# Oil and Gas Professionals

Source: https://integrityfinancialplan.com/who-we-serve/oil-and-gas-professionals
Last updated: 2026-09-28

Fee-only financial planning for Houston energy professionals. Concentrated employer stock, restricted stock and options, deferred compensation, pensions, and planning through layoffs and buyouts.


Energy careers pay well and swing hard. We help Houston oil and gas professionals manage concentrated company stock, complex benefits, and the cycle's layoffs and buyouts without betting the household on one commodity.

## Key takeaways

- We build portfolios that offset, rather than duplicate, the energy exposure already in your paycheck and benefits.
- Equity compensation is sold on a tax-aware schedule within a tax budget.
- Severance, early retirement, and pension decisions are modeled against your full plan before the deadline.
- We do the tax planning around equity compensation and separations and coordinate with your tax preparer; we do not prepare returns.

## Who this is for

- Engineers, geoscientists, and managers at Houston operators and service companies
- Employees with restricted stock, options, ESPP shares, or a company stock fund in the 401(k)
- People facing a severance package, early retirement offer, or pension lump-sum decision

## Problems it solves

- Salary, bonus, stock, and 401(k) all tied to the price of oil
- Not knowing which shares to sell first, or what the tax cost would be
- A pension lump-sum versus annuity choice with a deadline

## What makes it different

A Personal Index Portfolio can underweight or exclude the energy sector to offset what you already own through your employer, and tax-loss harvesting helps pay for diversifying out of appreciated company stock over time.

## What we help with

- **Concentrated stock.** Tax-aware selling schedules for RSUs, options, ESPP, and 401(k) company stock (including net unrealized appreciation analysis).
- **Portfolio offsets.** Building the rest of your portfolio to counterbalance the sector risk in your career.
- **Benefits decisions.** Deferred compensation elections, pension lump sums, and health coverage between jobs.
- **Transitions.** Severance planning, early retirement offers, and the years between the last paycheck and Medicare.

## Related reading

- [Retirement planning in the oil and gas industry](/insights/retirement-planning-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-a-comprehensive-guide)
- [4 strategies for reducing risk in your investment portfolio](/insights/4-strategies-for-reducing-risk-in-your-investment-portfolio)

## Frequently asked questions

### How much company stock is too much?

There is no single number, but when a single employer accounts for your salary, bonus, and a large share of your investable assets, most planners would want the investment piece well under 10% of the portfolio. We model your specific case.

### Should I take the pension lump sum or the annuity?

It depends on the interest rates used to compute the lump sum, your health, other guaranteed income, and how the choice fits your retirement income plan. We run both paths before you sign.

### Can you exclude energy stocks from my portfolio?

Yes. Because [Personal Index Portfolios](/services/personal-index-portfolios) own individual stocks, we can underweight or exclude the sector to offset the exposure you already carry.