FP Canada publishes the Financial Stress Index to gain valuable insights into factors causing Canadians financial stress and how Certified Financial Planner® professionals and Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ professionals are helping Canadians improve their financial well-being.

The 2024 Financial Stress Index revealed that for the seventh year, Canadians say money is their top source of stress.  However, Canadians are also prioritizing their financial health and feeling more hopeful about their financial futures than they did a year ago. 

Key Findings

The 2024 Financial Stress Index reveals that money continues to be the top stressor for Canadians (44%), steadily increasing from 2023 (40%) and 2022 (38%). The survey also found that:

  • Anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges continue to be the leading negative impacts on the lives of Canadians due financial stress (38%), rising slightly from the year prior (36%).
  • Nearly half report losing sleep because of financial worries (49%), remaining virtually unchanged from the year prior (48%).

Despite Canadians continuing to grapple with financial worries, there is a growing sense of optimism as they prioritize financial well-being with a renewed focus on financial self-care.  

  • Half of Canadians (50%) expressed increased optimism about their financial futures compared to 2023 (47%), despite experiencing higher stress levels. 
  • Over nine-in-ten (91%) are proactively embracing strategies to reduce financial stress and combat growing economic pressures. 

Year-over-year, the Financial Stress Index shows that working with a financial professional, such as a CFP® professional or a QAFP® professional, can help reduce money-related stress and inspire a more optimistic mindset, creating a sense of confidence and control on the path toward financial well-being. 

Canadians who work with a financial professional, such as a CFP professional or a QAFP professional, are 33% less likely to be stressed about money, and 23% less likely to have lost sleep about financial worries. 

Canadians who work with a financial professional are also more optimistic about their financial futures (56%) than those who don’t (48%). 

 

 

FP Canada Financial Stress Index infographic. Please click button to download accessible PDF

Consumer article – 4 Tips for Managing Debt in a Difficult Economy

Financial stress can feel overwhelming. This article on our consumer website outlines manageable steps Canadians can take towards achieving financial wellness, and the value of seeking advice from a CFP professional or QAFP professional.


 


Sample social media posts

Share these findings with your network and kick-start important conversations with current and prospective clients on social media. Download your 2024 Financial Stress Index social media posts for QAFP professionals and for CFP professionals.