Flight out of U.S. stock funds accelerates

Investors have been pulling money of the U.S. stocks for months, but the pace of outflows has picked up during the past couple of weeks.

U.S. stock mutual funds lost more than $7.5 billion in the week ended Nov. 20, according to the Investment Company Institute, adding to the previous week's $6.6 billion withdrawal.

In total, investors have yanked more than $14 billion during the two weeks following President Obama's re-election, as MORE

The fiscal cliff: 2013's Y2K bug

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

If you take a look at the performance of the broader market since Election Day, many stocks have already taken a tumble off of something resembling a steep overhanging face of rock. Too bad there isn't MORE

Gold bugs love fiscal cliff fears

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

If Congress and President Obama hurl America over the fiscal cliff, some fearful investors may clutch tightly to gold on the long way down.

Stocks have been hit hard since Election Day as fiscal cliff concerns dominate MORE

Obama is not market's puppet master

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

The market plunged Wednesday and many on Wall Street were quick to point the finger at President Obama. The huge slide clearly must have been investors' way of showing how disappointed they were that Mitt Romney MORE

Sandy should be wake-up call to avoid fiscal cliff

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

The federal government is going to spend money to help those on the East Coast who are hurt by the effects of Hurricane Sandy. That's what governments are supposed to do, assist people in need.

But politicians shouldn't MORE

Earnings stink like a big pile of trash

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

Investors are in an Oscar the Grouch-like mood. But unlike the fuzzy, green Muppet, they don't love trash. And that's exactly what the latest slew of corporate earnings reports are: Dirty, dingy and dusty. Rotten, ragged MORE

Economy IS improving. Don't mess it up, Congress!

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, and Abbott Laboratories, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.

The U.S. economy has been slogging along at a sluggish pace for several years. I've been referring to the post-Great Recession period as the barbecue recovery since 2010. It's been low and slow.

But even conspiracy theorists MORE

Investors 'wait and flee': $10 billion yanked from stocks

Investors have been bailing out of the stock market all year, but the exodus picked up considerable speed last week.

U.S. stock mutual funds bled nearly $10.6 billion during the week ended Oct. 3, the most since the week in August 2011 when Standard and Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating following the debt ceiling brawl in Washington, according to data from the Investment Company Institute.

That brings the total 2012 outflow from U.S. MORE

Election: Status quo would be stock market nightmare

Investors are watching the race for the White House like hawks because, when it comes to the fate of the fiscal cliff, there is a lot riding on the Nov. 6 election.

Given all the partisan bickering over how to solve the nation's growing debt, and more immediately, how to avoid the simultaneous onset of tax increases and spending cuts that will be triggered on Jan. 1, the worst possible MORE

Warning: Stock correction may be coming

U.S. stocks have rallied nearly 15% since the start of June, and one expert said that means the market is ripe for a pullback.

"We've just come too far, too fast," said Sean Clark, chief investment officer of Clark Capital Management Group in Philadelphia, who expects stocks to pullback between 5% and 10% during the next month, leading up to the election. "We think it's time to take some money off MORE