A majority of young adults surveyed change their savings and spending habits after seeking financial advice, a TIAA-CREF study found.

For Gen Y respondents, defined by TIAA-CREF as adults younger than age 34, 71 percent were likely to monitor savings more closely and 66 percent were likely to change their spending habits after receiving financial advice.

“Professional advice can help you create a budget and strategy to gain financial independence and build security,” said Amy Podzius, a financial consultant at TIAA-CREF. “It’s important to remember that an early start can significantly help you save more over the long term.”

For every 10 years you delay saving, you’ll need to save three times as much to catch up, explained Podzius. If you contribute $1,000 per year into an IRA every year from age 20 to age 30, and contribute no more, at a 7 percent average annual return, your account will be worth $168,515 at age 65.

By comparison, if you start saving at age 30, you would need to contribute $1,000 per year for 35 years at the same average return to reach an account value of $147,914 at age 65, said Podzius

When it comes to financial planning, 61 percent of Gen Y respondents were most interested in interacting with an advisor online, compared with 45 percent of surveyed Americans overall.

The survey was conducted by KRC Research by phone among a national random sample of 1,000 adults age 18 years and older, between August and September 2013.