Jon Robinson, Blueprint Investment Partners CEO & Co-Founder
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Hard to Argue with 220 Years of Data: The Case for Trend Following

Hard to Argue with 220 Years of Data: The Case for Trend Following

For more than two centuries, investors have relied on a familiar formula: diversify stocks with bonds and stay invested. Rinse and repeat.

Over the long run, this approach has worked — but history shows it has also exposed investors to deep, prolonged drawdowns that can permanently impair wealth and investor behavior.

A comprehensive academic study analyzing more than 220 years of global market data (1800-2021) evaluates which defensive strategies protect portfolios during the worst market environments. The findings are striking: trend following consistently ranks among the most effective and reliable forms of downside protection ever observed, outperforming traditional “safe havens” like gold and option-based hedges.

 

Hard to Argue with 220 Years of Data: The Case for Trend Following

Category: Systematic Investing
Trend following works change my mind meme

Hard to Argue with 220 Years of Data: The Case for Trend Following

Russian dolls on a blanket

The Science of Scale for Financial Advisors

What is the most expensive input that financial advisors must have to run a successful practice? We think it’s time, the most precious (and limited) commodity, as well as the great equalizer. A great book that has been recently sweeping through the team at Blueprint Investment Partners may also be helpful for financial advisors.
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Dizzy trees

Are you Running Your Advisory Practice…Or Is it Running You?

If your firm is growing but it feels harder than it should, you’re not imagining things. According to Schwab’s 2025 Benchmarking Study, many advisory firms are operating at or near capacity. But here’s the encouraging part: top firms in our industry — the ones still growing fast — aren’t muscling through. They’re making different choices. They’re saying no to complexity and yes to focus.
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Solutions for the Coming Financial Advisor Shortage

Financial advisors can unlock productivity – without losing the human touch their clients desire – with technology and partners that enable scalability.
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Archive Blogs by Jon Robinson