Daily polls for the Institute for Financial Planning’s consumer- focused Financial Planning Week 2011 raised challenging points about consumers’ attitudes to finances. The polls, conducted by YouGov in association with NS&I, questioned over 2,000 people.

Financial Planning Week, in its fourth year, created a huge amount of coverage on the benefits of Financial Planning at all levels and the campaign was driven home by a series of hard-hitting consumer polls, released each day of Financial Planning Week. From the National Consumer Survey, we found out that only four per cent of the population would seek professional financial advice to improve their financial situation. Instead, people were most keen to reduce debt and make an effort to save more.

Worryingly, 14 per cent of respondents said their situation was so dire they could think of no ideas on how they could improve it. Not only were people unwilling to use a financial adviser, 27 per cent could not think of any benefits to using one. These figures were similar to a survey carried out by a lead sponsor of Financial Planning Week Friends Life. It found parents were the most likely source for financial advice followed by partners.

Some 31 per cent of people would consult their parents, 27 per cent would consult partners but only eight to ten per cent would consult a financial adviser. Andy Briggs, chief executive of Friends Life, said: “It appears that people are recognising the need for financial advice which on the surface is very encouraging. The danger is by consulting your mum or dad instead of a qualified financial adviser you learn someone else’s financial habits instead of making your own empowered decisions.”

On Tuesday, the daily poll revealed that 73 per cent of respondents believed Financial Planning could be suitable for everyone, a result unexpected even by IFP President Marlene Shalton FIFP CFP^CM. She said: “The result of this poll is quite surprising - in fact there are some financial advisers who think the opposite! The whole point of Financial Planning is that it’s not about what money you have now but the mere fact that you actually plan what you will need and want to do with it in the future.” Interestingly, some 77 per cent of people in the 18-24 category believed Financial Planning could be suitable for everyone, showing young people may be catching onto the benefits of Financial Planning.

The RDR was on the agenda for Wednesday when more than two thirds of consumers said the RDR would make them more likely to seek professional advice; reassuring the worries of advisers nationwide. Despite doubts over whether consumers would be willing to pay for advice and understand the value of it, 69 per cent said they would have more confidence in seeking advice post-RDR. Confidence was highest in those aged between 25-34 and 45-54 years old.

The mood turned negative again on Thursday with results showing less than a third of people were confident a pension plan was the best way to save for retirement. This included 29 per cent of people aged 55+, the category closest to retirement. The results differed between genders with 36 per cent of men confident pensions were a good idea compared to only 23 per cent of women.

Alan Dick CFP^CM of Forty Two Wealth Management said: “It is worrying that over two thirds of the population appear to have completely disengaged                  with                  pensions. Governments’ constant tinkering with pension legislation and the perceived complexity undoubtedly contributes to this distrust. I would hope that people are not taking an ‘ostrich’ approach to Financial Planning but instead making genuine alternative arrangements.”

The final poll looked at people’s prospects for 2012 and how confident they were about their finances for this new year. Only 33 per cent were confident they would be able to keep track of their finances. Reasons given for the lack of confidence included the Eurozone crisis and consistently high inflation.

Nick Cann, chief executive of the IFP, said: “For people in Britain who are feeling the pinch when it comes to the family budget, underpinning this uncertainty is the need to have a financial plan to work through the next few years of economic uncertainty.

“While much can be done by individuals themselves, for many there will be no substitute to working with a professional Financial Planner to navigate these choppy waters.”

The results of the polls highlighted the consistent worries people have about their finances. Despite the fact the country is out of a recession, at least for the present, finances remain a worry for households.

The message from the week, underlined by the polls, was clear: having a financial plan, creating a household budget and seeking help from a professional financial adviser are all ways that consumers can improve their financial fitness.