The majority of Irish adults are putting off planning for their financial future, a new study commissioned by AIB has found.

The new research shows that 59% of people have never received financial planning services in the past, with a host of reasons cited for putting it off.

Of the 1,000 adults surveyed, 25% said they simply didn't have the time, while one in five admitted the perceived complexity of it deterred them from investigating further. Some 9% of people considered themselves to be "too young" to be looking for financial advice.

In lieu of the planning, some reoccurring back-up plans suggested there's a lot of blue-sky thinking going on.

Winning the lottery is what 41% of people are counting on, with 9% hoping their child turns out to be a money-making prodigy, 15% hoping to stumble upon a valuable antique, and 2% falling back on inheritance.

One in five people have good intentions, and are considering developing a personal financial plan – at some point.