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Voters let wallets guide them come November

This year’s presidential election may hinge on voters’ wallets.More than half of Americans say their own financial well-being is the most important factor, or among the most important factors, when it comes to deciding who’ll they’ll pull the lever for come November, according to a study released Monday by Bankrate.com.“How Americans feel about the U.S. economy and their own finances wil
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This year’s presidential election may hinge on voters’ wallets.

More than half of Americans say their own financial well-being is the most important factor, or among the most important factors, when it comes to deciding who’ll they’ll pull the lever for come November, according to a study released Monday by Bankrate.com.

“How Americans feel about the U.S. economy and their own finances will be central to the election on Nov. 6,” said Claes Bell, senior banking expert with Bankrate.com. “While unemployment will probably be above that 7.2 percent historical benchmark when the election takes place, the key question will be whether Americans are comfortable with the progress that has been made since the economy took a turn for the worse.”

The telephone survey, that polled 1,000 adults earlier this month, also found voters were “deeply divided about which candidate will help households get back on track financially.” 

  • 21 percent said their personal financial situations would be better under former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
  • 21 percent said they would be better under President Barack Obama 
  • And 8 percent were undecided.

But a majority, 50 percent, said whoever wins come November probably wouldn’t make much of a difference when it came to their wallets.

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