Gen Z Investors More Likely Than Baby Boomers to Report Midterm-Related Changes

Gen Z investors were 55 percentage points more likely than Baby Boomers to report changing retirement savings or portfolios ahead of November’s midterms.

Seventy-two percent of Gen Z respondents said they had changed retirement savings or a portfolio in anticipation of the election outcome, compared with 17% of Baby Boomers. The 55-percentage-point gap compares the shares who reported making a change.

Among Gen Z respondents, 24% said they moved money into more conservative or lower-risk investments. Another 24% said they increased contributions to take advantage of current conditions. The survey results do not show how much money was involved or when respondents made these changes.

Gen Z investors also reported more adviser contact about election risks. Twenty-seven percent said they had consulted a financial adviser about those risks, compared with 4% of Baby Boomers. Seventy-nine percent of Gen Z respondents wanted guidance on the midterms’ financial impact, versus 63% of Baby Boomers.

Across all investors surveyed, 40% said they had changed retirement savings or a portfolio ahead of the elections. Fifty-six percent said the midterms were making them more anxious, while 75% said the outcome could meaningfully affect their long-term financial plan.

Among surveyed financial professionals, 63% said keeping investment strategies unchanged was the best course during an election year, up from 52% in 2024. Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide’s Investment Management Group, said financial advisers should help clients “avoid emotional decision-making.”

The online survey included 2,029 U.S. investors ages 18 and older with at least $10,000 in investable assets, along with 538 advisers and financial professionals. Fieldwork took place in late August and early September.

The findings describe respondents’ accounts of their actions and concerns; they do not verify transactions. The published results do not identify specific investments or securities and do not establish whether any reported changes involved cryptocurrency.