Start as you mean to go on: Help clients have a Clever New Year

Eloise Bell
Jan 8
4 min read

According to research, seven out of ten (72%) Britons plan to set New Year’s resolutions for 2026. January is the month when people cut out bad habits, start good ones and try to improve their way of life. Without a good structure in place to reinforce positive behaviour, most resolutions fall by the wayside in weeks.

What makes a good New Year’s resolution? It has to be achievable, for a start. It also needs a solid, repeatable structure that can stay strong when life gets more challenging. At Clever, these principles are how we think about building our portfolios. So, we thought we’d share some insights for helping your clients make financial decisions that last throughout 2026.

New year, new discipline

January is one of the few times in the year when your clients are genuinely open to changing how they behave and start building everyday habits, but most New Year resolutions fail because people rely on good intentions and hope they can stick with them. In investing, outcomes tend to be better when decisions are agreed in advance and applied consistently, rather than revisited every few months. A routine works because it limits the number of decisions you have to make. Investing is no different. Clients who tend to do better over time are usually those who choose a sensible, reliable, consistent approach and stick with it, even when markets are volatile or headlines are noisy. That consistency is what usually drives better results, and investment returns, over time.

Using the annual review as a reset moment

Annual reviews tend to focus on recapping the big moments of the past year - including any market volatility, election results and geopolitics - and how they may have affected portfolio performance. That’s because the past is where client questions usually begin. January gives you the opportunity to take it a step further and use the review as a reset. Clever portfolios make it easy to justify investment decisions as they are grounded in robust evidence, devoid of emotion. Quant models benefit from filtering out the ‘noise.’ The discussion can offer evidence how portfolio decisions are being made, as well as what drives those decisions.

Helping clients cut out emotional noise

Every new year brings a surge of ideas about what investors should be doing next. New themes, new strategies, new products, all presented as timely opportunities. Much of this adds pressure to make changes, even when an existing approach is doing the job it was designed to do.

January is a good time to talk to clients about being selective about what deserves their attention, and what can be dismissed as just noise. This can include agreeing not to act on short-term market predictions, not to switch strategy simply because a theme is in the news, and not to judge long-term investment progress based on a few months of performance.

For many clients, good investment mindset involves learning to tell the difference between a change that improves their position and a change that simply feels ‘active.’ Sticking with an approach that already fits their goals often leads to better outcomes than reacting to what is new or fashionable.

Making better habits that stick all year round

Of course, making a New Year’s resolution is easy; the hardest part is sticking to it once January is over. Building good investment habits works much like building any other habit: one step at a time. Progress comes from repeating sensible actions, such as rebalancing at set points, and leaving everything else alone. That steady approach matters far more than enthusiasm at the start of the year that wanes over time. The key is to be consistent all year round.

At Clever, our portfolios are based on around clear rules and repeatable quantitative decision-making principles. They determine how investments are selected, when portfolios are adjusted, and when no action is taken at all. In client conversations, that means you can explain decisions in straightforward terms, relying on evidence rather than hope. After all, resolutions are made in January, but new year enthusiasm fades. What clients really need is consistency over months and years.

Resilience for the year ahead

Starting the year well is about more than motivation; it’s about having a process that holds up long after January optimism fades. Clever helps advisers give clients that structure. With clear, repeatable rules, portfolios stay on track and avoid drift, while evidence-led quantitative models provide a steady roadmap when markets feel uncertain. By letting data lead - not predictions or headlines -Clever removes emotional friction and speculation, helping portfolios remain resilient through volatility, geopolitics and shifting narratives. The transparency of the process builds trust, giving clients confidence that decisions are deliberate and disciplined. Just like a good health routine, consistency matters more than intensity. Clever is designed to help clients start strong, stay the course and turn New Year intentions into long-term financial habits that last well beyond January.

Sources

https://www.finder.com/uk/savings-accounts/new-years-resolution-statistics The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.