The start of a new year is a natural moment for investors to reflect on foundational principals. The most valuable investing resolutions are often the least exciting: stick to a long-term plan, stay invested and avoid the temptation to react to headlines. A New Year’s resolution grounded in discipline—saving consistently, staying diversified and focusing on quality businesses or low-cost exposure—creates an edge that compounds quietly over time.
Over decades, the gap between average and exceptional results is rarely brilliance—it’s patience, consistency and sticking to the plan.
At this time of the year we like to remember wisdom from some of the greats. We highlight here five timeless insights that investors should continue to heed:
- “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffet
- Remaining objective when markets are at extremes can help us avoid trading at exactly the wrong time.
- “The big money is not in the buying or selling, but in the waiting.” – Charlie Munger
- Staying invested over the long term unlocks the power of compounding over time.
- “The four most dangerous words in investing are: ‘This time it’s different’.” – Sir John Templeton
- Historical trends tend to repeat themselves.
- “Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy.” – Jack Bogle
- Staying fulling invested is the best way to compound wealth.
- “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it…he who doesn't, pays it.” – attributed to Albert Einstein
- Building long term wealth favors the asset holder vs. the debt holder.
At SS&C ALPS Advisors, we generally find strategies that favor quality and dividends, so we offer the reader another quote from John D. Rockefeller: “Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It’s to see my dividends coming in.”
Investors are served well by revisiting these insights and we at SS&C ALPS Advisors wish our clients a prosperous new year.
We’ll leave you with one more irreverent quote to keep things lighthearted:
- “October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.” – Mark Twain
Important Disclosures & Definitions
AAI001069 01/13/2027
