A common argument used against tactical asset management in favor of more passive approaches is that the market always comes back.

We applaud the optimism. However, we believe building an investment portfolio that assumes the market will always come back is like putting all the chips on black in a game of roulette. It’s also a terrible way for financial advisors to approach risk management in their client portfolios.

"Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry." –Richard Feynman

One of the most common questions we hear about our systematic investing philosophy is the comparison of trend following to value investing. We welcome these questions. As trend followers and devotees of both Charlie Munger and Ed Seykota, we see common threads in contrasting investment philosophies.

As the head of Blueprint Investment Partners, I had a unique opportunity to moderate a virtual panel discussion with three of the biggest names in the liquid alternatives space last month: Bob Elliott, Corey Hoffstein, and Jerry Parker.

I was energized by what I saw and heard, as well as inspired to share some video clips from the discussion with you.

“Good Ideas Can’t Be Scheduled” is the title of a 2019 blog post by Morgan Housel of Collaborative Fund. His point was that deadlines shouldn’t be placed on good ideas, regardless of field, but the execution of good ideas is the opposite.

One of Blueprint Investment Partners’ best “good ideas” presented itself just like that – unscheduled – at a daunting time, during the height of pandemic-fueled market uncertainty of 2020. But we felt it would create clear advantages for financial advisors and their clients, so we got to work executing our plan.

As a kid who played whatever sport was in season, when the weather didn’t cooperate, I brought that passion inside to the latest sports video game. It was routine for me to battle my friends in games such as Madden NFL, NBA 2K, MLB The Show, and FIFA. Even the NHL made an appearance from time to time, which was peculiar for a southern kid in the 1980s.

One of the most popular aspects of these games is the ability to create a player. The create-a-player function, as it is commonly called, allows for nearly limitless customization. Your player can be tall, short, big, or small. They can be your doppelganger or look wildly different. Once created, they can be drafted and controlled like any other player, allowing the average Joe to live vicariously through their creation.

The idea of creating an ideal player got me thinking about the equivalent from an investment perspective.