The survey of 1,443 individuals ages 45 to 79 with greater than $100,000 in investable belongings was carried out between July 7 and July 31, 2025, by Greenwald Analysis in partnership with Jackson Nationwide Life Insurance coverage.
Researchers explored how members perceived dangers associated to Social Security, Medicare and monetary coverage — and the way they could act to hedge these dangers.
“To be clear, ‘coverage uncertainty’ shouldn’t be about coverage change, per se, however reasonably in regards to the unpredictability of future coverage,” the report mentioned. “Even with none change to present coverage, for instance, a good and polarized election forces households to think about a wider vary of insurance policies than if the election end result had been sure or the coverage positions of the candidates had been related.”
Uncertainty depresses financial exercise, will increase inventory market volatility and reduces returns. Unemployment tends to rise with higher uncertainty, whereas consumption and funding are inclined to fall. Households’ makes an attempt to guard themselves in opposition to particular dangers — reminiscent of a lower in Social Safety advantages — may backfire, the report added.
By July 2025, coverage had modified dramatically on taxation, tariffs, federal debt and Medicaid because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the report defined.
Lengthy-term developments in Medicare and Social Safety financing have grow to be extra regarding, respondents mentioned. Majorities reported seeing worrying information tales on Social Safety’s monetary pressures (55%), the price of Medicare (52%), the dimensions of the federal debt (75%) and tariffs (89%).
Amongst all respondents, 28% elevated the quantities of their emergency funds.
“General, the chance that coverage uncertainty poses to near-retirees and retirees appears substantial, imposing appreciable prices on households as they take precautionary actions, in addition to harming the economic system,” the report mentioned. “As famous, this survey was undertaken throughout what now appears to have been a comparatively tranquil interval within the final 18 months.
“Clearly, an up to date survey would present extra nervousness and extra people planning to take actions to guard themselves. These actions have actual prices.”
