This is amplified by the fact that the actual consequences she faces as a decision maker will be harsher the more atypical her choices are.

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For example, connecting with a decision-maker can be easier via LinkedIn than with less-accessible direct company contacts.

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If a time comes when you must step into the decision-maker role, you will be much better prepared if you have a trusting relationship with those who are there to help preserve assets, manage them and offer you their expertise about your decisions.

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Mr. Wisniewski suggested this might be due to the type of decision maker within a company liable to have an Apple computer rather than a PC: "Executives and VPs are more likely to have Macs, " he said.

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To qualify for the survey, participants had to be at least 25 years old, and identify themselves as a financial decision maker for his or her household.

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These are legal proceedings where someone is appointed as a decision-maker over a person who is determined to be in need of protection, typically for being legally incompetent.

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