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The headlines last week have warned that we’re nearing a “debt ceiling crisis.” What does this mean? It’s estimated that on January 19, 2023, the United States will have borrowed as much money as it’s legally allowed to borrow and will be..

August was a challenging month for markets, with a late slide bringing all three major indices into the red for the month.

Equity markets experienced widespread selloffs in June as fears of a potential recession and continued high inflation weighed heavily on investors.

It was a rocky start to the spring for markets, with all three major U.S. indices ending the month in the red.

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth's CIO, recently shared the March economic and market update from Commonwealth Financial Network.

Equity markets had a rough start to the year, with concerns about inflation and rising case growth in the first half of January leading to sell-offs for all three major U.S. indices. The S&P 500 lost 5.17 percent in January despite a...

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth's CIO, recently shared the November economic and market update from Commonwealth Financial Network.

Markets continued to rally in August, with all three major U.S. indices setting new record highs. While there was some mid-month volatility, markets were able to bounce back swiftly toward month-end.

April was a strong month for U.S. equity markets, with the three major indices setting all-time highs. Markets were supported by public health improvements and the most recent round of federal stimulus.

U.S. stock markets saw gains for the month and quarter, but not all stocks did well. Higher interest rates led to some volatility, especially for growth and technology companies.

For the fourth week in a row, the big picture continues to be very positive. On the medical front, all three major data series—new cases, positive testing rates, and hospitalizations—have continued to trend down, while vaccinations...

Wednesday, January 6, 2021, will be remembered in the history books—for a couple of reasons. First, while Congress met to count the inaugural votes, we anticipated that members from both houses would be objecting to electors from some...

We’re nearing the end of a hard year, with the pandemic raging once again and the economy starting to slow. On the other hand, vaccines will soon be coming into play, companies are adapting, and there is the possibility of a spending boom..

A lot has changed in the past week. I normally try and get this post up earlier in the month, but with everything that has happened—and which has demanded comment—this is the earliest I could fit it in. But that is a good thing, as the...

As of Monday, October 12th, the markets spiked again, taking the major indices back close to new highs. The S&P 500 closed at 3,534, less than 2 percent below the all-time high of September 2, just before markets tumbled. The Dow and...

Recently, I have been getting a number of questions from people who are scared about what might happen to the financial markets at election time. The fear is that if we get a disputed election, it could lead to disruption and possibly...

After a great month like August, expectations and momentum are high, and you could reasonably expect to see another great month ahead. That scenario happens, and it is certainly what we are seeing in the first days of September. But...

We hope you are enjoying your summer. This has not been an easy year for a multitude of reasons but the weather has been great and it has been nice to get outdoors to get some fresh air and sunshine. The news cycle will be very active...

The bad news this past week is that there are signs of localized outbreaks in several states, specifically Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas. All have shown significant spikes in cases in recent days. But the good news is that...

Last week our CIO, Brad McMillan, shared his blog looking back at May and ahead to June. Below, you can find his monthly video update and write-up.

On Friday, Brad McMillan provided an update on the coronavirus crisis, including the economic and market implications. Last week was another good week in terms of controlling the virus, with the daily spread rate dropping to less than...

This week our CIO, Brad McMillan, shared his blog looking back at April and ahead to May. He also released a video sharing his market thoughts for this month which we included at the bottom of this blog. We hope you find this helpful in...

For many Americans, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an immediate need for funds that can provide financial stability. In response, lawmakers have lessened financial burdens through stimulus legislation that...

Today, we want to share with you another update from Commonwealth's CIO, Brad McMillan. We’ve seen significant progress in terms of the virus, with the daily case growth rate dropping below 4 percent for several days in a row.

Today, we want to share with you another update from Commonwealth's CIO, Brad McMillan. In today's video, Brad provides an update on the coronavirus crisis, including its effects on the economy and markets.

On Friday, Commonwealth's CIO provided an update on the coronavirus crisis, including how it has affected the economy and financial markets thus far. While case counts have gone up, the growth rate (a better indicator) has started to...

The Fed stepped up early and hard for the coronavirus crisis. It cut interest rates essentially to zero. It eased restrictions on banks to enable faster and more business lending. Plus, the Fed has taken unlimited measures to support...

In early March, we saw markets drop worldwide. In fact, the 7.5 percent decline on March 9—which, coincidentally, happens to be the 11th anniversary of the bull market—was the largest since 2008. With a total decline of almost 19...

Last week was one of the worst in history for the stock market. With the Dow and S&P 500 now down more than 15 percent from recent highs (of only weeks ago!), fears are rising that this pullback might be the precursor to another crisis.

It is now clear that the coronavirus has escaped the attempted containment by Chinese authorities and has spread around the world. According to the World Health Organization, there are 79,331 confirmed cases, of which 77,262 are in China...

As we made our way through 2019, signs of softening economic conditions became increasingly apparent, even while consumer confidence remained high and job growth came in better than expected.

November was a great month for U.S. markets, with the S&P 500 up by 3.63 percent, the Dow up by 4.11 percent, and the Nasdaq up by 4.64 percent. All three indices are now up by more than 20 percent for the year.

Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for October. It was a great month, with U.S. markets doing well and international markets doing even better.

Market Thoughts for September 2019 from Commonwealth Financial Network on Vimeo. August was a tough month pretty much across the board, with politics rocking markets around the world. So, what should we expect for September? Let’s...

Yesterday, we saw the largest stock market drop of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 800 points (over 3 percent), an even bigger decline than we saw earlier this month. Plus, we are on track for the worst week...