Top consumer priority: Save more money in 2010

Sean Tennant works for Edward Jones as a financial advisor in St. Petersburg, and he's pleased with the results of his company's latest survey.

“We're encouraged to see that more Americans are realizing the importance of having a solid savings plan in place,” he says.

But while Tennant and financial advisors may be happy, other sectors, such as retail may not be. It is irrefutable: When people save more, they spend less.

According to the survey, 33% of Americans consider increasing their savings as a top financial priority for next year.

The second-most popular response was debt reduction, the number-one priority for 30% of respondents suggesting that, even as the country experiences a massive de-leveraging, many Americans continue to value liquidity.

The survey also yielded some quirkier tidbits. For example, the survey found 11% of men planned to increase their contributions to a retirement plan in 2010, while only 6% of women had the same stance.

Another notable result: only 7% of respondents considered paying down their mortgage faster to be a top priority for 2010. Of course, that could be the result of very low interest rates and the tax deduction received from mortgage interest.

The survey, conducted by Opinion Researcwh Corportation on behalf of Edward Jones, received 1,014 responses to questions about financial priorities.