U.S. Investors, Lacking Reassurance from Financial Advisors, Call This “The Toughest Investment Climate” They’ve Experienced
With the Dow Jones Industrial average heading toward its worst April since the Great Depression and the S&P 500 down about 13.9% from its peak in mid-February, following the introduction of a sweeping set of tariffs on imported goods, U.S. investors are understandably concerned about their portfolios. While recent suspensions of some tariffs may have prevented further market declines for now, the continued sense of uncertainty persists. Exactly how serious is investor concern, and how is it affecting their experience with their financial advisors and wealth management firms?
This JD Power Wealth Intelligence Report analyzes data from the JD Power Financial Services U.S. Investor Pulse Survey, which was fielded on April 15 and April 16 to take the pulse of investors in the United States as they navigate this period of market volatility.
Investor Confidence Shaken by Tariffs
On April 2, the Trump administration unveiled a set of tariffs on all imports into the country, and even higher tariffs on goods from about 60 countries or trading blocs that have a high trade deficit with the U.S. While markets had been bracing for tariff action, the scale of the announcement caught many by surprise, and markets reacted sharply, with the S&P 500 dropping more than 10% in the two days following the announcement.
That sudden spike in volatility has put many investors on edge, with many anticipating a tough road ahead as they continue to navigate this period of economic uncertainty. Overall, 56% of investors said: “this is the toughest investment climate I’ve experienced,” while 33% said they’ve experienced worse and 11% were not sure.

When asked whether the tariff news had shaken their confidence in their investments, 40% of investors said they believe the tariffs are hurting their portfolios and making them rethink their strategy. Another 34% said they were not sure, but they were worried about the potential effects of the tariffs. Just more than one-fourth (26%) of investors said they don’t believe the tariffs will affect their investments.

A total of 69% of investors surveyed work with a financial professional (34%) or dedicated financial advisor (35%) to manage their investments, while 25% manage their portfolios on their own and 7% have someone else in their family who looks after their investments. Across the board, investor confidence is highly correlated with professional guidance. Those who work with a dedicated financial advisor are least likely to say that the tariff news is causing them to rethink their strategies, while those who trade/invest on their own without any professional help are most likely to be rethinking their portfolios right now.

Quantifying the Effect of Tariffs on Investor Portfolios
When it comes to assessing the short- and long-term effects of the tariffs, 41% of investors believe they will negatively affect their portfolios during the next 12 months and 32% believe they will negatively affect their portfolios during the next five years. Interestingly, 49% of investors believe tariffs will either have a positive effect or no effect at all on their portfolios in the next 12 months and 52% believe the effects will be positive or neutral in the next five years.


Seeking Reassurance from Professionals
The lion’s share of investors have received proactive outreach from their advisors in response to the tariffs, with 57% of advisors reaching out via “low-touch” methods such as text messages, emails and letters, and 56% reaching out via “high-touch” methods, such as phone calls, video conferences and in-person meetings. In some cases, advisors reached out via both high-touch and low-touch methods. Despite this widespread multichannel outreach, 18% of investors said they have received no contact from their financial advisors following the tariff announcement.

Some of those advisor interactions were more effective than others. The majority (52%) of investors said they were reassured by their advisors and believed they were well-guided through this period of volatility, but 31% said they were uncertain and did not feel like they had enough support. Another 7% said they were frustrated and not getting the guidance they need, and 10% were unsure.

Among self-directed investors who currently trade/invest on their own without any professional help, 40% indicated they were “probably likely” (27%) or “definitely likely” (13%) to work with an advisor in the next 12 months. That number rises to more than half of younger self-directed investors, including Millennial[1] and Gen Z respondents.

When it comes to taking action in response to the tariff-related volatility, 35% of investors said they are holding off until the market stabilizes, 28% said they are moving into safer assets such as bonds, cash and gold and 25% said they are diversifying their portfolios to spread risk.

Crisis Breeds Opportunity
Market shocks like the one we’ve been experiencing throughout the month of April create a moment of truth opportunity for investment professionals to demonstrate their ability to guide clients through a rational, practical process that is not overly swayed by emotion or fear. So far, in response to tariff-related market activity, advisor performance managing those emotions has been mixed. While a little more than half of investors feel like they are getting the guidance they need, there are a lot of people out there right now in a full-blown panic. Advisors need to communicate frequently and effectively to help their clients through these types of challenging market moves.
Find out More
This Wealth Intelligence Report is based on responses from 1,190 investors with at least $100,000 in investable assets. It was authored by Mike Foy, managing director of the wealth management practice at JD Power. Please contact us at the numbers below to connect with Mr. Foy or to learn more about the underlying research.
Media Contacts
Brian Jaklitsch; East Coast; 631-584-2200; [email protected]
Geno Effler, JD Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
[1] JD Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1965-1976); Gen Y (1977-1994); and Gen Z (1995-2007).