A new Scotiabank study on how the slow economic recovery is influencing Canadians' investment strategies indicates investors are increasingly holding savings in registered accounts.

Two-in-five investors surveyed - or about 40 per cent - say they are holding all of their savings in a registered plan.

That compared with 29 per cent of respondents surveyed last year who said all of their savings were in registered accounts.

Scotiabank says the increase is driven by a 14 per cent decrease in investors who use both registered and non-registered savings.

Wealth adviser Andrew Pyle says the shift toward registered investments is not surprising after many Canadians experienced sharp portfolio losses last year.

He says many are taking advantage of the tax benefits of registered accounts to help restore their nest eggs.