People around the world would prefer to leave their perspective on life rather than money or property to their heirs, according to a new survey released today by HSBC Insurance.

According to the report, “The Future of Retirement Investing In Later Life,” less than 10% of respondents globally want to leave money to their heirs.

However, a full 60% of those surveyed said they want to leave behind their perspective on life. This preference for passing on human values rather than cash or property emerges across continents including Eurasia, Africa and the Americas. Also, the desire to ensure personal values were transferred was highest among women in the survey.

The study was done in conjunction with Oxford University’s Institute of Ageing and questioned 21,000 people in 21 countries.

“The study highlights a growing desire for people to be in control of their own future financial security and identifies an acceptance of the need for pragmatism to fund later life,” said Stephen Green, group chairman of HSBC.

When it comes to being prepared for retirement, the report revealed that only be a small proportion of people—mainly in Northern America and Europ—will be well prepared for later life.

In between the two extremes of preparedness is a significant group of pre-retirees, aged 40-60, that is optimistic and practical in their attitudes toward retirement but may not be able to meet their expectations of later life. But this group is still in a position to gain greater control over their retirement needs, according to the report.

Many in this group are also now seriously thinking about whether working longer is going to be a key strategy for the second half of their lives, the report adds.

The survey shows that in most transitional economies between 50% and 80% of people fear a lack of money in later life. In Europe and North America, however, the proportion fearing a lack of resources in their later years drops below 55%.

The study also shows that those dependent on a single source of retirement income run the greatest risk of being ill prepared.

In terms of the different sources of retirement income, the research shows that Europeans and Asians will broadly rely on savings, while North Americans will use stocks and shares. Meanwhile, people in Latin America will largely fund their retirement through annuities (Brazil) and assets (Mexico).

“There is a potentially ill-prepared generation, the so called ‘IP’ generation, of pragmatic pre-retirees whose expectations of retirement are in danger of not being met unless they stop and consider now the ways in which they need to plan for the second half of their lives,” said Clive Bannister, group managing director of HSBC Insurance.

“Our study reveals that attitudes toward retirement are changing, particularly how long we choose to work, in comparison with those already enjoying retirement. The current generations coming up to retirement, the ones who need to broaden their sources of retirement income, accept that governments may play less of a supporting role in the future and recognize that longer working lives may become a reality.”

According to HSBC, the report highlights the vulnerability of generations coming up to retirement.

“There is growing recognition of the importance of having a portfolio of support,” said Sarah Harper, director of the Oxford Institute of Ageing and joint author of the report. “Working longer is an acceptable solution to many healthy older men and women. In addition, people are increasingly looking to savings and assets to provide a better standard of late life income.”