Americans feeling less financially stable than they were last year

According to a recently released study, some Americans are not feeling very financially stable. 

"Despite a slight rise over the past month, Americans are still feeling less financially secure than one year ago, according to new research released today by Bankrate.com," company spokesman Ted Rossman said in an email. "This is the 19th time in the past 21 months that financial security is seen as negative."

There are five measures of the financial security index—job security, savings, debt, net worth and overall financial situation—and all rose this month, but not enough to push the index into positive numbers, according to the report. 

Readings less than 100 on the index indicate that Americans feel less secure financially than they did a year ago. 

The overall reading did improve from 97.9 to 99, according to Bankrate. 

"The stock market hitting a three-month high, a better than expected July jobs report and verbal assurance from the president of the European Central Bank that they’ll do ‘whatever it takes’ to preserve the Euro all resonated with American consumers in the 10 days preceding the polling in early August," Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst, said in a prepared statement. "All five components of the Financial Security Index—job security, savings, debt, net worth and overall financial situation—rose this month, but that was not enough to tip the index back into positive territory."

Fast facts from the survey
The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. 

—Households with the highest incomes of $75,000 a year or more reported the lowest job security in the overall population.

—Only 21 percent of high-income households reported feeling better about their financial situation than they did a year ago.

—Twenty-six percent of all households are feeling better financially than they did this time last year. 

—Only 18 percent of working Americans are saving more this year than they did last year for retirement. That number was 15 percent last year. 

—Nine percent of Americans say they haven't put any money in their retirement savings this year or last year. That is up from 6 percent last year.