The Latest from Spartan Planning

These Are Not Synonyms: Information & Signal “The problem with experts is that they do not know what they do not know.” – Nassim Taleb Most investors today do not suffer from a lack of information. They suffer from too much of it. Headlines arrive instantly....

A Trend Follower Walks Into a V-Shaped Recovery “The greatest liberty is born of the greatest rigor.” – Paul Valéry The market environment over the past several weeks has been defined by speed. A sharp equity drawdown was followed by an equally rapid recovery,...

A Disconnect Between Headlines & Market Behavior “The essence of investment management is the management of risks, not the management of returns.” – Benjamin Graham Uncertainty can sometimes carry more weight than the event itself. When headlines involve...

Before the Tide Goes Out: Managing Hidden Risk “The investor’s chief problem — and even his worst enemy — is likely to be himself.” – Benjamin Graham Price tends to drive sentiment. When an asset rises quickly, we usually see a familiar pattern: Enthusiasm mounts Our...

What a Streak?! “The map is not the territory.” – Alfred Korzybski Markets tend to test discipline in different ways over time. Periods of rapid change make investors crave adaptability, while periods of persistence make them want patience. Neither suggests something...

2025 Wrapped From Spartan Planning Group “I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.” – Richard Feynman When uncertainty rises, investors often default to recent experience or familiar narratives, even when those...

When Sentiment is Screaming, Discipline is a Differentiator “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hofmann The past few years have shown how quickly market regimes can shift — from a long stretch of falling...

Don’t Get Your Popcorn, There’s Little Drama in this Data  “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” – Angela Duckworth Markets have stayed calm as we enter the final stretch of the year. Stocks are steady, volatility is low, and bonds have regained momentum — a...

Steady. But Ready. “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” – Seneca September has historically been a market weak spot, yet it has defied expectations. Instead of stumbling, stocks are pushing to new highs, volatility remains muted, and the seasonal...

Compounding Requires Time, Stability, Patience “The big money is not in the buying and the selling but in the waiting.” – Charlie Munger Quiet markets can feel uneventful but oftentimes they’re when the real work of investing takes place. Compounding isn’t flashy. It...