Before You Chase Returns in 2026, Fix These 5 Things First, LFG Daily - January 2, 2026

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Luke Lloyd, CEO Lloyd Financial Group

Before You Chase Returns in 2026, Fix These 5 Things First

Every January, the same thing happens.

People suddenly care about their money again.

They want to talk about markets. They want to know what’s going to outperform. They want to chase last year’s winners or position for “what’s next” in 2026.

That’s natural—but it’s also backwards.

Because the biggest threat to your financial future isn’t whether the S&P 500 returns 7% or 10% this year. It’s the foundational issues most investors ignore while they’re busy watching headlines.

Before you chase returns in 2026, here are five things that matter more—and should be fixed first.

1. Your Tax Strategy (or Lack of One)

Taxes are the single biggest expense most investors will ever face, yet they’re treated as an afterthought.

If your financial plan is simply “we’ll deal with taxes later,” you don’t have a strategy—you have a hope.

Questions you should be asking:

• Are your investments tax-efficiently located?

• Are you overexposed to future tax hikes?

• Are you proactively planning Roth conversions, capital gains, or income timing?

• Do you know your real after-tax return?

  
  

Two investors can earn the same market return and end up in very different places depending on how much they keep. Chasing returns without a tax plan is like filling a bucket with a hole in it.

2. Where Your Money Is Actually Held

Most people focus on what they’re invested in, but not where those investments live.

That matters.

A dollar in a taxable account is very different from a dollar in a Roth IRA or a pre-tax 401(k). Asset location—matching the right investments to the right accounts—can quietly add real value over time without taking additional risk.

If all your money is sitting in:

• Employer plans you don’t fully control

• Accounts you haven’t reviewed in years

• Buckets that aren’t coordinated with each other

  
  

…then performance alone won’t save you.

3. Risk Management (Not Just Risk Tolerance)

Most investors think risk means market volatility. That’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Real risk includes:

• Needing money during a market downturn

• Being forced to sell assets at the wrong time

• Lacking adequate insurance or liquidity

• Having your income disrupted unexpectedly

  
  

A proper plan asks: What could go wrong, and what happens if it does?

If your financial strategy only works when markets cooperate, it’s not a plan—it’s a bet.

4. Cash Flow Clarity

You can’t build wealth if you don’t understand how money flows through your life.

Surprisingly, many high earners:

• Don’t know their true savings rate

• Don’t track lifestyle creep

• Don’t understand how spending today impacts future freedom

  
  

Cash flow is the engine of every financial plan. Investments are simply the output.

Before worrying about what the market might do in 2026, make sure your cash flow is aligned with what you want your life to look like five, ten, or twenty years from now.

5. A Written Plan (Not Just an Account Statement)

An account balance tells you where you are. A plan tells you where you’re going.

Without a written financial plan:

• Every market pullback feels like a crisis

• Every headline creates emotional decisions

• Every year feels uncertain

  
  

A real plan defines:

• Your goals

• Your timelines

• Your risk parameters

• Your rules for decision-making

  
  

When you have that, market noise fades—and discipline takes over.

Returns Matter. Just Not First.

Yes, returns matter. Markets matter. Performance matters.

But chasing returns before fixing the fundamentals is one of the most common—and costly—mistakes investors make.

2026 doesn’t require predictions. It requires preparation.

Fix the structure. Control what you can control. Then let the markets do what they’ve always done over time.

That’s how real wealth is built.

Don’t leave your financial future up to chance. Let’s build a plan that gives you confidence today and peace of mind for tomorrow. Click here to schedule a meeting — I’m here to help you take the next step toward financial freedom.

Colin Symons, CIO Lloyd Financial Group

Initial Jobless Claims were 199K vs. exp. 218K, while Continuing Claims were 1866K vs. prev. 1913K. That’s good!

Eurozone PMI was down to 48.8 from prev. 49.6, with orders down.

Last week was the lowest weekly volume to close out a year since 2006. We also saw very broad-based selling in the Nasdaq.

That selling is looking diametrically different this morning, perhaps after crossing year-end reporting requirements. Stocks and bonds are both up nicely, something I’ll talk about more on Sunday.

Manufacturing PMI, today.

What does it all mean? Bullish start to the new year in the early going. Can we build on that next week?

Disclosures/Regulation:

This content is intended to provide general information about Lloyd Financial. It is not intended to offer or deliver investment advice in any way. Information regarding investment services are provided solely to gain an understanding of our investment philosophy, our strategies and to be able to contact us for further information.

All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such.

The views expressed in this commentary are subject to change based on market and other conditions. These documents may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward‐looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.

Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy will be profitable