Pulley’s shutdown in December 2026 is a useful, concrete reminder of something that’s true regardless of which platform your company uses: the software showing you your equity isn’t the equity, and your access to that software can change for reasons that have nothing to do with you. This post covers exactly which documents are worth keeping yourself, why each one matters, and what to do if you realize you’re missing some.
Why isn’t your employer’s portal enough on its own?
Because your access to it is conditional, not permanent. It’s typically tied to active employment, meaning it can end the day you leave, and it’s also tied to your company’s ongoing relationship with whatever vendor they use, which can change through a platform shutdown, an acquisition, or simply a decision to switch providers. None of those events change what you own, but any of them can change whether you can easily look it up yourself.
What documents should you keep for yourself?
A core set, regardless of what platform your company uses:
Your grant agreement (for every grant you’ve received, not just your most recent one)
The underlying stock plan document, if you can get a copy, since your grant agreement usually incorporates its terms by reference
Exercise notices, for any options you’ve exercised, showing the date, price, and number of shares
409A valuation reports connected to your grants, if available
Proof of any 83(b) election, including confirmation it was filed and, ideally, evidence of when it was mailed
Cap table statements showing your position at a given point in time
Any amendments to your original grant terms
Why does each of these actually matter later?
Your grant agreement is the governing legal document for your specific options, covering your strike price, vesting terms, and option type. Exercise notices establish your cost basis and exercise dates, which you’ll need for tax purposes. A 409A report connected to your exercise date can matter if your valuation or tax treatment is ever questioned. Proof of an 83(b) election is often the only evidence you have that you actually filed it within the strict 30 day window, something the IRS can ask you to substantiate. Cap table statements document your ownership position at a specific moment, useful if there’s ever a dispute or discrepancy. And amendments matter because they show whether your original terms were ever formally changed, and how.
What happens to your access when you leave a company?
In most cases, it ends, or becomes significantly more limited, once you’re no longer an active employee. This is one of the more common ways people end up without their own records: they assume they can always log back in later, and then find out they can’t, often at exactly the moment they need the information, like when deciding whether to exercise before a post-termination window closes.
What actually goes wrong without these records?
A handful of specific, recurring problems: not knowing your exact strike price when you’re trying to decide whether exercising makes sense; missing your own exercise deadline because you can’t find the number anywhere; being unable to confirm your vesting status with confidence; and, perhaps most consequentially, being unable to provide documentation to a lender, a financing provider, a tax preparer, or a potential buyer in a secondary sale, simply because you can’t produce the underlying paperwork they need to evaluate your situation.
Where should you actually keep these documents?
Somewhere outside your work email and outside a single vendor’s portal, typically a personal cloud storage folder or a password manager with document storage, something you’ll still have access to regardless of your employment status or which cap table platform your company happens to use. It’s also worth keeping proof of when time-sensitive documents were filed, like a certified mail receipt for an 83(b) election, alongside the document itself.
What do you do if you realize something’s missing?
Ask directly. For a current employer, that’s typically your equity plan administrator, HR contact, or finance team. For a former employer, reach out to whoever now manages their cap table and request the specific documents you need. If you’re missing proof of an 83(b) election specifically, your own tax return from that year, if you attached a copy as generally required, can sometimes serve as a backup, worth checking before assuming it’s permanently lost.
FAQ
What’s the single most important document to keep? Your grant agreement is usually the most foundational, since it establishes your strike price, vesting terms, and option type, all of which everything else depends on.
Can I request these documents even if my company doesn’t offer self-service downloads? Generally yes. Companies are typically able to provide copies on request, even without a self-service portal feature, so it’s worth asking directly rather than assuming they’re unavailable.
What if I never received some of these documents in the first place? This does happen, particularly at smaller or earlier-stage companies. Asking your equity administrator or HR contact directly is the starting point, and in some cases documents may need to be reconstructed from other records like board minutes or old emails.
Does saving these documents cost anything or require special software? No. A personal cloud storage folder or even a well-organized set of local files is typically sufficient. The goal is access independent of any single employer’s software, not a specific tool.
How often should I update my personal copies? Whenever something changes, most notably after a new grant, an exercise, or a vesting milestone, and it’s also worth doing a periodic check, such as once a year, to confirm your records are current.
What to do next
Start with whatever platform your company currently uses, download what you can today, and fill in gaps by asking directly rather than waiting until you need something urgently. You can also use movewealth.io to model your own numbers once you have your documents together.
MoveWealth is not a broker-dealer, investment adviser, or lender. This is educational content, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.