Washington’s Affluent are Happy and Spending Again

Here’s the press release:

BMO Private Bank: Ninety Percent of Washingtons Affluent Say They Are Pleased with Their Current Financial Situation

• More than half of high-net worth individuals in Washington say they are better off today than before September 2008
• They are most bullish on the technology and energy sectors but lack confidence in the health and manufacturing sectors
• Their spending on vacations, entertainment and hobbies are back to pre-recession levels

SEATTLE, October 3, 2013 A study released today by BMO Private Bank has revealed that Washingtons high-net worth individuals say they have bounced back from the 2008 recession and are feeling upbeat about their current savings and investment strategy. The study is the second in a series by BMO Private Bank examining trends among high-net worth individuals (those with investible assets of $1 million or more) in Washington and across the country.

According to the study, 90 percent of Washingtons affluent feel good about how they are saving and investing their money and 52 percent expect the U.S. economy to improve over the next year. Further, more than half (52 percent) feel that they are better off today than they were prior to the period before September 2008.

Other key highlights of the study include:

High-net worth individuals in the state are most bullish on the technology (80 percent), energy (77 percent) and financial (60 percent) sectors but are among the least upbeat about health (57 percent vs. 78 percent national average) and manufacturing (35 percent vs. 50 percent national average).

• They believe that stocks (82 percent) and real estate (70 percent) will offer the most positive returns over the next five years.
• They are spending more than or the same as they did before the recession on travel and vacations (90 percent), entertainment and leisure (89 percent), and collections and hobbies (77 percent).

Washingtons affluent clearly feel they have made wise saving and investment choices in the aftermath of the 2008 recession, as evidenced by their stable financial position and their confidence in the markets, said Peter Glidden, Managing Director, BMO Private Bank. As they continue to spend and save strategically, they can count themselves as key players in the ongoing upswing of the U.S. economy.

Key National Findings:

On a national level, the study found:

Almost two-thirds (61 percent) of high-net worth Americans say they are better off today than they were before the recession.

• Sixty percent of the nations affluent are optimistic about what the future holds for the U.S. economy.
• They are most bullish about the technology (80 percent), health (78 percent) and energy (77 percent) sectors and least optimistic about the prospects for the manufacturing (50 percent), agricultural (46 percent) and mining (43 percent) sectors.
• They are spending more money or the same amount as before September 2008 in a number of areas, including:

Entertainment and leisure activities (86 percent)

• Travel and vacations (83 percent)
• Club memberships (81 percent)
• Collections and hobbies (80 percent)
• Clothing and accessories (77 percent)

About BMO Private Bank, a Part of BMO Financial Group

BMO Private Bank offers a comprehensive range of wealth management services that include investment advisory, trust, banking and financial planning to meet the financial needs of high net worth clients. Through integrated teams of experienced financial professionals, BMO Private Bank helps its clients realize their financial and lifestyle goals with solutions that are custom tailored and delivered with the highest level of personalized service.

The online survey was conducted by Pollara between March 28th and April 11th, 2013 with a sample of 482 American adults who have $1M+ in investable assets (including a sub-sample of 40 Washington State residents). The margin of error for a probability sample of this size is 4.5%, 19 times out of 20.