Equity Isn’t Ownership: Kaitlyn Walsh on Stock Options, Tax Traps, and the Mistakes Employees Regret

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Kaitlyn Walsh, Wealth Advisor and Equity Analyst, to break down what employees actually own when they receive stock options and why misunderstanding equity compensation can lead to costly mistakes.

From incentive stock options and vesting schedules to fair market value, AMT exposure, and record-keeping errors, Walsh explains the decisions that matter most before, during, and after an equity grant and why timing, taxes, and planning can make or break outcomes.

In this episode:
– Why stock options are not the same as owning shares
– How strike price and fair market value really work
– The biggest vesting and exercise mistakes employees make
– When stock options can trigger unexpected tax bills
– Why poor record keeping can cost real money years later

Lead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.

#StockOptions #Equity #PersonalFinance #WealthPlanning #TaxPlanning #FinancialEducation #Investing #Money

Support the show