Research

Our partnership with Commonwealth Financial Network®, a leading independent broker/dealer, provides us access to a team of investment research specialists who assist us in our efforts to provide you with the best possible service. Each of the professionals on this team brings a breadth of experience in the industry and within his or her own specialization. Learn more about the Commonwealth team below.

Brad McMillan, CFA®, CAIA, MAI

Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer

Chairs the Investment Committee and is the primary spokesperson for Commonwealth's investment divisions
Shares his comment and thought on the economy in his blog, The Independent Market Observer
Is a Member of the Appraisal Institute, the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute, and the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) Association
Holds a BA from Dartmouth College, an MS in real estate from MIT, and an MS in finance from Boston College
Has prior experience as the founder of Dartmouth Realty Advisors

Brian Price, CFA®

Vice President, Investment Management and Research

Manages the Equity Research and Investment Management teams
Oversees asset allocation, fund selection, and overall management of Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program
Holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations and the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Holds a BA from Georgetown University
Has prior experience as a senior financial advisor associate at Bernstein Investment Research & Management

Susan Kelly, CAIA

Director, Investment Management and Research

Analyzes, approves, and monitors on an ongoing basis all products within alternative financial strategies (e.g., managed futures, hedge funds, private equity, structured products)
Manages the Fixed Income Research group that assists advisors with fixed income portfolio construction and design, as well as identifies potential opportunities in the fixed income market for advisors and their clients
Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation
Holds a BS in management with a concentration in finance from Purdue University and an MBA from New York University
Has prior experience in positions at Citizens Advisors, John Hancock Advisers, and Citigroup/Smith Barney

Chad LaFauci, CFA®, CAIA

Director, Real Assets

Analyzes, approves, and monitors all products with real assets (e.g., commodities, infrastructure, and real estate) as their underlying investments
Manages the Real Assets team, which assists advisors with portfolio construction, as well as individual investment research and analysis
Holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations and Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations
Holds a BS in economics from Bates College
Has prior experience in a position at Investors Bank & Trust

Jim McAllister, CFA®

Director, Equity Research

Oversees the Equity Research team, which assists advisors with ongoing due diligence and analysis of equity-based mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, separately managed accounts, and individual securities
Guides the ongoing implementation and execution of the team’s investment philosophies and process
Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Holds a BS in finance from Lehigh University
Has prior experience as a research analyst at Loomis Sayles and State Street Global Advisors in the U.S. quantitative group

Fred DeBaets

Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income

Manages Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select Fixed Income SMA (Separately Managed Account) strategies
Assists with portfolio construction and ideas on fixed income market opportunities
Holds a BS in financial management and economics and an MBA from Plymouth State University
Has prior experience in fixed income positions at Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns

Meagan Rogers, CFA®

Manager, Fixed Income Research

Responds to advisor inquiries on fixed income portfolio construction and design and generates ideas regarding opportunities in the fixed income market
Assists with fixed income research, as well as researching industry trends related to the fixed income market
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Has prior experience in positions at Babson Capital Management, Fidelity Management & Research, and Acuity Capital Management

Peter Essele, CFA®, CAIA, CFP®

Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research

Serves as a member of the Investment Management team, which oversees Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios
Holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 31, 53, and 66 securities registrations
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations, as well as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification, and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society
Holds a BS in industrial economics from Union College
Has prior experience in positions at Albany International and Kestner Engineers

Chris Fasciano

Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research

Serves as a member of the Investment Management team, which oversees Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios
Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring
Responds to advisor inquiries about their own model portfolios
Holds a BA in economics from Bates College and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Has 20 years of experience in small- and mid-cap stock research and managing small- and mid-cap value portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth clients

Anuradha Gaggar, CFA®

Senior Research Analyst, International and Emerging Markets

Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the international and emerging markets asset classes
Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
Holds the FINRA Series 7 securities registration and the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Holds an MS in finance from Boston College and an MBA in finance from NMIMS in India

Andrew Kitchings, CAIA, ERP

Senior Investment Research Analyst

Serves as a member of the Investment Management team, which oversees Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios
Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring
Holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations
Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Energy Risk Professional (ERP) designations and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society
Holds dual degrees in economics and history with a concentration in East Asian studies from Emory University
Has prior experience in positions at LPL and Bank of America

Brian McCormick, CIMA®

Senior Investment Research Analyst

Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the small- and mid-cap asset classes
Conducts research and due diligence on exchange-traded products
Responds to advisor inquiries on various investment topics, including asset allocation, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and separate account managers
Holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations and the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation
Holds a BS in management from Quinnipiac University
Has prior experience in positions at Signator Investors and Putnam Investments

Chris Stuart, CFA®

Senior Investment Research Analyst

Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the large-cap equity asset class
Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
Holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations and the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Holds a BA in finance from UMass Amherst
Has prior experience in positions at Columbia Management, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and TheStreet.com

Nicholas Follett

Research Analyst, Fixed Income

Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the fixed income asset class
Holds the FINRA Series 7 securities registration
Holds a BFA from The New School for Social Research and an MBA in finance from San Francisco State University

Rob Swanke, CFA®

Research Analyst, Fixed Income

Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with fixed income market research
Holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation
Holds a BS in finance and accounting from Boston College

Michael Comiskey, CAIA

Research Analyst, Alternatives

Facilitates due diligence and research activities on alternative investments, with a focus on long/short equity and market neutral strategies
Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation
Holds a BS in economics and finance from Bentley University

Robert Kane, CAIA

Research Analyst, Alternatives

Facilitates due diligence and research activities on products within alternative financial strategies (e.g., managed futures, hedge funds, private equity, structured products, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds)
Holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 securities registrations and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation
Holds a degree from UMass Amherst

Eduardo Ciuffo

Research Analyst, Real Assets

Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments
Holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations and is currently a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate (level III)
Holds a master's in finance from San Diego State University
Has prior experience at LPL Financial, where he traded and rebalanced SMA platforms

Nathan Parker, CFA®, CAIA

Research Analyst, Real Assets

Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments (commercial real estate, commodities, infrastructure, and natural resources)
Holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations and the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations
Holds a bachelor's in business administration from California State University, Chico, and a master's in finance from San Diego State University
Has prior experience at LPL Financial

Sam Millette

Research Associate, Fixed Income

Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with fixed income market research
Assists with trading and rebalancing of SMA portfolios
Holds a BA in economics from Tufts University and is currently a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate (level II)

Peter Roberto

Research Associate, Equity

Supports analysts with due diligence and research activities on mutual funds, exchange traded-funds, and equities
Assists the Investment Management team with calculating, analyzing, and updating both internal and external performance and attribution reports
Holds a BS in management, with an emphasis in finance, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute