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That's the bad news. The good news is that, when they think about solutions to their financial problems, Americans choose financial planning as their top solution.

Twenty-seven percent of respondents said that having a financial plan would be the most help in reducing that money-oriented stress, while the younger folk — that most-worried group mentioned above — are most likely to choose planning, at 35 percent. 

Twenty-two percent of respondents said that knowing more about specific areas of finance would cut their stress levels; 14 percent said if they were more knowledgeable about their own finances they'd feel better; and 12 percent said having more time to focus on money matters was the key for them. 

So why were respondents so stressed about money? Lots of triggers, as you imagine.

Debt was a big one, at 23 percent; so were everyday expenses (21 percent). Health expenses stressed out 14 percent, while retirement did the job for 13 percent.

The latter two answers depended heavily on the age of the respondent, with people 65 and older being more stressed about health expenses (22 percent) and younger folks (ages 18-24) focused most of their anxiety on the high cost of education (24 percent). 

Then of course there's the matter of timing. While 54 percent reported feeling financial stress at specific times, those times varied.

Tax-preparation season is a cause of stress for 11 percent — it is only once a year, after all, although the stress may be intense — while the most common time factor is the time of month when bills are due (24 percent).

Then there's the holiday season, with its pressure to spend, spend, spend (15 percent). But, perhaps, worst of all, a quarter of Americans are stressed all the time about money.