Many large companies offer Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP) that let you buy your employer's stock at a discount. These plans are offered as an employment incentive, giving you an opportunity to share in the growth potential of your company's stock (and, by implication, work hard to keep the stock price soaring). Usually, you make contributions to a stock purchase fund for a certain period of time through payroll deductions. At designated points in the year, your employer then uses the accu...