Left Brain Thinking

Brian Dress and Noland Langford walk through everything executives need to know about their equity comp packages, from the basics of RSUs, stock options, and ESPP, to vest day tax implications, the job change trap, and what building a real equity compensation plan actually looks like. In this episode: • The three types of equity comp and what makes each different • What vest day actually means (an...

In this episode of Fundamentals of Investing, Brian Dress and Noland Langford tackle one of the most common (and most overlooked) financial challenges facing corporate executives: what to do when your company stock becomes a dominant part of your net worth. They cover the full picture of equity exposure (RSUs, stock options, ESPP, deferred comp, and 401(k)), walk through the real math of concentra...

I n this episode, Left Brain Wealth Management CEO Noland Langford and Director of Research Brian Dress address one of the most painful and underserved situations in executive finance: your concentrated company stock position is falling — and you don't know whether to act or wait. Noland and Brian walk through the psychology of why executives get stuck, the real options available beyond "sell ever...

If you work at a publicly traded company and receive any form of equity compensation, RSUs, stock options, ESPP, or deferred comp, this episode is for you. Brian Dress and Noland Langford walk through the executive diversification trap: how concentration in employer stock builds gradually, why it is so hard to act on, and what a structured plan to address it actually looks like. Topics covered: •...

Once income crosses $300K, taxes often become one of the largest controllable expenses. At that level, several things begin to change: • deductions phase out • equity compensation adds complexity • timing decisions matter more We recently recorded a discussion covering several of these considerations. If you'd like to discuss your situation: Set Time on Our Calendar We're also hosting a live Zoom...

For 15 years, buying the dip worked.  That conditioning may now be a liability. Defensive sectors are leading. Growth multiples are compressing. For more than a decade, markets rewarded a simple discipline: buy the dip. It worked. But leadership is rotating. Growth multiples are compressing. Defensive sectors are leading. Financials aren't responding to favorable backdrops. Gold is rising. Bitcoin...

Executives often focus on salary when evaluating offers. But real wealth ( and potentially real risk ) usually lives in the equity package. In this episode, Brian Dress and Noland Langford unpack how to evaluate job offers through a strategic lens, helping leaders avoid costly missteps and uncover long-term value. Key Topics: • Why equity comp is often misunderstood , even by seasoned execs • How...

Strong results, soft reactions. In this month's Jarvis Update, CIO Noland Langford and Director of Research Brian Dress review Q3 earnings trends, consumer weakness, AI infrastructure growth, and what executives should evaluate as year-end approaches. Links:  • Download the Executive Stock Compensation Guide   • Download the Income Securities Guide • Schedule a Portfolio Review

Are we really in a bull market? Noland Langford and Brian Dress discuss sector winners, AI-driven growth, and the return of income opportunities in a falling-rate environment. Watch the full update on YouTube Download the Income Securities Booklet Book a Portfolio Review To learn more: https://leftbrainwm.com/ briand@leftbrainwm.com Phone: (630) 547-3316

If you're holding idle cash or searching for a way to replace a paycheck in retirement, this is your wake-up call. In this episode of Fundamentals of Investing, Left Brain Wealth Management's Director of Research, Brian Dress, and CEO/CIO Noland Langford explore the often-overlooked power of income securities— investments that deliver steady, dependable cash flow without the stress of stock market...

Are you a corporate executive sitting on a growing pile of company stock, but unsure what your next steps should be? We've seen it happen far too many times: executives who build wealth through stock compensation, but ultimately fail to fully take advantage because they lack a well-considered plan. If 10–25% of your net worth is tied to one stock, this is required viewing. In this episode of Funda...

In this episode, Left Brain Wealth Management's Brian Dress (Director of Research) and Noland Langford (CEO & CIO) take a level-headed look at the first half of 2025 and explore where smart investors are putting their money right now — without letting political noise cloud their decisions. We cover: • The real risks investors are facing in 2025 • Why mixing politics and investing is a dangerous co...

Are you a high net worth investor looking to stay ahead of the curve in the age of AI? Here's your inside track on how artificial intelligence is transforming enterprise software—and where forward-thinking investors are putting capital to work right now. In this episode, Brian Dress (Director of Research at Left Brain Wealth Management) sits down with our CEO & Chief Investment Officer Noland Lang...

0:00 Intro 1:20 Should You Make Changes Post-Election? 2:42 Topic 1: Preparing for a New Administration 5:20 Should You Be Looking at Financials? 8:34 Questioning International Investment Exposure 11:03 Where Can We Expect Outperformance and Underperformance in 2025? 14:39 Topic 2: Talking Interest Rates 19:05 What's New for Left Brain in 2025 New year, new us! We are excited to come to you with t...

0:00 Intro 0:56 Recapping the Year for the Market's Best Performers 2:28 How to Respond When Your Stocks are Up Significantly 3:59 Topic 1: Debunking "Too High, Too Fast" 13:39 Topic 2: Alternatives if You Can't Stomach Staying Long 16:40 Bonus: Another Income Idea In speaking with clients over the last few weeks, one theme keeps coming up in discussions. Many of their portfolio stocks have made s...

0:00 Intro 0:59 Market Update 3:29 Topic 1: Outlook for New Administration Policy 8:09 Topic 2: Investment Opportunities in the New Administration 11:27 BKLN -- Another Income Security The US Election is past and we have a definitive winner. There are plenty of implications for health policy, foreign policy, and beyond, but today we are focusing on the implications for our listeners and their inve...

0:00 Intro 0:53 A Look Back at the Year to Date 3:52 Topic 1: Investing Around the US Election 7:49 Topic 2: Earnings Season in Full Swing 13:01 Topic 3: BONUS -- Income Securities We know there are jitters among investors as we move swiftly toward the US Presidential #election. Volatility has kicked up over the last 6 weeks, especially as regards #interestrates. In this week's Jarvis® Update, CEO...

0:00 Intro 0:54 Preview 2:11 Topic 1: Deferred Compensation 8:06 Topic 2: After-Tax Contribution to Retirement Plans 12:45 Topic 3: Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) So you're an executive at work with an excellent benefit plan. Have you sat down with a professional to make sure you are taking full advantage of every aspect of your plan? This edition of Fundamentals of Investing is the second inst...

0:00 Intro 1:04 Importance of Optimizing Your Stock Compensation 1:52 Topic 1: Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs) 7:35 Topic 2: Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) 11:06 Topic 3: Stock Options Does your benefits plan at work include equity (stock) compensation? If so, there are a lot of nuances and techniques about how best to take advantage of these plans, which can have a large impact on your abili...

0:00 Intro 1:02 Why Noland is at SaaStr this year 1:40 Topic 1: Recapping 2024 SaaStr 5:24 Topic 2: Trends and Takeaways from SaaStr Software companies and, consequently, software stocks, have been on a rollercoaster ride over the last three years. Rising interest rates and the emergence of AI are just two of the many challenges facing the software industry. In this week's Jarvis® Update, we take...

0:00 Intro 0:49 Market Recap 1:59 Topic 1: 2nd Quarter Earnings Review 8:36 Topic 2: Is This a Market in Transition? With 2nd quarter earnings moving toward a close, we are taking inventory of trends developing in the overall markets. Where information technology and communications services were the sectors dominating in the first half of 2024, we are starting to see some new trends developing, as...

0:00 Intro 0:45 Market Recap 2:23 Topic 1: Market Rally is Broadening 7:52 Topic 2: Previewing 2nd Quarter Earnings As summer rolls on, we are coming into the most important time in the investment calendar: Earnings Season In this week's Jarvis® Update, CEO Noland Langford and Director of Research, Brian Dress, cover the change in the markets since the latest Federal Reserve meeting. We have seen...

0:00 Intro 1:54 Topic 1: Common Scams 5:38 Topic 2: Ways to Secure Your Money (and Data) 10:32 Topic 3: Ways Left Brain is Protecting You 15:57 Key Takeaways Have you or anyone you know been caught up in financial online scams? It's much more common than you may think! Securing money, data, and our clients' digital footprints has become one of the biggest priorities for Left Brain in the age of te...

0:00 Intro 1:02 Market Recap 2:23 Topic 1: Bull is Roaring, But the Rally is Narrowing 8:04 Topic 2: Interest Rates, Inflation, and the Consumer As summer begins, we are back with you with a market update video for the first time in the last six weeks. In this week's Jarvis® Update, CEO Noland Langford and Director of Research, Brian Dress, discuss the current state of things and developments sinc...

0:06 Is Real Estate Really "Passive"? 2:20 What About Vacancy? 3:39 More Hidden Costs 5:53 Four Passive Investment Alternatives to Real Estate Should you invest in real estate? As advisors, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear from clients and other investors. Most important when answering this question is really understanding your goals: are you looking for cash flow? price...