Brinker Capital's, a leading investment managing firm, via their Brinker Barometer results for Q4, based on responses from 236 advisers affiliated with insurance companies, independent broker/dealers, and in sole practice, was released on January 2, 2008, and the result show that the top concern of financial advisers is a Democrat taking the White House in 2008.
Their list of concerns are:
Democrat in the White House at 22%
Global unrest at 15%
U.S. economic growth at 15%
Terrorist attack at 13%
Recession at 13%
Value of the dollar at 6%
Iraq war at 5%
Republican in the White House 3%
Inflation 3%
No major worries 4%
81% of advisers cited a potential increase in the capital gains tax, an income tax increase and heavier taxes on dividends under a Democratic administration.
John E. Coyne, president of Berwyn, Pa.-based Brinker Capital, which manages $9.4 billion in assets says "(Departing from) the Bush administration's approach to taxation will have a large impact on advisers and their clients. When taxes begin to erode returns, equities remain less attractive."
These results further back up the previous Brinker poll, conducted last summer, which found that "Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., would be the worst choice in terms of the economy and investing."
Flashback June 2004:
Hillary Clinton at a Democratic fundraiser "Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you."
"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."
According to the Brinker's news release, via Chron.com and Planadviser, 74% noted that they are "very" or "somewhat" confident in the country’s economic outlook, identical to respondents’ sentiments in the first quarter of 2007.
They also graded President Bush and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as well as Congress, based on their 2007 performance, and Bush and Bernanke received C's for their performance from 53% and 57% of advisers, respectively.
Congress received F's for their performance, from 70% of advisers, closely followed by Americans retirement savings efforts, which was graded an “F” by 62% of respondents.
You can find out more about Brinker Capital here, which was founded as a subsidiary of Mutual Benefit in 1987.
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