Americans want to change financial ways, says survey

Americans are sick of consolidating debt and want to change their financial ways, but unsure of how exactly to do so, according to a new survey from a financial advice company.

According to the Tigrent 2009 Financial Independence Survey, 61 percent of Americans said they were not comfortable with their current financial situation.

However, many more said they would like to make changes to fix their situation, as about 80 percent of Americans said they would be "ready and willing to make sacrifices in the short-term in order to become financially independent in the long-run." Additionally, 72 percent said they would go so far as reinvent themselves in order to increase their earning power.

When asked why they had not made the financial moves they desired to, most reference their lack of monetary education. Fifty-five percent said they had "insufficient" knowledge about investing, while 47 percent said they didn’t have the time to learn what was needed to change their ways.

Tigrent CEO Charles M. Peck said that while the survey demonstrated a willingness to change so their monetary status improved, Americans needed to make it a point to learn more about their finances.

"Today, it is understood that we all have to be more resourceful about our own wealth intelligence, and the goal should be a fuller life, not just a full-time job," he said.