When the clock strikes midnight each New Year’s Eve, most people toast, make resolutions, and promise themselves this year will be different. Prince? He’d tell you to crank the volume, light up the sky, and “Party Like It’s 1999.” But behind the glitter, guitar solos, and purple mystique, Prince lived through and learned from one of the biggest market manias of our lifetime: the dot-com boom. As we head into 2026 with AI hype everywhere: ChatGPT on your phone, commercials promising an ever-easier life, and stock valuations climbing like they’re chasing the high notes in his hit “Kiss”, the parallels to the late '90s are louder than ever. Prince’s career offers the perfect guide on how to celebrate the future without losing your financial rhythm. Artist Backstory: Reinvention / Riding the Waves Prince wasn’t just a musician who played 27 instruments (!), he was a category all to himself. His own genre. A one-man economy built on talent, risk, control, and reinvention. And as Charlie Murphy parodied on “Chappelle Show”, he was the only guy who could “dress like your girlfriend… and steal your girlfriend.” Classic. When he released “1999” in 1982, the song wasn’t about turning up for a house party, it was a commentary on fear, change, and living boldly during uncertain times. Geopolitical tension. Economic anxiety. People feeling whiplash from rapid technological advancement. Sound familiar? Like today’s AI boom, the early internet age brought wild speculation. Companies doubling overnight with no earnings- only clever dot com address (pets.com anyone?). They promised a revolutionary, digital future. The result? A whole lot of investors partied much harder than they ever planned right up until the bubble inevitably popped way back in March 2000. Greed sold everyone the lie that you can’t lose, until fear reminded everyone you can. Prince watched this era unfold- and in classic Prince fashion, he reinvented himself. The Purple One fought for ownership of his masters. He changed his name to an androgynous, unpronounceable symbol and became referred to as “The Artist formerly known as Prince.” He walked away from deals that didn’t honor his worth. He made bold moves that looked strange in real time, but became a visionary in hindsight. Like Mark Twain said: “History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes.” We’re living in that kind of moment again. The Financial Lesson: Celebrate the Boom / Don’t Become It It’s tempting to treat the AI era like 1999: to invest like the future is guaranteed, to spend like the bull market never ends, and to believe every new tech stock will become the next trillion-dollar giant. But Prince teaches us a sharper truth: there is a difference between riding the wave and being consumed by it. AI is transformative, but bubbles happen when hype replaces fundamentals. In Prince’s terms: You can dance in the purple rain, but just don’t slip on stage. As 2026 begins, bring the energy of rebirth, creativity, and possibility, but ground it in planning. Prince didn’t achieve longevity by luck. He earned it by knowing when to say yes, when to walk away, and when to take control of his financial destiny. All this decades before other artists, like Taylor Swift, learned to wield that same power. Actionable Takeaways If it’s been some time, or you’ve never listed to Prince’s “Purple Rain”, I want you to throw on his classic album and do these four vanguard moves now: 1. Review Your Investment Mix Like You’re Remixing a Hit Does your portfolio match your goals or is it stuck in yesterday’s trends? Prince reworked songs until they were timeless. Do the same with your investment allocation and make sure it reflects your current risk tolerance. Cut what no longer serves you and amplify what you feel can compound. PRO TIP: In a “Bull Market” (up), stocks tend to become an ever-larger piece of your investment. This can enhance your returns but also increases your risks when a “Bear Market” (down) comes. 2. Avoid AI FOMO the Way Prince Avoided Bad Contracts Not every AI-related stock is the next masterpiece. Do your due diligence. PRO TIP: If you don’t understand how the underlying company of a stock can or will make money, that’s speculation; NOT investing. 3. Build Cash Reserves for Market Volatility: Your “Little Red Corvette Fund”. Prince’s classic hit song “Little Red Corvette” is about speed, risk, and temptation. Markets move the same way. Having a cash buffer keeps you from needing to sell investments at the wrong time when the ride gets too fast. PRO TIP: Stashed cash may feel like it’s not doing anything, but it creates an option and insurance policy when things don’t go right! 4. Protect Your Financial Legacy with the Same Fierceness Prince Protected His Art Prince spent most of his career fighting for ownership, then failed to make an estate plan before he died. You should learn from his lessons of ownership while you’re alive and also plan for what comes to us all- death. PRO TIP: Make/update your will, verify your beneficiaries on all your accounts, and create a final estate structure that keeps your assets in the right hands. Questions? Consult a licensed, estate planning attorney. Closing Thought Prince didn’t fear the future; he shaped it. As you head into the new year, celebrate all the possibilities, embrace your creativity, and be bold. Above all? Plan with intention. The future is only magic for those who prepare for it ahead of time. If you want to create a financial plan worth celebrating long after 2026, Boyer Financial Group can help you Make Money Make Sense™ one sound investment at a time. Investing involves risks, including fluctuating prices and loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.