Nationally, the percentage of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck dropped from 51 percent to 43 percent from August 2005 to July 2006 and from 58 to 52 percent for 18- to 24-year-olds, but the younger group?s percentage for saving regularly slipped from 62 percent to 38 percent in the period.

“The data show that younger Americans are making a little more money and feeling less financial pressure,” said Loretta Abrams, vice president of consumer affairs, HSBC bank of North America, whose consumer advocacy group conducted the survey. “But they haven?t made the next step of becoming effective financial planners.”