Often, a new year brings the urge to change things up. Sign up for a gym, look for new career opportunities, plan an extravagant vacation. When it comes to your finances, this instinct can work against you.

We tell our clients that discipline and consistency are two of the greatest contributors to long-term financial success. Just like building any positive habit, the more consistent you are with financial behavior, the more likely you are to achieve your desired outcomes. Instead of a dramatic reset this January, stay the course, and make it count.

Common New Year Financial Mistakes

When people set financial goals for the new year, a few missteps tend to surface again and again.

Thinking Short-Term

A choice that feels right for the next three months may not serve you well over the next three decades. When making decisions about cash-reserves, investment allocations, or contribution rates, keep a longer horizon in mind.

Lacking Awareness of Spending

How much do you actually spend on a weekly and monthly basis? Get brutally honest about how much your lifestyle costs, particularly discretionary expenses. It may be a wake up call to adjust your habits, reveal opportunities for saving, or help you set more realistic goals.

Chasing Trends

It’s tempting to react when markets shift. But historical data consistently shows that abandoning a disciplined strategy to chase the latest trend typically leads to more stress and worse outcomes. Experienced investors have weathered enough market cycles to know this firsthand. If you’re newer to investing, trust the data and tune out the noise.

What Good Financial Planning Looks Like

Effective financial planning is about setting goals and regularly revisiting the full picture, like:

  • Short-term needs like housing and groceries
  • Intermediate goals like college funding or home repairs
  • Long-term priorities like retirement and estate planning

A good plan also builds in margin for the unexpected. Would a car repair, medical bill, or roof leak take a huge hit on your finances? When you’ve prepared for life’s surprises, they’re inconvenient rather than catastrophic.

If you’re looking for concrete steps to strengthen your financial position in 2026, start with these two:

  • Build a cash reserve. Aim to save three to six months’ worth of expenses in an accessible account. The exact number you should have available depends on your comfort level and income stability, but this safety net provides real peace of mind when the unexpected hits.
  • Maximize your 401(k) match. If your employer offers a match and you’re not contributing enough to get all of it, you’re leaving compensation on the table. It’s the lowest-hanging fruit in personal finance, and free money for your future self.

Tuning Out the Noise

News about market volatility and recession fears can make even seasoned investors uneasy. But in reality, today’s prices are largely irrelevant if you’re a long-term investor.

You’re not selling right now. You’re accumulating, and when prices dip, you’re buying at a discount. This is an opportunity, not a crisis.

Consider how differently we treat real estate. You wouldn’t buy a house and then check its value every day, panicking if a neighbor sold for less three months later. Yet with investments, we’re bombarded with daily price movements and breaking news designed to provoke a reaction. 

Economies expand and contract, and market corrections will happen. By sticking with a sound strategy and resisting the urge to react to short-term circumstances, you’re more likely to come out ahead over time.

Start 2026 with Clarity

Premier Financial Group advisors work with clients to set meaningful goals, manage investments with a long-term lens, and get honest with you about the market and where you stand. We are committed to keeping our clients informed and guiding them with integrity to a lifetime of financial well-being.

Having a trusted partner can make a difference. We’ll help you build a strategy worth sticking with, and hold you accountable to it.

If you’re resolving to have financial peace of mind in 2026 and beyond, contact us to schedule a conversation.