Equity Compensation Planning Software for RIAs and CPA Firms
EquityNav helps advisors model ISOs, NSOs, RSUs, ESPPs, AMT scenarios, and concentrated stock decisions with deterministic logic — replacing brittle spreadsheets with structured planning infrastructure.
Last updated: May 2026
Advisors serving founders, executives, and startup employees know the pattern. A client comes in with ISOs, RSUs, NSOs, or ESPP shares, asks a high-stakes question, and the answer lives across spreadsheets, tax assumptions, vesting schedules, and manual scenario work.
The planning is valuable, but the workflow is fragile.
That is the problem EquityNav is built to solve.
EquityNav is equity compensation planning software for RIAs and CPA firms. It helps advisors model complex stock comp scenarios with deterministic logic, faster client-ready outputs, and a more structured planning workflow — without relying on brittle spreadsheets or generic planning tools.
Why equity comp planning breaks traditional advisor workflows
Most financial planning software was not built for the real complexity of equity compensation.
When a client asks whether to exercise ISOs before an IPO, how much AMT they may trigger, whether an ESPP sale is qualifying or disqualifying, or how to reduce concentrated stock exposure in a tax-aware way, the advisor often has to do all of the following manually:
- Gather grant and vesting data
- Reconcile strike prices, FMV, and exercise timing
- Model federal and state tax implications
- Compare multiple sale or exercise scenarios
- Translate the analysis into something a client and CPA can actually use
That process is slow, inconsistent, and difficult to scale across a firm.
- An unexpected AMT bill
- A missed liquidity window
- Unnecessary concentration risk
- Avoidable ordinary income
- Loss of client trust
For firms serving equity-compensated clients, this is not an edge case. It is one of the most valuable planning workflows they offer.
What is equity compensation planning software?
Equity compensation planning software helps advisors and tax professionals model the financial and tax consequences of stock-based compensation.
That includes planning around:
- ISOs
- NSOs
- RSUs
- ESPPs
- 83(b) elections
- Concentrated stock positions
- Pre-IPO and post-IPO liquidity decisions
What RIAs and CPA firms need from equity comp planning software
The right platform should do more than replace a spreadsheet. It should help firms answer the actual questions clients ask:
1. Should I exercise my options now or wait?
Advisors need to compare exercise timing, tax exposure, and future liquidity scenarios quickly and clearly. See our guide on pre-IPO ISO exercise timing.
2. What happens if I trigger AMT?
For ISO holders, AMT can create real tax liability before there is any liquidity. Advisors need scenario modeling that shows the risk before the decision is made. Our ISO AMT planning guide covers this in depth.
3. How should I think about RSUs, ESPPs, and concentrated stock together?
Most clients do not just have one form of equity. Firms need a way to see the full picture across multiple grant types and timelines. Start with our RSU tax planning guide.
4. How do I explain this to the client and coordinate with the CPA?
The analysis has to be structured, reviewable, and easy to communicate. Not trapped inside a spreadsheet only one person understands. See how to explain AMT and withholding gaps to clients.
5. How do we scale this across the firm?
If a planning workflow takes four to six hours every time, it is hard to deliver consistently and profitably. Learn more about pricing equity planning services.
Why spreadsheets are not enough
Spreadsheets can work for one-off analysis. They break down when a firm wants repeatability.
Common problems include:
- Formula drift
- Inconsistent assumptions across advisors
- Manual input errors
- Weak version control
- Poor collaboration with tax professionals
- No standardized output for client delivery
How EquityNav works
EquityNav helps RIAs and CPA firms model equity compensation scenarios using deterministic logic built for advisor workflows.
With EquityNav, firms can:
- Model ISO, NSO, RSU, and ESPP scenarios
- Evaluate AMT and tax tradeoffs
- Compare exercise and sale strategies side by side
- Generate structured, client-ready outputs
- Support internal review and smoother CPA coordination
Instead of rebuilding the analysis from scratch every time, the advisor works from a structured planning workflow. That means:
Less manual work
More consistency
Better client communication
Stronger tax-aware planning
Greater scalability for the firm
A real planning example
In a traditional workflow, the advisor may need to manually model the spread, estimate tax effects, review AMT exposure, coordinate assumptions with a CPA, and build a client explanation from scratch.
In EquityNav, that workflow becomes more structured and repeatable. The advisor can model the scenario, compare outcomes, surface hidden tax exposure, and deliver a clearer recommendation in a fraction of the time.
Who EquityNav is for
EquityNav is built for firms serving clients with complex equity comp and concentrated stock decisions, especially:
RIAs advising founders and executives
CPA firms supporting equity-compensated employees
Advisory firms serving startup and tech clients
Planning teams handling pre-IPO and post-IPO liquidity scenarios
If your firm regularly sees stock options, RSUs, ESPPs, or concentrated positions, equity comp planning is not peripheral. It is a core advisory capability.
What makes good equity compensation planning software?
If you are evaluating options, look for software that offers:
Equity comp planning is becoming a bigger opportunity for firms
As more founders, executives, and tech employees accumulate equity compensation, firms that can deliver sophisticated planning around stock comp, taxes, and diversification will stand out.
This is not just about efficiency. It is about:
- Winning more complex clients
- Improving planning quality
- Reducing costly mistakes
- Building a differentiated service offering
- Scaling specialized advice without scaling headcount linearly
That is why firms are moving beyond spreadsheets.
EquityNav: equity compensation planning software built for RIAs and CPA firms
EquityNav is designed to help firms model complex equity comp decisions faster, more clearly, and more consistently.
For advisory firms and CPA firms that want to serve founders, executives, and employees with stock comp at a higher level, EquityNav provides the planning infrastructure to do it.
If your team is still handling ISO exercises, RSU planning, ESPP decisions, and concentrated stock analysis manually, it may be time to move beyond spreadsheets.
Move beyond spreadsheets
EquityNav helps RIAs and CPA firms model equity compensation scenarios with deterministic logic, faster turnaround, and structured client-ready outputs.