WebProNews

Financial news Web sites attracted more that 64 million U.S. visitors in May, an increase of 35 percent over a year ago according to comScore.

Leading the category in May was Yahoo Finance with 18.5 million visitors, up 58 percent over the previous year, trailed by AOL Money & Finance with 15.2 million visitors (up 48%) and MSN Money attracting 13.7 million visitors (up 13%). Forbes brought in 7 million visitors, an increase of 28 percent and Dow Jones & Company closely followed with 6.6 million visitors also up 28 percent.

The financial category had growth across all demographics. The number of visitors who were 50 and older grew 46 percent compared to a year ago, while visitors under 50 increased by 32 percent.

Above average growth was also seen in households earning at least $60,000 annually (40%), households with children (38%) and households with at least five people (57%).

"Current economic conditions -- including rising gas prices, general inflation concerns, housing troubles and stock market uncertainty - have Americans seeking to stay informed about the factors influencing their personal finances," said Jack Flanagan, comScore executive vice president.

"As a result, the financial news and research category has grown substantially during the past year, with strong visitor gains occurring at most sites."