College Tuition Funding With Company Stock Grants

College Tuition Funding With Company Stock Grants & Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Covered In Article Series on myStockOptions.com and myNQDC.com

Brookline, MA, June 7, 2011 - As the cost of higher education soars, smart financial and tax planning for college funding has become more important than ever. For the millions of US employees who have stock grants or nonqualified deferred compensation from their companies, expert guidance on college funding is available at the websites myStockOptions.com and myNQDC.com. Written by Troy Onink, a noted college-funding authority and Forbes blogger, an expanded article series at each website explains the issues and planning involved in using these forms of compensation to successfully meet the costs of university tuition.

College Funding With Stock Compensation

Surprisingly little has been written about paying for college expenses through the use of stock options, employee stock purchase plans, restricted stock, and other equity awards. On myStockOptions.com, the three-part series Funding Your Child's College Education With Stock Options And Other Stock Grants explains:

• the impact of equity awards on financial aid eligibility


• the basics of gift tax and the tax treatment of stock compensation in the financial planning for higher education


• methods to minimize capital gains at sale, planning for the kiddie tax and education tax credits, and strategies that students can use

"Planned properly, equity compensation and stock plan participation can be a very smart way for executives and employees to pay for college, often tax-efficiently, and ultimately end up with more money when it's time to retire," observes author Troy Onink.

College Funding With Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

Contributions to nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans allow participants to defer income to future years and defer taxes on that income until they receive it at the scheduled distribution date(s). Therefore NQDC often has long-term planning considerations. For many NQDC recipients, the expense of their children's higher education, even if it is many years away, can be one of the most important goals for NQDC deferrals.

On myNQDC.com, the new two-part series College Financial Aid & Funding With Nonqualified Deferred Compensation explains:

• NQDC in the context of eligibility for need-based financial aid


• the ways in which NQDC income deferrals and distributions by parents affect a student's eligibility for financial aid


• impact of NQDC on eligibility for the American Opportunity Tax Credit


• financial-planning strategies with NQDC that can help your cash flow for meeting college expenses

"The flexibility to time income deferrals and distributions through participation in a nonqualified deferred comp plan gives participants the ability to plan for college costs, tax-efficiency, and financial aid eligibility," emphasizes Mr. Onink.

Corporate Licensing Available

In addition to being available by individual membership, all the content on myStockOptions.com and myNQDC.com is ideally suited for licensing by companies, stock plan providers, and securities firms for training, research, and ongoing education. For more information, visit http://mystockoptions.com, email sales@mystockoptions.com, or call 617-734-1979.

About myStockOptions.com

With exclusive articles, 750+ FAQs, the Tax Center, Global Tax Guide, an extensive glossary, and interactive tools, myStockOptions.com is the premier online resource of educational content, tools, and self-study courses on stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, stock appreciation rights, and employee stock purchase plans. myStockOptions.com is written and managed by leading experts in equity compensation, and is produced by a company with a long history of successful publications explaining complex legal and financial subjects in plain English. The accounting journal CPA Wealth Provider selected myStockOptions.com among companies "that have taken the lead through innovation, efficiency, initiative, or growth in the financial-planning area."

About myNQDC.com

The goal of myNQDC.com is to provide educational content and tools for nonqualified deferred compensation plan participants, their advisors and attorneys, plan providers and administrators, and companies with NQDC plans. With clear writing and independent, unbiased expertise, myNQDC provides education about the financial planning, taxation, risk, and legal issues surrounding nonqualified deferred compensation and encourages participants to fully understand these topics and maximize the value of their plans. With tax rates likely to rise in the future, the tax-deferral advantages of NQDC will make these plans increasingly popular. myNQDC.com offers individual and group memberships, along with licensing its educational content for other websites and print materials.

About Troy Onink

Troy Onink is the Chairman and CEO of Stratagee.com, a provider of web-based software, content, and services that help parents determine where their child may be able to Get Into College and Get Aid^TM, and what their best strategy is to pay for college while saving for retirement. Troy is a nationally recognized authority on college planning. He serves as an advisor to families, the financial services industry, independent schools, employers, and foundations. Troy is also a contributor to Forbes, where he writes a blog called College Crossroads