Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps market and economic news for December. It was another bad month in a string of bad months, with U.S. markets down about 10 percent and international markets faring only a bit better, down 5 to 6 percent. A combination of bad news, from a government shutdown, to the ongoing trade war, to the Fed's decision to raise rates, was enough to shake investor confidence just in time for the holidays. Still, the fundamentals continue to look strong. Has the damage been done? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.