Budgeting the workflow
10b5-1 plan cost: the line items to ask about.
There is no single public price for a 10b5-1 plan because the cost depends on who drafts it, who administers it, the broker platform, company policy, position complexity, and whether tax and portfolio modeling are included. Ask for line items instead of accepting a blended answer.
Common cost components
Legal review
Securities counsel may draft or review the plan, confirm rule requirements, review certifications, and coordinate with company legal or outside counsel. This is the component you should not replace with financial-advisor advice.
Broker administration
The broker may provide plan templates, trade execution, Rule 144 support, restricted-stock processing, and account administration. Ask whether charges are explicit, embedded, or waived for certain account sizes.
Tax modeling
CPA or tax-advisor work may include estimated tax payments, AMT interaction, state allocation, capital gains timing, and basis reporting. Large stock sales can make this more valuable than the nominal plan setup cost.
Financial planning
A fee-only advisor may model sale cadence, diversification targets, reinvestment, charitable strategies, liquidity needs, and how future grants change concentration.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Who is responsible for confirming compliance with the current SEC rule and company policy?
- Does the broker support the exact sale structure you want?
- Will plan changes restart cooling-off timing or create disclosure issues?
- Will the advisor model after-tax proceeds by lot and tax year?
- Are Rule 144, Section 16, lockup, or restricted-stock processing costs included?
When cost matters less than design
For a $1M to $10M employer-stock position, a poorly designed sale schedule can cost more than the setup fees. Selling too much in one tax year, missing a long-term holding period by days, failing to sell enough to reduce concentration, or stacking trades with option exercises can be far more expensive than professional coordination.
Use the checklist, compare example structures, and read how plans fit into executive stock sales.
Need a cost-aware advisor match?
We route cases to advisors who can quantify whether 10b5-1 planning is mainly a compliance project, a tax project, or a concentration-risk project.