Like it or not, American politicians are free to trade stocks just like every other citizen, though sometimes they have greater access to non-public information, and the ability to influence laws that have a real impact on private-sector companies.

For example, among the factors putting downward pressure on Chinese stocks in recent months are U.S. export restrictions on high-powered chips and the tech used to make them. Similarly, helpful legislation also has the ability to bolster stocks: Consider the CHIPS Act of 2022, which allocates tens of billions of federal dollars to companies like Intel to help them build new chipmaking plants in the U.S.

In that light, it might seem refreshing, or at least unusual, that Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz does not own a single stock. Not only that, but Walz does not own bonds or real estate, having lived in the governor's mansion in Minnesota the past six years. Essentially, Walz has no direct ownership of any major financial assets, though he does have pensions from his years working as a teacher and his time as a congressman.

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Source Fool.com