- One-third of Canadians were financially unprepared for the pandemic.
- Two-thirds who do not own a home worry about saving for one.
- More than three-quarters say their mental health has been impacted by COVID-19.
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More than a third of respondents (36 per cent) said they worry significantly about saving for a home, suggesting that many are getting priced out or on the verge of getting priced out of the market. Many Canadians are also concerned about supporting their children through post-secondary education (28 per cent) or saving for retirement (28 per cent).
On average, Canadians have been allocating nearly half of their income to essentials like food and housing since COVID-19 began, and 58 per cent of homeowners and 54 per cent of renters worry about making their payments.
"Debt can negatively impact mental health and leave Canadians feeling like their financial goals are unachievable. The pandemic has made that even more pronounced," said
A financially unprepared population
One-third (35 per cent) of Canadians admit they were financially unprepared for the pandemic. Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) acknowledge their financial situation has been impacted as a result of the pandemic and more than two-thirds (69 per cent) within that group say the impact has been overall negative. In fact, of those respondents, 42 per cent think it may take them over a year to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels.
One-quarter of Canadians are struggling to keep up with their bills. A staggering one in six Canadians have been laid off due to COVID-19, with equally as many saying they would have been laid off had it not been for the wage subsidy provided by the government.
A tale of two realities
The survey revealed a sharp disparity in terms of how the pandemic has impacted Canadians – some have flourished, while others have been left devastated – demonstrating evidence of a K-shaped recovery narrative. On the one hand, while Canadians, on average, appear to be saving more compared to a year ago (16 per cent of after-tax income, on avg. vs. 14 per cent in Fall 2019), almost one-in-four (24 per cent; +5 pts) have been saving zero per cent of their after-tax income compared to the same period last year. Within the indebted population there has been a significant increase in the proportion of those who say everyday living is the cause of their debt (24 per cent). This suggests that more Canadians who are in debt are struggling to make ends meet, even if less Canadians (27 per cent debt-free vs. 21 per cent in Fall 2019) are now in debt overall compared to a year ago.
Younger Canadians – aged 40 or under – from lower income households, especially those who have a mortgage or are in debt, appear to have been hit the hardest financially during the pandemic. Indeed, this group tends to be more likely to report that their financial situation or debt load has been severely impacted by the pandemic, are generally having more difficulty paying their bills due to the pandemic and are less likely to have been financially prepared for it.
Mental health and finance
Survey results show the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental well-being of Canadians. Almost half (46 per cent) of indebted Canadians say debt is having a negative effect on their mental health – a 10-point increase from two years ago. In fact, indebted Canadians are far more likely to note that their debt load is causing them stress (53 per cent; +5 pts) or keeping them up at night (35 per cent; +7 pts) compared to two years ago.
"The COVID-19 pandemic is causing many Canadians to experience higher levels of anxiety and fear. Debt is amplifying that, making us feel more vulnerable to uncertainty," said Dr. Georgia Pomaki, Leader,
Competing priorities can make it hard to manage your finances. Should you focus on managing cash flow for the short-term, focus on retirement contributions, or budgeting for a down payment on a house? Sorting out financial goals and identifying what matters most is a smart way to create an actionable financial plan.
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