Three quarters of non-retirees are concerned about the amount of debt they expect to carry into retirement, according to a new survey.

Consumers fear the impact of short-term financial problems more than long-term financial concerns, according to the 2009 Survey of Financial Values and Debt, sponsored by Securian Financial Group.

People are saving for emergencies and spending less, but they are not trimming their debt. Eighty-two percent are carrying non-mortgage debt, a figure that is virtually undiminished since Securian’s initial survey in 2007.

“Consumers are clutching cash and postponing debt reduction,” said Kerry Geurkink, director of individual annuity marketing for Securian Retirement, in a statement. “They are wisely adjusting their spending and borrowing, but the ultimate goal of debt-free retirement will be more difficult to achieve without a better balance between saving and debt reduction.”

One-fifth of baby boomers owe at least $50,000 in non-mortgage debt, a 10% increase from the 2007 survey results. Boomers were the only generation in the survey, which included Generations Y, X, and the Silent Generation, to add debt since 2007.