Brad here. Today, we’re launching a new monthly column in which members of Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team will share their learnings and viewpoints on various topics with you. Our first post is from Nicholas Follett, manager of fixed income. Enjoy!

It has been proven that being grateful is one of the best ways to make your life better—to be both happier and more successful. Here on the blog, I try to focus on gratitude a couple of times a year. Of course, Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to take a break and think about all the things we have to be grateful for.

This morning, I saw a commentary piece that pointed out we have had 12 record highs for the S&P 500 in the past month. A record is usually a big deal, and I often get calls to comment on what it all means. But I have to admit, I did not realize there had been that many in the past month. So, what does this series of highs mean, if anything?

Last week, the housing sector continued its recent rebound, as low interest rates and increasing consumer confidence helped deliver potential home buyers to the market. Despite the holiday, this week will be busy again. Tuesday and Wednesday are packed with economic updates as we head toward month-end.

Brad here. One of the hot topics in the past year or so has been marijuana investing. Stocks have soared—and crashed. So, how can we know what to do if we want to invest? Peter Roberto, an investment research analyst on Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team, went back to history for some guidance. This perspective is a great way to think about this problem, and many others. Over to you, Peter.

One of the consistent narratives that has been playing out in the investing world is the death of retail. With Amazon and other online retailers continuing to grow and take market share, the world of brick and mortar has been said to be dying a slow and largely well-deserved death. Sears is the poster child here, with the once dominant retailer collapsing. (In that case, however, Amazon doesn’t seem to be the primary cause.) Other retailers have also taken hit after hit, and their stock prices have generally trended down. This trend is seen as something new and different—and something to worry about. The death of retail!

When you read the papers and watch the news, you won’t see much about economics. With earnings season just about over and with the major economic reports looking a bit better, investors don’t have a lot of data to worry about—at least until the next set of releases. Instead, now we are worrying about politics.

Brad here. As a parent, one of the things I am struggling with is how to teach my son about money. Today, we have a terrific post from Brian Glazer, a Commonwealth investment consultant here at the home office, who is clearly doing a much better job at it than my wife and I are. I learned a lot, and I hope you will, too. Thanks, Brian!

Last week, we saw that core inflation pressure remains muted for both consumers and producers, despite increasing gas prices. Retail sales rebounded in October, following a disappointing decline in September. This week, we’re focusing on important updates on the housing markets and consumer confidence, as well as the release of the FOMC minutes.

Brad here. I have been writing about how demographics have become increasingly determinative of economic performance, especially around growth and interest rates. Today, Anu Gaggar, Commonwealth’s senior research analyst for international equities, puts these ideas into a historical and geographic context: what has happened in Japan—and what that might mean for the U.S. and for our investments. Over to you, Anu.