Briefly Wealth

The Morning Brief

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Pre-Market Edition

Good morning. Private credit funds are freezing withdrawals, and oil just cleared $100 again despite the largest emergency reserve release in history.

Markets

Level YTD MTD
S&P 500 6,775.80 -1.2% -1.5%
Nasdaq 22,716.13 -2.2% -0.1%
Dow Jones 47,417.27 -2.0% -3.0%
10Y Yield 4.21% +2bp +16bp
WTI Crude $87.25 +52.2% +22.5%
Gold $5,167.40 +19.8% -2.4%
Bitcoin $70,205 -20.9% +6.8%

The Dow is heading for its third losing week in a row, with S&P futures down 1.11% and Nasdaq futures down 1.29%. Oil is back above $100 a barrel as tankers continue to avoid the Strait of Hormuz despite the IEA releasing 400 million barrels from emergency reserves. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley and Cliffwater have capped investor withdrawals from their private credit funds, raising concerns about loan quality across the sector.

Advisor Talking Point

Your clients may own private credit without knowing it

Deutsche Bank flagged $30 billion in exposure to the private credit sector. As funds restrict withdrawals, clients in "moderate" or "balanced" accounts might discover their holdings include loans they can't sell. Lenders are demanding their money back, and it's spreading. This is the moment to check what's inside multi-manager funds and any alternative investment holdings.

The risk isn't just that these funds lose value. It's that clients can't get out when they want to. When a fund limits redemptions, it's telling you the underlying assets are hard to sell at a fair price. Advisors should be proactively checking accounts today so clients hear it from you first, not from a headline.

If a client asks about the private credit news

Some of your fund positions may have indirect exposure to private credit. When a fund restricts withdrawals, it means the underlying loans are harder to sell. We're reviewing your accounts today and will call if anything needs attention.

What to Watch

Today (March 12)
8:30 AM Unemployment Claims (weekly)
10:00 AM Consumer Confidence (Michigan)
Earnings Adobe (ADBE), Dollar General (DG), Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), Oracle (ORCL)
Friday (March 13)
8:30 AM Q4 GDP (advance estimate)
10:00 AM Existing Home Sales
Next Week
Mon Mar 16 Industrial Production
Wed Mar 18 Producer Price Index (PPI), FOMC Decision

Water Cooler

DOGE staffers caught accessing Social Security data

Congress and the Social Security Administration's Inspector General are investigating claims that Department of Government Efficiency staff accessed personal records without authorization. The probe is moving fast. Even government restructuring efforts that seem well-intentioned can trip over privacy and compliance rules. For advisors: this reminds clients that government efficiency drives can stall, and patience usually beats speed.

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AI-generated using live market data. Always verify independently. Not investment advice.
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