The chaotic economic policies of the Trump administration have caused market turbulence, with the S&P 500 Index falling 8.2% since hitting an all-time high in February. Retail investors are starting to question the strategy of holding USA stocks for the long term, and some analysts point out that the era of 'lying flat' gains in the USA stock market that lasted for years may have come to an end.

Currently, retail investors have shown signs of 'running away'. As panic spreads, retail investors are frantically rebalancing their portfolios, shifting from USA stocks to safe-haven assets such as money market funds, short-term bonds, Gold, and European defense stocks.

Recent pension trading activities reflect this trend. Data from Alight Solutions, an American human resources service provider, shows that in the first half of March, the trading volume of personal investors' retirement accounts has surged to over four times the normal level, with the trading volume in the past month reaching the highest level in nearly five years.401(k)The trading volume of Retirement Accounts has surged to more than four times the normal level, with the trading volume in the past month reaching the highest level in nearly five years.

Meanwhile, a survey by the USA Individual Investor Association shows that the proportion of investors who are optimistic about the stock market has dropped to the lowest level since September 2022.

On March 16, The Wall Street Journal reported that an investor who had not touched his investment portfolio for several years sold nearly half of his Stocks last Tuesday. He stated:

"I am adjusting my decisions almost every day, completely out of concern for Trump's economic policies, especially the tariff measures."

Former political advisor Patton Price cleared all Stocks from his Retirement Account before and after Trump's inauguration, stating:

"This is not a flashy investment theory; I just think no one knows what will happen next."

Financial services company TIAA stated that the number of customer consultation calls increased by about 10% over the past two weeks, many of which came from those who previously tended to manage their own investment portfolios.

Investors are not only withdrawing from the US stock market but are also actively seeking alternatives. According to data from the Investment Company Institute, there was a net Inflow of $30.4 billion into money market funds from retail investors within a week ending March 5, creating a weekly record high in over a year. Morningstar data shows that the net Inflow of physical Gold ETFs in the USA exceeded $5 billion in February, with an additional $1 billion in the first half of this month. Gold prices surpassed $3,000 per ounce for the first time last week.

Meanwhile, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, investors poured $1.8 billion into European Stocks ETFs registered in the USA last month. Additionally, since the beginning of 2025, international markets have outperformed the US stock market. The European Stoxx 600 index has risen 7.04% this year, while the S&P 500 Index has fallen 4.13%.

It is worth noting that an investor's political stance significantly affects their market perspective. Francisco Ayala, a financial advisor in Phoenix, stated that a client who detests Trump recently inquired about how to transfer investments out of the USA, while another Trump supporter viewed the market decline as a healthy adjustment. Some investors are even actively buying stocks such as Reddit and Broadcom during the market downturn, considering it an 'exciting opportunity.'