Confidence among affluent investors fell to its lowest mark in September since Spectrem Group's monthly survey was begun in February 2004.
The Chicago research company said Wednesday that its Spectrem Affluent Investor Index fell 9 points to minus-22.
The decline in the index, which measures the investment outlook of households with $500,000 or more of investable assets, put it below its previous record low of minus-20, reached in March. The index remains in what Spectrem classifies as mildly bullish territory.
Meanwhile, the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index also fell to the lowest point since its introduction, dropping 9 points to minus-18. The decline left the index 4 points beneath its prior record low of minus 14, reached in April, and returns it to mildly bearish territory.
In response to an open-ended question about the most serious threat to achieving their household financial goals, 38% of the affluent investors cited the economy, a doubling since June.
Other threats cited included market conditions (13%), election results (11%), unemployment (5%), housing and real estate (4%), and health-related issues (3%).
Millionaires expressed the same top concerns: the economy (37%), market conditions (17%), and election results (13%).
