How does Grantd deal with vesting events and grants that expired or been sold?
Learn how Grantd tracks and manages the lifecycle of equity grants from active status through vesting, exercise, sale, or expiration.
Understanding Grant Lifecycle
Equity grants move through various stages during their lifetime:
- Granted - Initial award, unvested
- Vesting - Shares/options become exercisable over time
- Vested - Full ownership achieved
- Exercised - Options converted to shares (if applicable)
- Sold - Shares liquidated
- Expired - Options lapse unused (if applicable)
Grantd tracks grants through each of these stages to maintain accurate portfolio analysis and historical records.
Active vs. Inactive Status
Active Holdings
Active holdings include:
- Unvested grants - Future vesting events scheduled
- Vested but unexercised options - Available for exercise
- Owned shares - Shares held in portfolio
- Partially vested grants - Some vested, some unvested
These holdings:
- Appear in current portfolio analysis
- Factor into concentration calculations
- Drive tax projections and scenarios
- Generate alerts and notifications
Inactive Holdings
Holdings become inactive when:
- Options expire unused - Passed expiration date without exercise
- Shares are fully sold - Complete liquidation
- Grants are forfeited - Cancelled due to termination or other reasons
How Vesting Events are Tracked
Scheduled Vesting
When you set up a grant with a vesting schedule:
- Grantd tracks all future vesting dates
- Multi-year projections account for scheduled vesting
- Vesting events appear in timeline visualizations
- Alerts can be set for upcoming vesting dates
Vesting Types Supported
Linear Vesting
- Even distribution over vesting period
- Example: 25% per year over 4 years
Cliff + Linear
- Initial cliff period followed by regular vesting
- Example: 1-year cliff, then monthly vesting for 3 years
Custom Vesting
- Irregular vesting schedules
- Performance-based vesting milestones
- Any unique vesting arrangement
As Vesting Occurs
When shares vest:
- RSUs: Automatically convert to owned shares
- Options: Become exercisable
- Tax impact: Triggered for RSUs, not for options
- Portfolio updates: Concentration and value recalculated
Managing Exercised Options
When Options are Exercised
The grant record updates to reflect:
- Exercise date and price paid
- Number of shares acquired
- Tax basis established
- Remaining unexercised options (if partial exercise)
Tracking Post-Exercise Shares
After exercise, shares are tracked as:
- Owned Shares - Full tracking of acquisition details
- Cost Basis - For future capital gains calculations
- Holding Period - Short-term vs. long-term treatment
- Current Value - Market value updates
Handling Sold Shares
Recording Sales
When shares are sold, you can record:
- Sale Date - When transaction occurred
- Sale Price - Price per share received
- Number of Shares Sold - Full or partial position
- Tax Impact - Capital gains/losses calculated
Partial vs. Complete Sales
Partial Sales
- Remaining shares stay active in portfolio
- Concentration updates based on reduced position
- Cost basis tracking for remaining shares
Complete Sales
- Position fully liquidated
- Historical record maintained
- Capital gains/losses recorded
- Removed from active portfolio analysis
Expired Options
When Options Expire
Options that reach expiration without being exercised:
- Out-of-the-Money Options - No intrinsic value, expire worthless
- In-the-Money Options - Potential value lost if not exercised
- Administrative Lapses - Missed exercise deadlines
How Grantd Handles Expirations
Before Expiration:
- Expiration reminder alerts available
- Exercise priority scores may increase
- Dashboard notifications of approaching deadlines
After Expiration:
- Grant marked as expired
- Removed from active portfolio
- Historical record maintained
- No tax deduction for expired options (for employee)
Historical Record Keeping
Grantd maintains records of:
- Original grant details - Date, quantity, strike price, vesting schedule
- Vesting history - When shares vested
- Exercise transactions - Dates, quantities, prices
- Sale transactions - Dates, quantities, proceeds
- Expiration events - Options that lapsed
This historical data supports:
- Multi-year tax planning and reporting
- Audit trail for financial advisors
- Understanding patterns in equity compensation decisions
- Long-term portfolio performance analysis
Data Organization
Active Portfolio View
Your current portfolio displays:
- All unvested grants (with vesting schedules)
- All vested but unexercised options
- All owned shares (not yet sold)
- Current values and concentrations
Historical Transactions
Past events are organized by:
- Transaction type (vesting, exercise, sale, expiration)
- Date ranges
- Specific grants or holdings
- Tax year (for reporting purposes)
Best Practices for Record Management
Regular Updates
Keep records current by:
- Recording exercises promptly after execution
- Updating sales as they occur
- Confirming vesting events happened as scheduled
- Noting any forfeited or cancelled grants
Documentation
Maintain supporting documentation:
- Grant agreements and summaries
- Exercise confirmations
- Brokerage statements showing sales
- Tax forms (W-2s, 1099-Bs)
Annual Review
Conduct yearly reviews to:
- Verify all vesting events recorded
- Confirm expired options properly marked
- Reconcile shares owned with brokerage statements
- Update any missed transactions
Integration with Tax Calculations
Historical transaction data flows into:
- Multi-year tax projections - Past exercises inform future planning
- Cost basis tracking - Accurate capital gains calculations
- Holding period determination - Short-term vs. long-term treatment
- AMT credit tracking - Prior year AMT creates future credits
Alerts for Critical Events
Set up alerts to avoid missing important deadlines:
Vesting Reminders
- Notification before shares vest
- Prepare for tax withholding (RSUs)
- Plan exercise strategy (options)
Expiration Reminders
- Warning before options expire
- Configurable advance notice (e.g., 30 days, 90 days)
- Ensure valuable options aren't accidentally forfeited