"Sadly, Hispanics are far behind the curve when it comes to utilizing the principal vehicle for generating long-term wealth: the financial markets," wrote Alexander Jutkowitz, president of Westhill Partners, in a Poder magazine article announcing the results of a survey his company and the magazine did together.

The study revealed that only 22 percent of Hispanic-Americans

-- the nation's largest ethnic group -- invest in stocks or bonds and only 37 percent put their money in 401k or other pension plans. Only 13 percent of the poll's Hispanic respondents said they own mutual funds.

Just more than a third of all Hispanic-Americans are homeowners, but 68 percent of those who do not own homes said they plan to purchase one in the near future.

Besides investment habits, the survey shows Hispanics lagging behind the general population in computer ownership and access to the Internet.