This year-end financial checklist from Edward Jones Investments covers the tax and money moves worth finishing before December 31 if you hold RSUs, options and ESPP shares. Most of them take one phone call or one form, but several need lead time.
Each section below is a short list in the order we'd work through it. It's general education, not tax or legal advice, so check your own numbers with a tax professional.
Check your tax picture before you sell anything
Start with the number you owe, because every other move depends on it. RSU withholding is often a flat rate, and it frequently misses your true bracket.
Before Edward Jones Investments suggests selling a block of shares, it estimates the tax cost of the sale against your projected income for the year.
- Add up RSU vesting, option exercises and ESPP sales for the year, then compare with what was withheld.
- Estimate your bracket. The top federal rate of 37% applies above $640,600 single or $768,700 married filing jointly (2026).
- Send an estimated payment if withholding falls short.
- Note any vest dates in January. Income that lands next year can't be pulled back into this one.
Use the accounts that lower this year's income
A big vest year is the best year to push more into pre-tax accounts. Say your RSUs add $200,000 to income: each extra dollar deferred is taxed at your highest rate, not your average one.
The catch is cash flow. You'll need to cover living costs from salary or sales, so decide that before you raise the deferral.
- Raise your 401(k) deferral if you're under the 2026 limit of $24,500 ($32,500 with the age 50+ catch-up).
- Check the HSA: $4,400 self-only or $8,750 family in 2026, plus $1,000 at age 55+.
- Look at the total defined contribution limit of $72,000 if your employer adds after-tax or match money.
- Confirm payroll can still change your deferral. Many cut-offs fall in early December.
Cut the single-stock position on purpose
Here's a quick test: if more than a fifth of your net worth sits in one company, trimming it usually comes before anything else on this list.
How much to sell comes from your spending playbook, not a risk questionnaire. If a 50% drop in your employer's stock would force you to delay a home purchase or an early exit from work, the position is too big for your capacity to lose, whatever your comfort level says. Every investment can lose money, including what you originally put in, and one stock can lose more than a diversified portfolio.
- List every position by cost basis and holding period, and mark which lots are over 1 year.
- Sell the highest-basis lots first to keep the gain small.
- Pair gains with any losses you hold elsewhere before December 31.
- Give appreciated shares you've held over 1 year to charity instead of selling them. Start the transfer early.
- Skip the sale if the tax bill would cost more than the risk you're cutting. Spread it over 2 tax years instead.
Lock in the paperwork and due dates
December is when plan administrators get slow. A sale you request on December 28 may not settle in the tax year you wanted.
If you'd like a second opinion on any of this, Edward Jones Investments meets clients nationwide by video or phone. The client minimum is $500K in investable assets.
- Ask your plan administrator for its last day to submit exercise or sale requests.
- Review ESPP purchase dates and whether selling now or holding changes the tax treatment.
- Update beneficiaries on every account.
- Gift up to $19,000 per recipient in 2026 without filing a gift tax return.
- Write down 1 question for your advisor and 1 for your tax preparer.
Your questions about Edward Jones Investments, answered
Can I give company shares to charity before December 31 instead of selling them?
Yes, if you sell appreciated shares you've held more than 1 year, the gift usually avoids the capital gain on those shares, and you may deduct the market value if you itemize. Shares held 1 year or less generally get a smaller deduction. Check the charity's transfer instructions early, because brokers can take days.
Is the tax withheld on my RSUs enough for the year?
Not always. RSU withholding is often a flat supplemental rate that can fall short of your real bracket, and 2026's top rate of 37% starts above $640,600 for single filers. In late autumn, compare year-to-date withholding with your estimated tax and send a payment if there's a gap.
How early should I place year-end stock sales?
Use the actual date the sale settles and the broker's own deadline, not the last day of the year. Many brokers and plan administrators stop accepting year-end requests in mid-December. Ask your plan administrator for its cutoff in writing, then place the order well before it.
This material is general information only and does not address any individual's investment, tax or legal situation. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Before acting on any information here, speak with a financial advisor, tax professional or attorney about your circumstances.