The number of people who say they are ‘more likely to seek financial advice now than two years ago’ has risen, according to AXA.

In the firm’s Big Money Index, which surveyed almost 2,000 people, AXA found 25 per cent would be more likely to seek advice and 24 per cent would be happy to pay for financial advice.

Encouragingly, 44 per cent said they would rather get financial advice from a professional than their friends and family.

Awareness of financial advice also increased and just nine per cent of respondents said they had no idea where to go for financial advice.

When asked what sources of information people used for advice, 27 per cent of people said they already used a financial adviser.

The most popular sources of information were provider websites and price comparison websites and there was an increase in the number of people using financial information websites such as moneysavingexpert.com.

Regarding financial products, 61 per cent of respondents owned investments but 44 per cent admitted they were confused about where to invest to get a ‘decent return’.

Nick Turner, AXA’s director of customer partnerships, said: “The trend is shifting toward independent financial advice and away from specific provider information and relying on friends and family.

“It’s a positive sign that most people are getting better at managing and keeping tabs on their finances at home.”