While the polls and the pundits will inevitably generate discourse regarding the potential ramifications for financial markets, should you allow elections to impact decisions regarding your long-term investments?

The anticipation building up to elections often brings with it questions about how financial markets will respond. But the outcome of an election is only one of many inputs to the market. DFA’s interactive exhibit examines market and economic data for nearly 100 years of US presidential terms and shows a consistent upward march for US equities regardless of the administration in place. This is an important lesson on the benefits of a long-term investment approach.

The history of the stock market going back to 1926 shows that returns in months when presidential elections took place don’t reflect any consistent patterns.