The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index, meanwhile, fell 4 points in August to –20. The affluent index measures the investment confidence and outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets.

“Millionaires posted their biggest decline in investment confidence in more than a year in August, while affluent investors saw their confidence decline for a third-straight month.  The millionaires’ decline is particularly troubling since it suggests millionaires, typically more sophisticated than the broader affluent population, are reverting to a bearish frame of mind,” said George Walper, president ofSpectrem Group.

In response to an open-ended question about the news story most affecting their economic outlook, affluent investors in August cited the political environment , unemployment , the economy and stock market conditions as topics highest on their radar. Those citing the political environment rose from 13 per cent in May, the last time this question was asked, and those citing unemployment rose from 6 per cent. 

Millionaires were more focused on the political environment than the affluent, but less focused on unemployment .