Even on a supposedly good economic environment, many Australians are still stressed out over money, with women more likely to worry about it than men, a new study by ANZ and Pacific Magazines reveals.

In the report "Australia's Money Confidence 2013," which collected responses from around 12,000 Australians, 61 per cent said they are confident about their future financial security, while the remaining 39 per cent said they had a plan but keep putting it off. Only one in five respondents said they currently use a financial planner or advisor (21 per cent), although 84 per cent of those polled acknowledged the importance of a long-term financial plan.

This information is key to companies providing financial planning and wealth management services and are seeking new and under-served markets to tap.

Women tend to worry more than men, the study showed, with 51 per cent of females admitting that they find money matters "overwhelming and stressful," compared to 37 per cent of the men. Around 33 per cent said worrying about finances causes sleepless nights, while 39 per cent said it made them feel anxious.

"The research shows that a lot of Australians worry about their finances even when things are going well. We encourage all to take action to build their money confidence, rather than putting it off or trying not to think about it," said Mark Hand, managing director of retail distribution at ANZ.

The study also revealed that in Australia, those aged 35 to 49 years have the lowest money confidence (45.3 per cent), while those aged 65 and up have the highest confidence (57.6 per cent). Young men aged 18 to 24 years overall have a higher confidence score at 49.3 per cent, compared to 44.1 per cent of the women from the same age range. Top three sources of financial stress are increased cost of living, utility and electricity bills and petrol prices.

The poll was conducted in 1 October to 23 November 2012.