Veteran-turned-trader who regularly beats the S&P 500 shares 3 key tips for 2026. Why passive investors should take note

A retail investor who says he regularly beats the S&P 500 is sharing his playbook for 2026, and the good news is you don’t have to trade like him to get something out of it. The investor, Marine veteran Erik Smolinski, averaged returns of 24.6% a year from 2018 to 2022 and hit “triple-digit” gains in 2023, according to Business Insider (1). Must Read While his scoreboard is impressive, not every investor needs to try to beat the S&P 500. Smolinski, who runs Outlier Trading, follows three principles th ...