Financial planning for Meta employees

What I’d do with Meta stock and benefits

These five things cover most of what matters. Each one links to a guide with the details.

1. Know when your shares arrive and when you can sell them

Meta RSUs vest quarterly over four years, one-sixteenth at a time, on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15, with no one-year cliff. You can only sell during an open trading window, and Meta’s closes at the end of those same months, so you have about two weeks to sell each vest. How Meta RSU grants and vesting work covers the schedule, refreshers, and dividends, and the trading window guide has the dates.

2. Sell most of your RSUs as they vest

I think most people should sell most of their Meta stock as it vests. It’s already been taxed as wages, so selling right away costs almost nothing extra in tax, and holding it is the same as using a cash bonus to buy Meta stock. Selling Meta stock covers how to automate that with a 10b5-1 plan.

3. Raise your tax withholding

Meta withholds 22% for federal tax when your RSUs vest. If your salary and stock put you in the 32% or 35% bracket, that isn’t enough. On $200,000 of RSUs taxed at 35%, the shortfall is $26,000. You can raise the rate to as much as 37% in Workday, which is the easiest fix. How Meta RSUs are taxed walks through the numbers.

4. Get the full 401(k) match, then use the mega backdoor Roth

Meta matches your 401(k) contributions up to $12,250 in 2026, so I’d contribute the full $24,500 if you can. The plan also lets you add up to $35,250 more after-tax and have Fidelity convert it to Roth automatically, but you have to turn on both yourself. The Meta 401(k) guide has the setup steps.

5. Plan ahead for a home, a move, or leaving

If you’re buying a home with Meta stock, work backward from your closing date, because the shares have to vest and the trading window has to be open before you can sell. Buying a home with RSU income covers what lenders count. If you move out of California, the state still taxes part of the RSUs that vest afterward, which the guide to moving states explains. And if you’re leaving, you lose whatever hasn’t vested, so check your vest dates first. Leaving Meta has a checklist.

Do you need a financial advisor?

You might not. If you’re selling your RSUs on a schedule, your withholding is set correctly, the Roth conversion is on, and you’re comfortable managing it yourself, you’re already doing most of what I’d suggest.

Meta also offers financial coaching and tax education as part of your benefits, and I’d start there. It’s worth asking whether it covers your spouse and the accounts you have outside Meta.

Where I think an advisor earns their fee is when several decisions land at once. Maybe you’re buying a house in the same year as a big vest, or you’re sitting on a seven-figure position with a very low cost basis, or you’re moving out of California, or your partner has equity at another company. That’s the kind of work I do.

If you do talk to advisors, including me, ask what you’ll pay in dollars per year and what you get for it. It’s also worth asking how they’d handle the Meta-specific parts, like the withholding gap, the trading window, and the two steps of the mega backdoor Roth.

At Simple Money Advisors, my firm, we manage investments and do ongoing tax planning, and we work with your tax preparer and, when you need one, your attorney. We don’t prepare or file tax returns or draft trusts. Our disclosure brochure explains our services, fees, and conflicts.

Before an introductory call

Meta: company facts

Meta Platforms, Inc. is your employer, the sponsor of the 401(k), and the public company whose stock you receive. The figures below come from Meta’s filings and are as of the dates shown.

Quarterly figures are for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The headcount is for all of Meta worldwide.