The new year is always a good time to review your investment plan and determine where you should make adjustments.
Among the things that could have a huge impact on stocks and other investments in 2026 are tariffs, interest rates and the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Each had a major impact in 2025 — for both good and ill.
What should your investment plan look like in 2026? GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT, and here’s what it had to say.
What To Do First
Because investment plans vary widely depending on factors like your age, income, family situation and finances, GOBankingRates asked ChatGPT to create an investment plan for the average American.
In terms of income, we used Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that full-time workers had median earnings of $1,196 a week, or $62,192 a year, during the 2025 second quarter.
In creating its plan, ChatGPT first offered advice on financial matters that don’t necessarily involve investing. Among its recommendations are to build an emergency fund and pay down debt before allocating a lot of money toward investments.
It also provided “guiding principles” for investing, such as setting goals, establishing a time horizon and developing the right strategy based on your financial situation.
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Recommended Investment Allocation
Here is ChatGPT’s recommended core portfolio allocation for 2026. It is designed for an average working adult between the ages of 25 and 55, with a “moderate” risk tolerance and an income of about $62,000 a year.
| Asset Class | Allocation | Example Fund/ETF | Purpose |
| U.S. Stocks | 45% | Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) | Core long-term growth |
| International Stocks | 15% | Vanguard Total International (VXUS) | Diversify globally |
| U.S. Bonds | 25% | Vanguard Total Bond Market (BND) | Stability and income |
| REITs/Real Estate | 10% | Vanguard Real Estate (VNQ) | Inflation hedge |
| Cash/Treasury bills | 5% | Treasury bills or money market fund | Liquidity and safety |
Monthly Investment Plan
Here’s ChatGPT’s recommendation for a monthly investment plan, assuming you can contribute $900 a month, or roughly 17% of your income.
| Investment | Percentage | Monthly dollar amount |
| 401(k) – S&P 500 Index | 40% | $360 |
| Roth IRA – Target-Date 2060 Fund | 35% | $315 |
| Brokerage – International ETF (VXUS) | 10% | $90 |
| Brokerage – REIT (VNQ) | 10% | $90 |
| High-Yield Savings/T-Bills | 5% | $45 |
2026 Outlook Considerations
In terms of which economic/investment trends to keep eye on in 2026, ChatGPT provided this outlook:
- Interest rates: May start to decline in mid-2026, benefiting stocks and bonds
- Inflation: “Likely stabilizes” between 2.5% and 3%
- Real estate: Could “rebound slowly” as mortgage rates ease
- AI, clean energy and infrastructure: Remain “key growth sectors.”
Not everyone agrees that AI will remain a key growth sector in 2026. In fact, there are growing fears that the AI bubble could burst as companies continue to pour trillions of dollars into the technology based on future potential rather than current profits.
Even high-profile stocks that have gotten a major lift from AI — like Microsoft (MSFT) and Nvidia (NVDA) — could be risky investments right now, according to Chad Cummings, an attorney and CPA at Cummings & Cummings Law who previously worked in finance and tax with American Airlines, PwC and JPMorgan Chase.
He told GOBankingRates that the “Nvidia train is running out of steam.” He also called Microsoft “worrisome” because of potential legal and regulatory issues surrounding its move to embed AI into enterprise software.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Asked ChatGPT To Create My 2026 Investment Plan: Here’s What It Said
