets delayed? Future travel? College funding? Investment contributions?

That does not mean you shouldn’t buy the house. It means the house should fit into the plan, not become the plan. Before making a move, consider asking:

Does this home support the life we want, or stretch us into a more expensive version of stress?

A good housing decision should give you more stability, not just more square footage.

If you’d like help thinking through how a major housing decision fits into your broader financial plan, you can schedule a consultation here:
https://bit.ly/43g4rwN

06/02/2026

If you make a lot of money but still feel like your cash flow is tighter than it should be, this post is for you!

High income does not automatically create financial clarity - especially when your income is coming from several places:
Salary
Bonus
RSUs
Stock options
Commissions
Deferred comp

…and somehow the big expenses always seem to show up at the same time.

Property taxes.
Home projects.
Travel.
Tuition.
Taxes.
Another “quick” house repair that is never quick.

A lot of high-earning professionals do not have a spending problem as much as they have a timing problem - life runs monthly, but income may arrive quarterly, semiannually, annually, or randomly. Equity may vest on a schedule that has nothing to do with when your real-life expenses show up.

That is why structure matters! A strong cash flow strategy usually starts by separating income into categories:

Core income
What supports your regular lifestyle?

Variable income
What funds savings, investing, taxes, goals, or one-time expenses?

Equity income
What should be sold, held, diversified, or earmarked?

Tax reserve
What needs to be set aside before it accidentally gets spent?

Emergency fund
What gives you flexibility without constantly dipping into investments?

At a certain income level, the biggest opportunity usually is not tracking every coffee purchase.

It is creating a system where your income has a job before life absorbs it. High income without structure can disappear surprisingly fast, but high income with structure can become a powerful engine for long-term flexibility!

I created a Variable Income Framework to help high-earning professionals organize salary, bonuses, equity compensation, taxes, and spending decisions more intentionally!

You can find the PDF on my website here:
https://bit.ly/4o6s8kD

06/01/2026

If you earn a high income but aren’t sure whether it’s actually moving you toward financial independence, this post is for you!

High income creates opportunity, but it does not automatically create financial independence, and that distinction matters!

For many high-earning professionals, the pattern looks something like this:

Income rises -> bonuses get bigger -> equity vests -> lifestyle expands -> taxes increase -> complexity grows.

Over time, you can be earning more than ever while still feeling unclear about whether you’re actually building lasting independence.

The issue usually isn’t lack of income - it’s lack of structure.

Ask yourself: "How much of my income is being turned into future flexibility?"

That means looking at:

What your lifestyle actually costs
How much you’re saving consistently
Whether your RSUs or stock options have a clear strategy
How much tax drag you’re planning for
What it would take to make work optional

Financial independence usually isn’t built from one big decision. It’s built by repeating a clear framework and one of the biggest impacts from having that framework is not letting every income increase automatically become a lifestyle increase.

The goal is making sure your income is buying you more than comfort! It should be buying you options, flexibility, and eventually, freedom!

If you’re ready to bring more structure to your income, equity compensation, taxes, and long-term goals, schedule a consultation here:
https://bit.ly/3ScIUTc

05/29/2026

It’s May 29th, (or, 5/29 day!) so let’s talk about something a lot of parents have questions about:

“How should I save for my kid’s college education when I don’t actually know what their future will look like?”

This is a common pain point I see with parents all the time. Truthfully, it’s a hard question to answer! College is usually a goal that sits far out in the future, and over 18 years, a lot can change.

Maybe your child wants to go to a four-year university.
Maybe they pursue a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program.
Maybe they choose trade school.
Maybe they skip college altogether and enter the workforce or start a business.

So the real question becomes:

"How do I invest for their future without locking every dollar into one outcome?"

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: There is no account that is perfectly safe, grows aggressively, and gives you unlimited flexibility. Those three goals are always competing with each other.

So instead of trying to find the “perfect” college savings account, it usually makes more sense to build in layers, so consider a framework like this one!

Layer 1: 529 plan
This can be a great tool for education savings because the money can grow tax-deferred and be withdrawn tax-free when used for qualified education expenses.

Layer 2: Taxable brokerage account
This gives you more flexibility. If your child doesn’t go to college, the money can still be used for other goals - helping with a home, starting a business, buying a car, or simply staying invested!

Layer 3: Future cash flow
A common fallacy I see is - not everything has to be pre-funded!
For many high-earning families, part of the strategy is simply planning to cover a portion of education costs from future income at the time those expenses actually show up. This is one of the ones that's completely flexible; some parents are willing to help with this, some are not - it really just depends on you and what your goals are!

Layer 4: Student loans (as a tool, not a default)
Student loans aren’t ideal - but they are a lever you can pull, and in some cases, using loans to bridge a gap can allow you to preserve flexibility elsewhere, rather than over-allocating to a single outcome 18 years in advance.

Remember though: the key isn’t choosing between growth and flexibility - it’s understanding how much of each you actually need! Once you know that number, its much easier to put in a plan from there!

For many families, the right answer may not be “put everything in a 529.”

It may be some money dedicated to education and some money kept flexible, but it’s helpful to have a plan that adjusts as your child’s future becomes clearer.

You don’t have to think about saving for college as just about paying tuition – you can think about college savings as “how do I give my child options?” without creating unnecessary restrictions for yourself along the way!

https://bit.ly/4fUZBwe

05/28/2026

If you’re already contributing to your 401(k) but aren’t sure what comes next, this post is for you!

A 401(k) is a great starting point, but that on its own usually isn’t enough to be the full plan.

For many high-earning professionals, the real question becomes: “Where should my next dollar go?”

A simple order of operations may look something like this:
1. Contribute enough to your 401(k) to get the employer match.
If your employer is offering matching dollars, that is usually the first place to start.

2. Consider a Roth IRA, if your income allows.
Roth IRA contributions can grow tax-free, and qualified withdrawals can also be tax-free if certain requirements are met, including age and account-holding rules.
For high earners, this step may require additional planning because income limits can restrict direct Roth IRA contributions.

3. Go back and consider increasing your 401(k) contributions.
Once you have captured the match and evaluated Roth options, the next step may be contributing more to your 401(k), potentially up to the annual limit.

After this point is where things can become more customize to you! Some things to consider are:

4. Add flexibility through a taxable brokerage account.
A brokerage account does not come with the same tax benefits as retirement accounts, but it can provide flexibility. This can be especially valuable if you have goals before retirement, like buying a home, starting a business, or creating more financial flexibility.

5. Consider education savings through a 529 plan.
If funding education for children or family members is a priority, a 529 plan can allow money to grow tax-deferred and potentially be withdrawn tax-free for qualified education expenses.

6. Do not overlook an HSA if you are eligible.
Health Savings Accounts can be powerful because they may offer a triple tax advantage:

Tax-deductible contributions.
Tax-free growth.
Tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.

The main point is that investing beyond your 401(k) is not about finding the “best” account in isolation - it’s about matching each account to the job you need it to do, whether its retirement, tax flexibility, education funding, healthcare costs or even future optionality - The ‘right’ order depends on your income, tax situation, goals, benefits, and how much flexibility you need.

A good investment strategy does not just help you save more. It helps you put each dollar in the right place for the life you are actually building.

Personal finance is PERSONAL!

https://bit.ly/4nVVQbT