There is no doubt that individual investors were hit hard by the financial crisis. Several months of double-digit negative stock market returns almost halved investor portfolio values from April 2008 to March 2009, according to Netspar (the Network for Studies on Pension, Aging, and Retirement).
If you think losing a significant proportion of your nest egg sounds like a life event that would color future money choices, you might be surprised by a November 2017 survey.
When Hartford Funds asked people about the lasting impact of the market meltdown and the ensuing “Great Recession,” 40 percent of them said the financial crisis of 2008 has had no lasting impact on their life. A higher number though, 42 percent, said they now avoid the market. And 46 percent of respondents said they have adjusted their spending and savings habits in the aftermath.
Interestingly, people have made investment and lifestyle changes in the wake of that momentous market downturn—including avoiding the market all together—yet the perception of its impact has faded for many. “Americans are forgetting what it felt like during those challenging times of 2008-11,” according to a Hartford Funds executive.
