WASHINGTON — American investors worry more about stock-market losses and depleting their nest eggs than losing their spouse or job, a survey by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority shows. Some 78% of American investors expressed anxiety about declines in their portfolios, while 71% worry about outliving their retirement savings, according to a survey of 1,334 people, the Washington-based brokerage regulator known as Finra said in a statement yesterday.

Only 67% of respondents expressed fear about losing a spouse, either through death or divorce, giving roughly equal concern to being defrauded, the survey showed. Fifty percent said they worry about losing their job.

The survey, conducted in June, highlights Americans’ apprehension about finances as subprime mortgage defaults and rising borrowing costs began to take their toll on American stocks, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index down more than 4% since the start of that month. The findings also show how people can ease their anxiety by checking the background of financial advisers and avoiding unnecessarily risky bets, Finra said.

“This survey drives home the point that everyone must do more to help people to become better informed about investing,” Finra Chief Executive Officer Mary Schapiro said in the statement. “Regulators, the industry, and investors must make investor education a priority.”

One in 12 respondents said they have lost money because they were misled or defrauded, and of those, only a “small number” reported the problem to authorities, Finra said.