Concerns over personal finances have been stoked by the economic downturn, according to Prudential.
Personal finance problems are causing many Britons to worry, new research from Prudential suggests.
Media reports about the current state of the economy have resulted in 52 per cent of respondents to the Prudential poll describing the financial outlook as their "most pressing concern".
According to the insurer, 58 per cent of people also believe that their life has "become more pressured" as a result of the recent economic downturn, which has in turn caused rising food and fuel prices and falling house prices.
Prudential's research also uncovered a possible reason for this financial disquiet: a total of nine per cent of Britons were found to hold no insurance protection at all. Moreover, just 13 per cent held mortgage protection cover, a type of insurance which helps homeowners with repayments if they are faced with a sudden change in life circumstances.
Sammy Rubin at Prudential said: "There is obviously a gap between what issues we, as a society, are worrying about and what we're doing to alleviate these worries. Protecting ourselves in the event of changes to our personal circumstances can take a huge weight off our minds."
Elsewhere, worrying about the health of family members (46 per cent) and about their own health and wellbeing (40 per cent) were also identified as things which caused the Prudential poll respondents to worry.
