How to Avoid the Investing Mistake Many Millionaires Are About to Make

The confidence of millionaire investors took a record plunge last month.

The Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index fell 17 points, from 20 in April to 3 in May. That’s the largest one-month decrease in the 13-year history of the index, which tracks changes in investment sentiment among U.S. households with investable assets of at least $1 million.

For further context, here’s where the index has stood each month of 2017:

• January: 12
• February: 10
• March: 10
• April: 20 (a four-year high)
• May: 3

The index is maintained by Spectrem Group, an investment research firm. Spectrem Group attributes the index’s record-breaking May plunge to 39 percent of millionaires indicating they plan to avoid investing in the coming month — an increase of 15 percent from April.

So what’s got so many millionaire investors running scared? George H. Walper Jr., Spectrem Group president, cites national politics:

“This is likely due to growing concerns about the weakening political position of President Trump given recent controversies, the declining likelihood of substantive tax reform in the near-term, as well as concerns about the recently submitted proposed federal budget.”

When investors were polled for the latest index, they were asked which topics in the news most affect their economic outlook. More than half — 54 percent — cited the political environment. No other topic was cited by more than 14 percent of investors.

Learning from millionaires’ mistakes

So should you follow American millionaires’ lead and hold off on investing in the coming month? Well, that depends whether you want to commit multiple rookie investor mistakes at once.

For example, if you were to hold off on investing due to a topic passing through the news, you’d be making mistake No. 8 in “13 Dumb Investing Moves and How to Avoid Them” — paying too much attention to too much information. As that article explains:

“There is such a thing as information overload. Between the internet, newspapers, magazines and cable TV, it’s easy to get more than your fill of conflicting information. Step back, look at the big picture, find a few financial journalists or others you trust, then tune out the rest.”

You’d also be making mistake No. 1 — not investing. That’s the biggest mistake an investor can make.

For tips to help you right such wrongs, check out:

• “9 Tips Beginning Investors Must Know“
• “11 Tips for Sane, Successful Stock Investing“
• “5 Simple Ways to Invest Your Retirement Savings“

Have you ever let topics in the news affect your investments? Tell us about it below or on our Facebook page.