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What to Do With Company Stock in Your 401(k) When You Leave a Job

ARTICLE | April 30, 2026

Authored by Vasquez + Company

When you leave a job, the conventional advice is straightforward: roll your 401(k) balance into an IRA and keep your retirement savings growing tax-deferred. But if your plan holds appreciated company stock, following that standard playbook could mean missing out on a valuable tax-planning opportunity. A strategy involving net unrealized appreciation (NUA) allows you to potentially reduce your long-term tax burden by withdrawing company shares, paying tax on only the plan's original cost basis, and holding the stock in a taxable brokerage account. The tax savings can be substantial, but the rules are complex.

Read the full article here.

 

Our firm provides the information for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. This article is not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided “as is,” with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.  

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