The Money Habits to Keep and Ditch in 2026 (SB1791)
Episode
70 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Productivity, Personal Finance, Relationships
AI-Generated Summary
Key Takeaways
- ✓Asset Allocation Strategy: Stop chasing recent performance like international equities or cryptocurrency based on headlines. Instead, select your target allocation using frameworks like Paul Merriman's four-fund or eight-fund portfolio, write it down, rebalance annually at year-start, then maintain discipline regardless of short-term market movements.
- ✓Tax Return Review: Examine your tax return line-by-line to understand how numbers flow through the document. Review contribution limits for 2026 including employer retirement plans, HSAs, and dependent care accounts which increased significantly for the first time since 1990. File early rather than procrastinating until August extensions.
- ✓Holistic Financial Planning: Address all six CFP Board financial planning areas systematically rather than hyperfocusing on investments alone. Cycle through estate planning, insurance, cash reserves, debt management, and other components every six months, completing a full review cycle every three years to catch major life changes.
- ✓Market Expectations Calibration: Recognize that recent strong market returns averaging 17% in the S&P 500 will eventually end, even if temporarily. Match investment time horizons with asset types through asset-liability matching. Maintain realistic expectations rather than treating the stock market like a high-yield savings account guaranteed to rise annually.
- ✓Housing Market Creativity: Combat affordability challenges through house hacking strategies including purchasing duplexes, co-purchasing with another family, securing roommates, or utilizing Airbnb arrangements. Focus on what you can afford at current rates rather than comparing to pre-2022 conditions when rates were lower and prices different.
What It Covers
The Stacking Benjamins team identifies outdated 2025 financial habits to eliminate and introduces strategic 2026 practices covering asset allocation, tax planning, comprehensive financial planning, market expectations, and housing market approaches while launching their annual trivia competition.
Key Questions Answered
- •Asset Allocation Strategy: Stop chasing recent performance like international equities or cryptocurrency based on headlines. Instead, select your target allocation using frameworks like Paul Merriman's four-fund or eight-fund portfolio, write it down, rebalance annually at year-start, then maintain discipline regardless of short-term market movements.
- •Tax Return Review: Examine your tax return line-by-line to understand how numbers flow through the document. Review contribution limits for 2026 including employer retirement plans, HSAs, and dependent care accounts which increased significantly for the first time since 1990. File early rather than procrastinating until August extensions.
- •Holistic Financial Planning: Address all six CFP Board financial planning areas systematically rather than hyperfocusing on investments alone. Cycle through estate planning, insurance, cash reserves, debt management, and other components every six months, completing a full review cycle every three years to catch major life changes.
- •Market Expectations Calibration: Recognize that recent strong market returns averaging 17% in the S&P 500 will eventually end, even if temporarily. Match investment time horizons with asset types through asset-liability matching. Maintain realistic expectations rather than treating the stock market like a high-yield savings account guaranteed to rise annually.
- •Housing Market Creativity: Combat affordability challenges through house hacking strategies including purchasing duplexes, co-purchasing with another family, securing roommates, or utilizing Airbnb arrangements. Focus on what you can afford at current rates rather than comparing to pre-2022 conditions when rates were lower and prices different.
Notable Moment
OG's firm Bannerman Wealth received recognition from Newsweek as a top financial planning practice without applying or paying for the award. The unexpected honor validated their long-term approach of consistently executing boring fundamentals for clients rather than chasing trendy strategies or marketing gimmicks.
Episode Transcript
In a world where overspending, debt, and keeping up with the Joneses rules us all, where the voices from the merchants, restaurants, and credit companies lord over the common man. Out of the darkness, like a beacon of hope, comes a new voice, a voice that's rich and creamy, like your favorite butter, and delicious, like cheeseburger pizza on your diet cheat day. It's the Stacking Benjamin Show. From the basement of the YouTube headquarters, it's the Stacking Benjamin Show. I'm Joe's mom's neighbor, Doug. And in the spirit of those fashion shows displaying what's hot for the new year, we thought we'd do the same for personal finance. Consider this your personal finance fashionista episode. What was so 2025 that we highly recommend you trash in your financial plan? What hotness should you add to your game in 2026? Our panel will share. But that's not all. Of course, I'll also swoop in halfway to help our team kick off the new year long trivia challenge. Can Jesse hang on to a shiny new crown? Can OG reclaim his title? Is it finally the year of Paula's big trivia? Maybe. Probably not. We'll get the first clues today. And now a guy who wants you to grab a high yield savings account because that's so 2026, it's Joe Saul Sehy. Hi. You'll save this account. Good start for 2026. Hey, everybody. I am Joe Saul Sehy. Thank you for the intro, mister Doug. How are you, man? Sorry, man. I almost made it through without laughing. We write those scripts with the best of intentions. And I like, when we had it, I'm like, yeah. I can nail. I can get through this, and nope. Failed. It could be Paul's year. It could be Paul's year. Yeah. Monkeys could fly out of your butt. Guys, this is gonna be a fantastic episode because we have a round table together for the first time this year. Of course, we had our magic eight ball episode last week, and now we kick off it's like, I feel like we're kicking off a new football season or whatever sport you like or thing that you like. It's it's a brand new day. The slate is clean, and everybody can win. That's at the halfway point, but we're gonna surround it, Doug, of course, with a great episode today talking about all the 2026 fashion. You look fashionable. What what what's on your T shirt? I got my favorite Canadian T shirt on. Look at that. My Canadian Superman shirt. Okay, dear. Don't you know? Know how Canadian people love it when we do the, Sorry. Cultural appropriation. Sorry for interrupting. Hey. And a guy who is, ready to start off a new year because he wants to reclaim his title across the card table from me, mister OG's here. How are you, man? You all rested up, ready to go? Yeah. I literally woke up on the wrong side of the bed …
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other
- Paul Merriman's four-fund portfolioRecommended
by Paul Merriman
“Instead, select your target allocation using frameworks like Paul Merriman's four-fund or eight-fund portfolio, write it down, rebalance annually at year-start, then maintain discipline regardless of short-term market movements.”
- Paul Merriman's eight-fund portfolioRecommended
by Paul Merriman
“Instead, select your target allocation using frameworks like Paul Merriman's four-fund or eight-fund portfolio, write it down, rebalance annually at year-start, then maintain discipline regardless of short-term market movements.”
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