Despite all of the personal pain and economic havoc of the financial crisis, at least it is teaching people to be responsible, once again, about their money, said Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave.

“People have been frightened. People have lost money. But in some ways, there is great hopefulness,” he said. “The fact that people are sobering up and learning important lessons and being more responsible for their money—that’s extremely positive.”

People are learning how to get back to basics and live within their means, and planning for retirement is uppermost among their concerns, Dychtwald said.

A survey that his firm conducted with Harris Interactive among 2,082 Americans between the ages of 21 and 84 found that 60% lost money in mutual funds, stocks or 401(k) plans in the past year, and, on average, they think it will take seven years to recoup those losses.

Eighty percent said they have learned important lessons about financial responsibility, and 70% plan to continue working in retirement.