How We Helped Lisa Unlock $1M from Computershare

Author: Alma Pajova | February 19th 2025

Meet Lisa, a senior executive at a biotech firm. Over the years, she had built up an impressive stockpile of company shares through incentive plans. On paper, her shares were worth $1 million—life-changing money.

But there was a major problem. Actually, several.

🚫 Her company’s stock traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market – meaning it wasn't as easy to sell as stocks listed on major exchanges.

🚫 Her shares were stuck in Computershare Canada – which made transferring and selling them even harder.

🚫 Every attempt to move her shares hit a bureaucratic wall – delayed paperwork confusing processes, and endless back-and-forth between financial institutions left her frustrated and stuck.

Lisa had tried handling the process herself, but after weeks of dead ends, she nearly gave up. That’s when she called us.

---

The Challenges

🔹 Computershare’s Slow & Complex Process – Unlike traditional brokers, Computershare has a multi-step transfer system that can be painfully slow and confusing.

🔹 OTC Liquidity Issues – Selling too many shares at once could cause the stock price to drop, so we had to be strategic.

🔹 Tax Risks – Selling all at once could mean a massive short-term capital gains tax bill. Timing was everything.

---

The Plan: Getting Lisa Her Money—Without the Headaches

✔ Step 1: Moving Shares to a U.S. Brokerage

First, we reached out to Schwab, where Lisa held her main investment accounts, to see if they could accept a transfer through the Direct Registration System (DRS).

No luck. Schwab couldn’t process the shares.

We then contacted another brokerage where she had a small account, and bingo—they confirmed they could accept the transfer.

Lisa authorized the necessary paperwork (which we helped complete), and after weeks of back-and-forth, Computershare finally released the shares to her new brokerage.

From there, we moved them into her Schwab portfolio, where she had full control over when and how to sell.

✔ Step 2: Selling Shares Without Crashing the Stock Price

Instead of selling all her shares at once (which could have tanked the stock’s value), we took a smarter approach:

📌 Small, scheduled trades over several weeks.

📌 Limit orders to ensure she wasn’t selling at a steep discount.

✔ Step 3: Managing the Tax Bill

Lisa’s shares were a mix of short-term and long-term holdings, so we:

📌 Sold long-term shares first to take advantage of lower tax rates.

📌 Used tax-loss harvesting to offset capital gains and reduce her tax liability.

✔ Step 4: Converting to Cash & Putting It to Work

With her $1M finally liquid, we worked with Lisa to:

✅ Set aside cash for near-term expenses (so she wouldn’t be forced to sell

shares at a bad time in the future).

✅ Diversify into low-risk, income-generating investments instead of being

overly dependent on a single stock.

---

Why It’s Important to Cash Out Private & International Investments

Many executives and employees hold company stock in non-U.S. Computershare accounts, OTC markets, or foreign brokerage systems. While these shares can look impressive on paper, the reality is they’re often difficult to access, sell, or transfer—especially if you don’t plan ahead.

If your company is never acquired, never goes public, or has complex restrictions on share sales, you could be stuck with stock that’s technically valuable but completely illiquid. That’s why it’s critical to create a plan before you need the money—not after.

---

The Results

✅ $1M unlocked from a frustratingly illiquid account.

✅ Avoided a massive tax hit by spreading out sales strategically.

✅ Kept the stock price stable while selling a large number of shares.

✅ Successfully navigated a two-month-long transfer process that had stalled when Lisa

tried on her own.

---

The Lesson?

If you have company stock stuck in Computershare—or any other hard-to-access investment—don’t wait until you desperately need the cash to figure it out.

Lisa’s case proves that your money should work for you—not be trapped in a bureaucratic maze.

👉 Don’t let red tape keep your wealth out of reach. If you have company stock stuck in Computershare or a hard-to-access account, let’s unlock it—strategically and tax-efficiently.

Schedule a free consultation today and take control of your financial future.

Meet Alma Pajova

Hi, I’m Alma. With nearly a decade of experience in financial planning, I specialize in helping executives from public and private companies navigate the complexities of executive compensation—stock options, RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, deferred comp, and more. I create tailored strategies that maximize the flexibility your compensation provides, helping you build wealth and enhance your quality of life.

Request Consultation