Equity Compensation Planning for Tech Professionals in Franklin, Brentwood & Nashville, TN
Your Compensation Package Is More Complicated Than a Paycheck
If you work in tech, your paycheck is only part of the story. Restricted stock units, stock options, and an employee stock purchase plan aren’t minor extras. They’re often the largest piece of your net worth, and they carry rules that a standard financial plan doesn’t address.
Most financial advice assumes income arrives evenly and predictably. Tech compensation doesn’t work that way. It vests on a schedule you don’t control. Different grant types trigger different tax treatment. And it can leave you holding a concentrated position in one company’s stock – sometimes the same company that pays your salary.
That’s the gap Granite Oak Private Wealth built this practice to close. We work with tech professionals across Middle Tennessee to turn equity compensation into a plan, not a guessing game.
Middle Tennessee’s Growing Tech Scene
Nashville has become a legitimate tech hub, not just a healthcare and music one. The metro’s tech workforce reached roughly 63,200 jobs in 2024, and it’s on track toward 66,000. The median tech salary runs around $101,000 – more than double the broader metro average. Nashville now ranks among the top 10 U.S. metros for net tech job gains.
Amazon’s Operations Center of Excellence at Nashville Yards has been hiring toward 5,000 roles in supply chain, cloud, and operations technology since the early 2020s. Asurion, a device-protection technology company, calls Nashville home. A growing fintech and B2B SaaS startup scene has produced dozens of venture-backed companies in just the last few years. Oracle is also building a planned global-headquarters campus on the East Bank riverfront – a real signal of where the city is headed. But Oracle’s global layoffs in early 2026, and some local skepticism about the pace of hiring, mean that upside is still unfolding rather than a settled fact.
Franklin and Brentwood, just south of the city, add the STEM-friendly, low-unemployment side of the picture. Williamson County routinely ranks among the best U.S. counties for STEM careers. And the Franklin Innovation Center has given a growing wave of local startups a home.
Together, the three communities have become a landing spot for tech and product professionals. Some work directly for the region’s tech employers. Others work remotely for companies based elsewhere and simply choose to live here.
Robert Walczak works out of Granite Oak’s Franklin, Tennessee office. He helps tech professionals across all three communities with the same underlying need: a financial plan built around equity compensation, not a generic one adapted to fit it.
Managing a Concentrated Stock Position
It’s common for tech professionals to end up with a large share of their net worth tied to one company’s stock – often the same company that pays their salary. That’s a real risk, even when the company is performing well.
We help clients think through when and how to diversify, including systematic selling strategies, 10b5-1 trading plans for those subject to trading windows or insider-trading policies, and using appreciated stock for charitable giving through a donor-advised fund rather than selling it outright. The goal isn’t to eliminate the upside of holding company stock. It’s to make sure one position doesn’t put your entire financial picture at risk.
Building Long-Term Wealth Beyond Your Equity
Equity compensation gets the attention, but it shouldn’t be the whole plan. Many tech employers offer an after-tax 401(k) contribution option that enables a “mega backdoor Roth” strategy, letting you put significantly more into tax-advantaged retirement savings each year than a standard 401(k) allows. Not every plan offers it, and not every situation benefits from it, but for the right client, it’s one of the more powerful tools available.
For employees who hold stock in an eligible pre-IPO or early-stage company, Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules can allow a meaningful portion of the eventual gain to be excluded from federal tax entirely, if specific holding-period and company-size requirements are met. It’s a narrow set of circumstances, but a valuable one to know about well before a liquidity event, not after.
A Financial Advisor Who Understands How Equity Compensation Fits Your Bigger Picture
Robert is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) with more than two decades in the industry. He works with individuals and families across Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, and the greater Middle Tennessee area, coordinating with your CPA and estate attorney so your equity compensation decisions connect to your broader financial life – retirement timing, estate planning, and the family conversations our Family Office Services are built around.
Equity compensation isn’t just a tax problem to manage. It’s often the fastest-growing part of your net worth, and decisions about it deserve the same care as any other major financial decision in your life.
Robert J. Walczak, CFP®, AIF®
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Planning for Tech Professionals
What’s the difference between RSUs and stock options for tax purposes?
RSUs are taxed as ordinary income when they vest, regardless of whether you sell. Stock options aren’t taxed at grant; incentive stock options (ISOs) may qualify for capital gains treatment if you meet holding-period rules, while non-qualified stock options (NSOs) create ordinary income at exercise. The right strategy depends on your specific grant type and timeline.
What is an 83(b) election, and when does it make sense?
An 83(b) election lets you pay tax on restricted stock at the time of grant rather than as it vests, which can be valuable when the stock’s value is low and expected to grow. It has a strict 30-day filing deadline and isn’t right for every situation, so it’s worth reviewing with your advisor before any grant with a vesting schedule.
I’m relocating to Tennessee - does that change how my stock compensation is taxed?
It can, and often favorably, since Tennessee has zero income tax on wages, interest, dividends, and capital gains. But some states retain taxing rights over equity earned while you lived there, even after you move. The timing of your move relative to vesting and exercise dates matters, and this is a conversation worth having with your advisor and CPA in advance.
What is a mega backdoor Roth, and is it available to me?
It’s a strategy that uses after-tax 401(k) contributions to significantly increase how much you can put into tax-advantaged retirement savings each year, beyond standard 401(k) limits. It depends on your specific employer’s plan design, so the first step is confirming whether your plan allows it.
How much company stock is too much to hold?
There’s no universal number, but concentration risk grows quickly when one holding represents a large share of your net worth – particularly when it’s also your employer. We help clients build a diversification plan that fits their tax situation, vesting schedule, and comfort with risk.
What is QSBS, and could it apply to me?
Qualified Small Business Stock rules can exclude a significant portion of gain from federal tax when you hold stock in an eligible early-stage company that meets specific requirements. It mainly applies to employees and founders at qualifying startups, and it’s worth confirming eligibility well before a sale or acquisition, not after.
Does Granite Oak work with tech professionals specifically in Franklin, Brentwood, and Nashville, TN?
Yes. Robert works with tech professionals across Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, and the greater Middle Tennessee area, whether they work for a local employer or work remotely for a company based somewhere else entirely.
What should tech professionals review during open enrollment?
Beyond equity compensation, it’s worth checking your HSA, 401(k) Roth and pre-tax mix, and any deferred compensation or supplemental disability options. Our post on open enrollment for high earners walks through each decision.
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