Other key findings from the survey of 2,000 adults on personal finances conducted by telephone from October 18 through November 9, 2006: 

• 38% adults say they are living comfortably; another 28% say they have enough money to meet expenses with a little left over for extras; and 32% say either that they are just meeting basic living expenses or that they don't have even enough for the basics.

• Adults under age 50 are more optimistic than their elders that financial improvements are coming their way. 

• 36% mention a broader array of financial problems, whether it is bill-paying (25%), cost of living, unemployment, low-paying jobs, gas prices, taxes or the like.

• 38% of adults and 32% of American workers say they have no retirement plan other than Social Security. 

• 44% of Americans report that their family's income is keeping up with the cost of living; 12% report doing better than that; 40% say their family's income is falling behind the cost of living. 

• Married adults (43%) are more likely to report living comfortably than the unmarried (31%). 

• 34% of Americans rate the overall quality of their life as excellent, while 47% consider it good and just 18% rate the quality of their life as only fair or poor.