Affluent retirees are expressing significantly lower levels of financial comfort, greater concern about further market declines, and higher interest in guaranteed income streams for retirement than they did last August, according to a new survey.

The survey, by MFS Investment Management’s retirement research on affluent retirees, was conducted in the wake of recent sharp market declines.

The market decline that began to accelerate in September had a clear impact on respondents’ concerns about their financial future, regrets about risky investments, and priorities in selecting investments going forward, according to the study.

While the market decline brought to light certain changes in retiree attitudes, respondents in both flights of the survey in summer and fall consistently expressed higher levels of satisfaction, comfort and optimism if they had a detailed retirement savings and income plan than those respondents who did not. Those who retired involuntarily and who had debt when they retired were far more likely to respond that they found retirement less satisfying than they had expected, according to the annual survey of this market segment.

The survey was conducted among a sample of retirees aged 55 to 75, who use a financial advisor, who retired in 2003 or earlier, and who had $500,000 or more in household investable assets, including retirement funds.