Almost half of the 1,127 investors polled (48%) said it is a good time to invest in equities, with one in five seeing blue-chip stocks as having the most potential. Their outlook for bonds was mixed, with 27% saying it is a good time to invest in fixed income securities and 30% saying it is a bad time.
Their top financial New Year’s resolution was to find ways to trim their household budget (29%), followed by rebalancing their investment portfolios (20%), creating a will or estate plan (16%), and learning more about investing (10%).
When asked about their key concerns, nearly two out of three (63%) cited political gridlock in Washington, D.C., 58% cited the cost of healthcare and 57% cited the national debt. Inflation was a concern for 26% of those polled, with 22% thinking that the rate of inflation will run at more than 4% two years from now, up from 17% who thought so in the third quarter of 2012.
“While investors certainly have a lot on their minds, our survey indicates that many investors are feeling good about their financial position,” Bill Cheney, John Hancock’s chief economist said in a statement.
John Hancock’s quarterly Investor Sentiment Survey polled 1,127 investors with household income of at least $75,000 and assets of $100,000 from Nov. 26, 2012 – Dec. 7, 2012.
