Only half of individuals living in households that earn less than $50,000 per year say they feel financially prepared for the future.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., Washington, has published that finding in a summary of results from a recent telephone survey of 1,002 U.S. residents ages 18 years and older.

The percentage of participants who said they feel financially prepared was 75% for those with annual household incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 and 83% for those with annual household incomes over $100,000.

Having a financial advisor increased the likelihood that a participant would feel financially prepared by 18 percentage points.

When asked about the financial issues of greatest concern, 30% of the participants cited retirement planning, and 25% cited education funding.

Participants also were asked about how their attitudes have changed since the financial crisis began 2 years ago.

About 65% of the participants said they are more concerned about financial issues than they were before the financial crisis started; 7% said they are less concerned.

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