Maritz Research Poll: Pay Attention to Wealthy Investors This Election Season

Economic progress, trade agreements and bank regulations top the list of key issues

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Political races are heating up around the country. A recent Maritz^® Poll by Maritz Research’s Financial Services Research Group uncovered the views and opinions of a group that political candidates are likely to court — wealthy investors.

“The fact that the economy is an important issue for voters makes this data more meaningful than ever as the presidential race heats up.”

Maritz Research found that these voters — those with investable assets of $100,000 or more — are split politically. Interestingly, the largest group of wealthy investors consider themselves political Independents (37%), while 28% are Democrats and 30% are Republicans.

“Clearly, the Independent investors are critical to both candidates,” said Rich Brose, senior director of strategic consulting for Maritz Research’s Financial Services Research Group. “The candidate who solves the puzzle of securing the Independent investor vote may very well be the next occupant of the White House.”

The Maritz findings highlight how wealthy Independents view some key economic issues and what it could mean for the presidential campaign:

• The poll indicates the importance of the candidates’ ability to sway wealthy Independents voters’ perceptions of economic progress, as nearly half (48%) believe the economy is improving and will continue to improve.
• The data suggests that the candidates’ trade positions could impact the swing vote, with roughly half (52%) of Independent investors thinking that unfair trade agreements are weakening the U.S. economy.
• Only 31% of Independents believe new regulations on investment firms and banks will provide a safety net for investors, compared to 52% of Democrats and 16% of Republicans. The tricky part for any candidate is determining whether the Independents believe: a) the safety net is inadequate, b) they need a safety net at all, or c) whether the government should provide a safety net.

“Convincing investors that they can solve these problems could put the candidates one step closer to the presidency,” said Brose. “According to the data, only three out of ten believe the government has done a good job of steering the country through this difficult economy, so it’s going to take some convincing by both sides.”

In fact, 75% of those polled believe the economy is in fair or poor shape, citing lower property values (81%) and the international debt crisis (78%), followed closely by the deficit and long-term debt (69%).

“We’re also intrigued by the analysis when it comes to millionaires, which we’ll make available soon online,” Brose said. “The fact that the economy is an important issue for voters makes this data more meaningful than ever as the presidential race heats up.”

Methodology

The Maritz Poll surveyed 1,010 investors across the country with investable assets of $100,000 or more (excluding primary residence and employer-sponsored retirement plans). Read more about the poll results at www.soundcheckblog.com.

About Maritz Research

As one of the world’s largest marketing research firms, Maritz Research, a unit of Maritz, helps many of today’s most successful companies improve performance through a deep understanding of their customers, employees and channel partners. Founded in 1973, it offers a range of strategic and tactical solutions concentrating primarily in the automotive, financial services, hospitality, technology, telecommunications, and retail industries. The company has achieved ISO 20252 registration, the international symbol of quality. It is a member of CASRO, ESOMAR and MRA. For more information, visit www.MaritzResearch.com or contact us at 1-877-4MARITZ.