Personal contact remains the overwhelming choice for how affluent investors choose to speak to advisors, says a survey charting the value of advice.

A clear majority of 1,064 affluent investors surveyed by John Hancock Financial say they are acting as partners of their advisors in taking final decisions about money, while very few seem to like modern, tech-driven communications as their main point of contact.

Almost 70 per cent of those surveyed by the firm said they adopt a partnership approach, while a quarter accept what their advisors recommend. In a result that may hearten industry practitioners – if not always quieten the skeptics – some 34 per cent of respondents said the value of their portfolios has risen “substantially” because of advisors’ recommendations.

The findings were drawn from the second quarter 2015 John Hancock Investor Sentiment Survey, a quarterly poll of affluent investors.  The survey measures investors' feelings about the current economic climate and their evaluations of what represents a good or bad investment given the current environment. The poll also asks consumers about their confidence in reaching key financial goals and likelihood of purchasing financial products and services.

Asked how they like to interact with their financial advisor, the most popular choice was on a face-to-face basis (70 per cent), while nearly as many indicated a desire for telephone contact. Very few cited text messaging (5 per cent), Skype/video chat (2per cent), and social media or podcasts (less than 0.5 per cent) as their communication preference.

The survey found that investors primarily look to advisors for a plan to manage their investments (70 per cent). Some two-thirds of investors work with an advisor to develop a retirement plan. Half of those surveyed said they look to their advisor to produce a comprehensive financial plan for major life events and goals. Only 20 per cent of investors say their advisors made recommendations or a plan to deal with the risk of death, disability, critical illness or other risks.

Some 30 per cent of investors say more in-person interaction would improve their client experience. Nearly 20 per cent say that regular electronic updates about the account are a good way to improve this.

The online survey was conducted by the independent research firm Greenwald & Associates, and conducted betweeen May 11-22, 2015. Respondents were required to participate at least to some extent in their household's financial decision-making process, have a household income of at least $75,000 and assets of $100,000 or more.

John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife.