However, the telephone survey, conducted Sept. 12-15 among 1,015 adults nationwide, also found that 63 percent of respondents do not feel that America's financial, government and regulatory systems "protect people like me" against investment losses and accounting fraud. 

Related, respondents expressed a strong concern for ethics on the part of those who would assist with their financial planning. In fact, those surveyed cited professional ethics as more important than other factors, including experience and competency.

While earlier research conducted by FPA and the Consumer Federation of America revealed that 92 percent of consumers believe financial planning to be somewhat or very important, the most recent survey found that only 58 percent of respondents are "somewhat" or "not very" confident in their financial future. Additionally, 31 percent seem to have given up entirely, saying they do not believe they will ever again feel confident in their financial prospects.

"These findings are profound," said Bob Barry, president of FPA. "Not only are many Americans feeling ill when it comes to their finances, but in many cases, the patient has given up hope. There's not much good news here, especially for our financial institutions."

The findings also indicate financial planning is much more important now than it was a year ago. According to the study, nearly 3 in 10 consumers are more likely to seek professional help now than a year ago. This is even more pronounced in consumers with household incomes of $50,000, where 35 percent of consumers are more likely to seek professional help. 

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