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Net
Worth Strategies, a Bend-based financial planning software and services
company, has launched StockOpter®, a comprehensive stock option analysis
program for financial planners. The new product, the first in a
suite of financial planning software programs under development
by Net Worth Strategies, has been extremely well received by both
end users and the industry press.
"We
knew there was tremendous market demand for a tool that could handle
the complexities of stock option analysis and optimization,"
said Bill Briggs, chair and CEO of the startup company. "The
number of employees with stock options has jumped tenfold over the
last decade. Figuring out the right strategy for a client with stock
options has always been a nightmare of calculations for financial
planners, even with a spreadsheet."
StockOpter®
handles Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), Non-qualified Stock Options
(NQs), and Restricted Stock Plans, allowing planners to develop
strategies to meet clients' needs for optimizing cash value and
minimizing taxes, including the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax
(AMT), according to Briggs. StockOpter©'s Excel-based platform makes
the underlying logic visible to the planner and allows the results
to be incorporated into other Excel spreadsheets for custom analysis
and presentation.
The
new product drew enthusiastic praise in the July edition of Investment
Advisor, the national trade publication, which subjected the product
to a critical review by three veteran financial planners. After
outlining the difficulties financial planners have historically
faced in analyzing stock options, the article notes, "Financial
planners have longed for a good stock options planning software
package. Look no more. StockOpter®, from Net Worth Strategies in
Bend, Oregon is the answer." Morningstar.com, the noted investment
web site, also posted a glowing review earlier this month, "enthusiastically
recommending this product." Judging by initial sales, the financial
planning community appears to agree. Volume sales to accounting
giant Deloitte & Touche have been augmented by numerous individual
orders from planners with Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, American Express,
Dean Witter Morgan Stanley, PaineWebber and Ernst & Young. Well
over a hundred smaller planning practices are also using the product.
Although buoyed by the success of their initial product launch,
Net Worth Strategies management is not stopping to rest, according
to Briggs. MRD Determinator, a tool for calculating and planning
for minimum required distributions (MRD) from qualified retirement
plans, is scheduled for release in late third quarter. StratPlan,
a comprehensive net worth planning program, will be ready for beta
testing later this year, and is scheduled for release in the first
quarter of 2001. EstatePlan, a modeling tool for a variety of estate
planning services, is next on the firm's agenda.
"We
believe Net Worth Strategies has the potential to become a leading
provider of financial software in the very near future," said
Briggs. "We're extremely excited at the opportunities ahead
of us."
Net
Worth Strategies is located in Bend's Shevlin Business Center. For
more information on StockOpter® or Net Worth Strategies, visit the
web site at www.StockOpter.com,
or call Bill Briggs at 541-383-3899.
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