As election-year emotions rise, help clients stick to their long-term plans.

Investor emotions typically rise during election years—and 2026 is no exception. According to a recent Nationwide Retirement Institute^® survey, around 3 in 5 investors (56%) say the upcoming midterms are making them feel more anxious.

There is a bright side—election-year anxiety is leading many investors to seek professional financial guidance. For their part, financial professionals are tuning out the political noise and focusing more on long-term planning.

Politics continues to influence many investors’ outlooks.

In this election season, the hottest political issues are related to personal finances—inflation, energy prices, interest rates and healthcare costs. Many investors may view these issues and the impacts on their financial plans through a partisan lens.

Chart of people showing 3 in 4 investors.

3 in 4 investors (76%) agree that if the party they do not support wins, they expect the results of the election to greatly impact the economy.

Man and woman sitting down at a table, looking at a laptop.

Heightened emotions are affecting investor behavior.

Not only are emotions running high this year, in some cases they’re leading investors to take action that could affect their long-term financial plans.

Investors who agree the outcome of the midterm elections could have a meaningful impact on their long-term financial plan.

40%

For some investors, anxiety is leading to action: 40% have made changes to their retirement savings or portfolio in anticipation of the midterm election outcomes.

Focus on the long term to counter election-year anxiety.

A majority of investors are interested in professional guidance to help them navigate the financial impacts of the midterms. Most financial professionals, however, want to keep clients tuned in to their long-term plans and focused on their future financial security.

75%

Financial professionals who agree that the 2026 midterm election environment is more financially disruptive to client planning than prior election cycles.

63%

Financial professionals who say not changing investment strategies in an election year is the best course of action.

Where financial professionals are focusing their guidance with clients:

Tax-efficient retirement income solutions - 90 percent, Asset diversification - 88 percent, Guaranteed income solutions - 84 percent

Couple in their upper 60s looking at a laptop with their financial professional.

Be the voice of reason in an emotional time for investors.

While the noise around the midterm elections may distract investors’ attention and lead to headline-driven decisions, it can also be an opportunity for financial professionals to steer these conversations in a more productive direction.

Nationwide can help you keep clients focused on what matters with insights such as our "Investing in a Highly Politicized Climate" white paper. We also have resources and solutions to help you design a plan for clients around their long-term financial security.

Discover the wide range of planning resources from Nationwide.

Disclosure & Methodology

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. Among the investors, there were 1,518 non-retired investors.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data for advisors is accurate to within ± 4.2 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For investors data is accurate to within ± 3.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact news@nationwide.com.

For financial professional use only.

This material is not a recommendation to buy or sell a financial product or to adopt an investment strategy. Investors should discuss their specific situation with their financial professional.