The Latest from Spartan Planning

Investment Systems Can Do Almost Anything. But Not Everything. “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” – Michael Porter One of the biggest misconceptions in investing is that the best system is the one that does everything. In reality, the strongest...

Simplicity Is a Good Defense Against Uncertainty “The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” – Kakuzō Okakura In investing, uncertainty isn’t a bug — it’s a feature.  No matter how much data we gather or how many historical patterns we...

Downturns May Look Similar, But Context Tells Us When To Act Different “Never laugh at live dragons.” – J.R.R. Tolkien Not all threats are created equal. Two situations might look similar on the surface, but that doesn’t mean they should be treated the same.  This...

A Disciplined Strategy Helps Avoid Self-Inflicted Wounds “The investor's chief problem — and even his worst enemy — is likely to be himself.” – Benjamin Graham Great investors don’t just accumulate experience — they learn from it. The best share a common trait: they...

2024 Was A Tale of Two Halves “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee It’s easy to stay disciplined when things are going smoothly. When markets rise steadily and portfolios deliver consistent gains, the urge to...

Resilience Is the Goal; Perfection Is Not In investing, the allure of certainty can be hard to resist. When parts of a portfolio underperform in the short term, the urge to abandon them grows, driven by a desire to focus solely on what’s working. But this desire often...

Why We Don't Try to Read Political or Economic Tea Leaves “The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.” – Douglas Horton During the election season, markets can reflect a broader, collective sentiment — sometimes swayed by predictions, fears, and assumptions...

Why We’re Willing — And Wanting — To Look Different From the Norm “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” – William Faulkner In investing, the principle of non-correlation presents both opportunities and challenges.  While...

Price Drives Sentiment “Without data, you're just another person with an opinion.” –W. Edwards Deming From July 16 to August 5, the S&P 500 experienced an 8.5% decline, culminating in a sharp 3% drop on August 5. During this period, headlines, clients, and pundits...

While Market’s Direction is Uncertain, Our Response is Predetermined “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” –Anaïs Nin In investing, behavioral biases often amplify investor anxiety. Periods when steady gains are followed by modest declines can be...