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Free Tool

Equity Compensation Calculator

Sell your vested RSUs immediately, or hold for long-term capital gains? Honest math on the tax-timing question — including when the hold is a rounding error and concentration risk makes 'diversify anyway' the right answer.

Vest Amount$50,000

Gross USD value of the vest at today's stock price

Stock Price$100

Per-share price at vest. Doesn't change the math — just for reference.

Stock Return %10%

Expected annual return of the employer stock — drives the hold path

Market Return %7%

Expected return of the diversified alternative (e.g. an index fund) — drives the sell path. Hold only wins when the stock beats this.

Hold Horizon12 mo

Months you plan to hold. ≥12 qualifies growth for LTCG in both paths; <12 both pay short-term (ordinary) rates.

Marginal Rate
LTCG Rate
Filing Status
Tax Year
Net Worth (optional)—

Total net worth. When set, the tool flags when a vest > 5% of your wealth AND holding at least matches selling — the diversification-for-nothing case.

HOLD WINS
Hold pays $969 more
because you expect the stock to beat the market by 3.0 pts, not because of the tax code
stwlth.com
Both paths start from
$38,000(vest $50,000 − 24% ordinary tax on the vest FMV)
Sell & reinvest at market
$40,261
Principal
$38,000
+ market growth (7.0% × 1.0y)
+$2,660
LTCG (15%)
-$399
Hold the employer stock
Winner
$41,230
Principal
$38,000
+ stock growth (10.0% × 1.0y)
+$3,800
LTCG (15%)
-$570

Sensitivity to the stock's return

crossover ≈ market return 7.0%

$0$13,115$26,230$39,344$52,4590%10%20%30%
Hold pathSell & reinvest (7.0%)
Chart data
PeriodHold pathSell & reinvest (7.0%)
0%$38,000$40,261
2%$38,646$40,261
4%$39,292$40,261
6%$39,938$40,261
8%$40,584$40,261
10%$41,230$40,261
12%$41,876$40,261
14%$42,522$40,261
16%$43,168$40,261
18%$43,814$40,261
20%$44,460$40,261
22%$45,106$40,261
24%$45,752$40,261
26%$46,398$40,261
28%$47,044$40,261
30%$47,690$40,261