UBS Investor Watch: Wealthy investors see lasting life changes after COVID-19

• Latin American investors were the most likely to envisage a lasting impact, followed by investors in the US.
• Generationally, millennials have been most affected by the pandemic.

Zurich, 13 July 2020 – In the wake of COVID-19, 75% of wealthy investors worldwide have concluded that life will never be the same again, according to the new Investor Watch survey by UBS, the world's leading global wealth manager.

According to the survey, which polled more than 3,750 investors across 15 markets globally, investors are already planning to adjust their lifestyle after the pandemic:

• Seven in 10 will reduce travel and trips to the office going forward
• Half intend to move closer to family
• Forty-six percent may forsake cities for less populated areas
• Eighty-eight percent say staying healthy is their top priority

Sixty-seven percent of investors also say the pandemic has affected how they think about their money:

• Fifty-six percent worry about not having enough saved if there is another pandemic
• Fifty-eight percent worry about working longer to make up for retirement losses
• Sixty percent worry about being a financial burden to their family if they get sick
• Fifty-four percent worry about leaving enough money for the next generation

Overall, 83% of investors want more guidance than usual from their financial advisor on their financial affairs during the pandemic.

Tom Naratil, Co-President of UBS Global Wealth Management and President of UBS Americas, says: "As investors navigate the COVID-19 crisis, they are seeking the latest insights and more tailored advice on how to achieve their financial goals. The pandemic is causing many of them to rethink how they'll fund their liquidity, longevity, and legacy needs. That means wealth managers have an opportunity to play an even more important role in their clients' lives and prepare them for the post-pandemic environment."

From a generational perspective, millennial investors surveyed were more inclined to say that the pandemic affected them financially and were more concerned about their finances than older generations. Seventy-three percent of millennials felt they were financially impacted by the pandemic. Seventy-four percent said the pandemic impacted how they think about their money.

Additionally, millennials are most concerned about having to work longer to make up for losses, having enough money saved, and losing their job in the current environment. They are also concerned about having their money make a societal impact. Roughly a third increased financial support for family and friends, while 69% are interested in sustainable investing and 60% in philanthropy due to COVID-19.

From a regional perspective, Latin American investors are the most likely to see the world changing permanently after COVID-19, followed by investors from the US.

With the US still working to contain the pandemic, 82% of US investors see their old way of life changing forever, which is above the global average of 75%. However, only 22% say the pandemic significantly affected them – below the global average of 25%. 

Latin American investors feel that they are the most affected by the pandemic, both financially and in terms of their way of life. However, they are also most likely to see a silver lining in the associated market volatility. Eighty-four percent of Latin American investors see the market volatility as an investment opportunity, compared with a global average of 79%.

The pandemic's impact on European investors was mostly in line with the global average. The exception was related to how Europeans direct their money to make an impact. Forty-two percent of European millennials increased their financial support to family and friends, compared with 34% of millennials globally.

COVID-19 made the least impact on Swiss investors. Only 56% say their way of life would change permanently, compared with a global average of 75%; 68% say fears related to the effects of the pandemic would persist, compared with a global average of 81%. Only 11% say their finances were significantly impacted.

Seventy-one percent of investors in the region anticipate permanent changes as a result of the virus, four percentage points lower than the global average. However, 89% of them say they want more guidance than usual from their financial advisor during the pandemic itself, versus a global average of 83%.


UBS Group AG and UBS AG