Having enough money to retire and pay for major life needs — healthcare and education — are top concerns of Americans facing financial pressures, according to CPA financial planners surveyed by the AICPA. Respondents to the survey, taken in Dec. 2007, included CPAs who hold the AICPA’s Personal Financial Specialist credential.

In responding to an open-ended question, 9 out of 10 CPAs surveyed said their individual clients were concerned about retirement. Costs associated with health care and education were ranked by respondents as the second (59%) and third (47%) financial concerns of clients.

Notably, nearly 32% of respondents reported that clients approaching retirement age are postponing leaving the workforce for financial reasons. In addition, as many as one-third of CPAs with clients 25 to 34 years old are seeing individuals foregoing buying a home, having children and even saving for retirement. And one-third of the CPA planners said their clients were carrying more credit card debt than they did five years ago, with excessive discretionary spending pinpointed as the primary culprit (the median level of increased credit card debt is $8,333).

In 2004, the AICPA launched the 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy effort, which has a dedicated consumer Web site (www.360financialliteracy.org) containing hundreds of tools and resources to help Americans improve their financial understanding. A related campaign, Feed the Pig (www.FeedthePig.org), is designed to help Americans aged 25 – 34 save for long-term financial security.