Many investors feel pressure at the start of a new year to make big portfolio changes. In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, Derek and Tony break down the most common investing mistakes people make early in the year and why activity is often confused with progress.

They discuss why overreacting to early market moves can create unnecessary risk, how chasing last year’s winners often backfires, and why simple rebalancing is usually more effective than drastic changes. The conversation also covers market volatility, mean reversion, discipline after strong multi year market performance, and how investors should think about positioning portfolios moving into 2026.

This episode is focused on long term thinking, risk management, and staying aligned with a plan instead of reacting emotionally to headlines or calendar changes.

Last week Tony and D kicked off a two part series on four areas your advisor should have on their radar to help maximize your growth. In part two they cover the next two and get very practical about what real planning looks like when your life changes fast.

First they talk about alignment. Your portfolio should match your lifestyle, your income needs, and your real world transitions, especially if you are a business owner selling a company, changing jobs, or moving into retirement. They explain why a plan cannot be rigid, why returns are not linear, and why you want someone you can treat like a personal CFO to help take emotion out and run the numbers when big decisions show up.

Then they close with a simple question. Is your advisor a specialist or a generalist. If the advice feels generic, the investments look like a one size fits all model, or the answers sound like they are going in circles, that is a signal to ask better questions and demand a strategy built around your situation.

Have you heard the saying what got you here might not get you there. In this episode Tony and D kick off a two part series based on a white paper from Mark and break down the first two areas your advisor should have on their radar to help maximize your wealth.

First they talk about the big picture. Investing matters, but taxes, estate planning, and business strategies matter too and missing them can cost you opportunities you cannot rewind. Then they shift to how a real plan handles major economic and world changing events, from COVID to market shocks to the current AI wave, and why your advisor’s job is to pull emotion off the table and stay disciplined when headlines get loud.

If you want a smarter framework for year end planning, legacy thinking, and staying ready for whatever the market throws next, this episode is for you.