2026 IG Wealth Management Financial Confidence Index: Stable Confidence Masks Divide Among Canadians

• Financial confidence holds steady from 2025
• However, nearly half of Canadians say expenses are rising faster than income, highlighting growing differences in household financial well-being
• 57% say human advice is becoming more important in age of AI and given pace of change

WINNIPEG, MB, Nov. 3, 2026 /CNW/ -- According to the ninth annual IG Wealth Management Financial Confidence Index ("The Index") Canadians' financial confidence has held steady, with The Index remaining at 52, matching the 2025 score. However, beneath the national score lie concerns centered around affordability and a resulting divide between Canadians actively building financial security and those facing increasing pressures.

Conducted by Ipsos on behalf of IG, the Index measures Canadians' financial confidence across four dimensions: Current Finances, Future Outlook, Planning and Literacy, and Trust in the Economy. Trust in the Economy rose to 42 from 39, driven by lower economic pessimism. Further, the share of Canadians expecting the economy to decline fell to 46% from 54% in 2025. Confidence also remained resilient among several traditionally lower-scoring groups. For example, women's confidence remained unchanged at 50, while confidence among Quebec residents increased to 56 from 53 in 2025.

Affordability Pressures Emerging as a Key Concern

However, beneath the seeming stability of Canadians' overall financial confidence, the study revealed that significant concerns exist around affordability:   

• Nearly half (47%) say their expenses are rising faster than their income.
• A clear majority (58%) would need to borrow money or draw on savings to cover an unexpected $2,000 expense.
• More than half (55%) report they could only maintain their standard of living for six months or less if they lost their primary source of income.
• Further, for the third consecutive year, the rising cost of food remains Canadians' top affordability concern, with one-third (33%) identifying it as a leading source of financial pressure.

"The national confidence score only tells part of the story," said Damon Murchison, President and CEO of IGM Financial and IG Wealth Management. "While overall confidence has remained relatively stable over the last year, affordability challenges continue to hold some Canadians back. These findings reinforce the importance of financial planning to help Canadians in areas such as budgeting, debt management and tax strategy so that they can keep more of the money they earn."

Who is Thriving and Who is Struggling?

The Index identified the profiles of Canadians who generally feel they are making progress in the current environment or report that they are struggling:

• Making Progress (67% of all Canadians): This group consists of those "Thriving" (financially secure/confident in their ability to achieve their goals) and "Upwardly Mobile" (report progress in achieving their goals).
• Struggling (26%): This group includes those who feel "Strained" (facing significant affordability challenges and report feeling vulnerable) as well as "Anxious Affluents" (higher income but experiencing financial stress).

Canadians Continue to Value Human Advice as a Source of Confidence

The study also found that more than half of Canadians (57%) say human financial advice is becoming more important in the age of AI and that professional financial advice is important "now more than ever" given the pace of change in the world.

"Canadians don't have to navigate macroeconomic change and global uncertainty on their own," said Mr. Murchison. "The findings in this year's Index underscore why planning and professional advice remain essential tools for building confidence and resilience."

About IG Wealth Management

Founded in 1926, IG Wealth Management is a Canadian leader in delivering financial planning with approximately $178.0 billion in assets under advisement as of September 30, 2026. For more than 95 years, IG has been focused on improving the financial well-being of Canadians so they can confidently embrace all of life's possibilities. Through a network of advisors located across the country, IG provides approximately one million clients with personalized advice, comprehensive financial planning, insurance and mortgage services and professionally managed investment solutions. IG is a member of IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM), part of the Power Corporation group of companies and one of Canada's leading diversified wealth and asset management organizations with approximately $345.7 billion in total assets under management and advisement as of September 30, 2026. For more information, visit ig.ca.

About the IG Financial Confidence Index

The 2026 results are based on an Ipsos survey of 2,000 Canadian adults conducted August 11 to August 25, 2026. A total sample of 2,000 respondents from across Canada participated in the survey. Weighting was applied to the total sample by age, gender, region and education level to ensure that the composition of the final sample is representative of Canada's adult population according to the latest census data from Statistics Canada. This survey has a credibility interval of +/- 2.5 per cent 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all Canadian adults 18+ been surveyed.

SOURCE IG Wealth Management

Media Inquiries: Laura Butcher, 416-816-5759, [email protected]