Survey Finds 40% of Investors Changed Portfolios Ahead of 2026 Midterm Elections
Nationwide Retirement Institute reported 40% of surveyed investors altered portfolios ahead of the midterms, while advisors urged keeping investment strategies steady.
Two in five investors (40%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterms, according to data released Oct. 14, 2026, by the Nationwide Retirement Institute in Columbus, Ohio. The study, conducted online by The Harris Poll from Aug. 24 to Sept. 11, 2026, surveyed 538 advisors and financial professionals and 2,029 investors ages 18 and older with at least $10,000 in investable assets.
Nearly three in four Gen Z investors, or 72%, reported making changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterm election outcomes, compared to just 17% of Baby Boomer investors.
Economic expectations also split along party lines. Nearly nine in 10 Democratic investors, or 89%, reported being concerned about a U.S. economic recession in the next 12 months, compared to 68% of Republican investors. The release noted that recession concerns have also flipped along party lines since the last major election. In 2024, more than eight in 10 Republican investors (84%) were concerned about a U.S. economic recession occurring in the following year, compared to 67% of Democratic investors.
Among financial professionals, three fourths (75%) of advisors agree that the 2026 midterm election environment is more financially disruptive to client planning than prior election cycles. Despite their clients' concerns, advisors are far more skeptical that election outcomes should inspire portfolio changes. More than six in 10 advisors (63%) say it is true that, in an election year, the best course of action is to not change investment strategies, an 11-percentage-point increase from the 52% of advisors who said the same in 2024.
In the release, Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide's Investment Management Group, said political anxiety is colliding with an economy that already has investors on edge from ongoing inflation and rising interest rates, but noted that election results typically have little impact on long-term investment outcomes, regardless of which party gains or loses power.
Advisors reported leaning on planning strategies designed to hold up regardless of election outcomes, with 88% focusing on asset diversification. Hackett said advisors can use this time to discuss solutions such as annuities that may help reduce market-related concerns while providing a source of guaranteed retirement income, regardless of how the political landscape evolves. The Nationwide release did not disclose specific dollar amounts reallocated by investors.
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4 in 10 Investors Have Changed Their Retirement Savings or Portfolio Ahead of 2026 Midterm Elections
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Two in five investors (40%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterms, according to data released Oct. 14, 2026, by the Nationwide Retirement Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
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Two in five investors (40%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterms, including 15% who moved money into more conservative or lower-risk investments and 13% who diversified into different asset classes or sectors.
Two in five investors (40%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterms, according to data released Oct. 14, 2026, by the Nationwide Retirement Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 midterm elections are still weeks away, but for many investors, financial anxiety has arrived early. New data from the Nationwide Retirement Institute® reveals a nation of investors bracing for impact, split by party and generation, while their advisors urge a steadier hand.
Two in five investors (40%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterms, according to data released Oct. 14, 2026, by the Nationwide Retirement Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
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Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States.
The study, conducted online by The Harris Poll from Aug. 24 to Sept. 11, 2026, surveyed 538 advisors and financial professionals and 2,029 investors ages 18 and older with at least $10,000 in investable assets.
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The Harris Poll, on behalf of Nationwide, conducted an online survey in the U. S. among 538 advisors and financial professionals and 2,029 investors ages 18+ with investable assets (IA) of $10K+, from August 24-September 11, 2026.
Nearly three in four Gen Z investors, or 72%, reported making changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterm election outcomes, compared to just 17% of Baby Boomer investors.
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Nearly three in four Gen Z investors (72%) say they have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterm election outcomes, compared to just 17% of Baby Boomer investors.
Nearly nine in 10 Democratic investors, or 89%, reported being concerned about a U.S. economic recession in the next 12 months, compared to 68% of Republican investors.
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Two years later, the roles have switched: nearly nine in 10 Democratic investors (89%) are concerned about a U.S. economic recession in the next 12 months, compared to 68% of Republican investors.
The release noted that recession concerns have also flipped along party lines since the last major election.
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Recession concerns have also flipped along party lines since the last major election.
In 2024, more than eight in 10 Republican investors (84%) were concerned about a U.S. economic recession occurring in the following year, compared to 67% of Democratic investors.
Among financial professionals, three fourths (75%) of advisors agree that the 2026 midterm election environment is more financially disruptive to client planning than prior election cycles.
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In fact, three fourths (75%) of advisors agree that the 2026 midterm election environment is more financially disruptive to client planning than prior election cycles.
Despite their clients' concerns, advisors are far more skeptical that election outcomes should inspire portfolio changes.
More than six in 10 advisors (63%) say it is true that, in an election year, the best course of action is to not change investment strategies, an 11-percentage-point increase from the 52% of advisors who said the same in 2024.
In the release, Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide's Investment Management Group, said political anxiety is colliding with an economy that already has investors on edge from ongoing inflation and rising interest rates, but noted that election results typically have little impact on long-term investment outcomes, regardless of which party gains or loses power.
Read supporting passage
"Political anxiety isn't emerging in a vacuum; it's colliding with an economy that already has investors on edge from ongoing inflation and rising interest rates," said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide's Investment Management Group.
In the release, Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide's Investment Management Group, said political anxiety is colliding with an economy that already has investors on edge from ongoing inflation and rising interest rates, but noted that election results typically have little impact on long-term investment outcomes, regardless of which party gains or loses power.
Read supporting passage
However, history tells us that, while election results may contribute to volatility, they typically have little impact on long-term investment outcomes, regardless of which party gains or loses power.
Advisors reported leaning on planning strategies designed to hold up regardless of election outcomes, with 88% focusing on asset diversification.
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Rather than making reactive moves, advisors are leaning on planning strategies designed to hold up regardless of election outcomes, increasing their focus on a few key actions:
Advisors reported leaning on planning strategies designed to hold up regardless of election outcomes, with 88% focusing on asset diversification.
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88% are focusing on asset diversification.
Hackett said advisors can use this time to discuss solutions such as annuities that may help reduce market-related concerns while providing a source of guaranteed retirement income, regardless of how the political landscape evolves.
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said Hackett. "Advisors can use this time to discuss solutions such as annuities that may help reduce market-related concerns while providing a source of guaranteed retirement income, regardless of how the political landscape evolves."