Do nothing
- Keeps upside
- Full upside and full downside
- Tax event today
- No
- Liquidity
- Stock stays liquid (lockups aside)
- Decision documentation
- Record the rationale for holding
- Typical cost
- $0 today; the next drawdown
Explore an educational sample, compare the assumptions and tradeoffs, and see what belongs in a professional review.
Examples are illustrative. Options costs, expiration, liquidity, taxes and basis risk can change the outcome. A proxy hedge does not guarantee a floor for an individual stock or portfolio.
The fixed educational case needs no account. Creating a login does not purchase a plan or activate live services.
Illustrative portfolio $2,000,000. Assumed loss $740,000 without protection and $230,000 with protection. Premium, fees and taxes excluded.
No automatic trades.
From concentrated risk to a precise, advisor-approved hedge — with a retained decision record. The review workflow in a short explainer.
Non-discretionary · Never trades · Never advises
Concentrated stock can expose clients to large losses. Selling may create a tax bill.
Compare hedges, review each decision, and keep the compliance record.
Compare reference shocks with assumed protection.
Educational scenarios. Not investment advice.
Assumes 57% unprotected loss and 18% protected loss on the entered value. Premium, fees and taxes excluded; no holdings or contract modeled. Not a backtest or guarantee.
Each one trades upside, tax, and liquidity differently. Here is the compressed version.
| Trade-off | Do nothing | Sell & pay tax | Exchange fund | VPF | Governed hedge (BallastX) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keeps upside | Full upside and full downside | No, you exit the position | Partial: the fund basket, not your stock | Limited: capped at the forward's upper price | Yes, puts keep all upside (collars cap it) |
| Tax event today | No | Yes, capital gains due now | Conditional deferral; review the fund and tax terms | Tax treatment depends on contract and client facts | No sale to buy; hedge tax effects still matter |
| Liquidity | Stock stays liquid (lockups aside) | Full, you hold cash | Redemption terms vary; early exit may be limited | Large cash advance upfront | Stock stays held and liquid |
| Decision documentation | Record the rationale for holding | Standard trade confirmations | Fund partnership records | Bespoke bank contract | Sealed, verifiable decision ledger |
| Typical cost | $0 today; the next drawdown | Tax depends on gain, holding period and client facts | Fund-specific fees, expenses and minimums | Provider-specific fees and contract terms | Put premium varies with volatility (cost snapshots) |
Illustrative costs, not quotes.
Recommendations, advisor approval, and a verifiable record.
Review recommendations, record decisions, and verify the ledger.
Demo workflow and illustrative numbers. Not live client data.
Keep the recommendation, its basis, and the advisor’s decision together.
Verify a fixed synthetic chain. No firm records are read or written.
The goal of AI is to take the human out of [the] loop… There will still be humans involved, to be sure, but … they are going to be [in] a more remote and supervisory role. That will present new challenges.
BallastX records the analysis and advisor decision to support human review. A record alone cannot establish the quality of supervision, suitability or regulatory compliance.
Keep the recommendation, its basis, and the advisor’s decision together.
timestamp: 2026-09-14T14:32:11Z instrument: NVDA (67% of net worth) strategy: married_put hedge_vehicle: QQQ puts cost_of_protection: $24,000 / yr (~1.2%) upside_cap: none — full upside retained loss_reduction: $520,000 client_objectives: capital preservation, moderate growth risk_tolerance: moderate · time_horizon: 5-10 years alternatives_considered: put_spread, leaps_put, leaps_collar entry_timing: favorable; protection cheap expiry: 2026-11-20 (67 days) rationale: QQQ corr 0.91; sized to 70% beta reg_bi_disclosure_confirmed: true (at advisor approval) advisor_reviewed: approved ledger_hash: 3f7a9c2… (immutable)
A flat seat fee replaces per-trade and AUM fees, so your cost stays predictable as the book grows. Estimate the return on the ROI calculator.
Self-service purchase is not available yet. These are published per-seat plans. Creating a login or applying for a design-partner review does not purchase a plan or grant access.
Design partners lock pilot pricing for 24 months.
Short, honest answers — each one links to the longer version in the Learn hub.
For equity-comp RIAs. CCO co-sign required. Application only; no account or immediate access.