Financial Resilience Institute

June 3, 2026 · 5 mins

Financial Resilience Institute Strengthens the Case for Financial Planning as a Pathway to Improved Financial Resilience Outcomes

Financial Resilience Institute has released evidence that builds on its landmark July 2023 report, ‘Financial Planning as a Pathway to Improved Financial Resilience’, providing fresh data and analytics that further demonstrate the positive relationship between financial planning and improved financial resilience outcomes.

 

VANCOUVER, B.C. June 2, 2026/CNW – Financial Resilience Institute, a leading authority on financial resilience and well-being in Canada and globally, publishes the ‘Financial Planning: A Catalyst to Improved Financial Resilience and Financial Well-Being’ report’ (June 2026).

Levering the Institute’s peer-reviewed Financial Health and Resilience Index Model as a community asset for good. This report leads the way to bring robust, independent, longitudinal data, Financial Health and Resilience Index Model analytics and evidence to support advocacy and systemic change.

The key objective of the February 2026 Study, leveraging the Institute’s Financial Health and Resilience Index model and February 2026 Financial Well-Being Studies was to confirm and validate, as a follow-up to our July 2023 Index analytics and report, if there is an association between Canadian households working with a financial planner and improved financial resilience outcomes, across all household income demographics.

For policy makers, this report helps support advocacy and decision-making with relation to the development of government supported engagements with financial planning professionals designed to help low and middle-income Canadians to access an affordable first financial plan, along with follow-up support to implement and adjust it. This data and evidence are also valuable for financial institutions and other organizations focused on the financial resilience and financial well-being of their customers, employees or communities.

Key findings from this study:

1. Planning ahead financially for upcoming and unexpected expenses or to save for long-term goals measurably contributes to households’ financial resilience

Planning ahead financially for upcoming or unexpected expenses or to save for long-term goals as a financial behaviour measurably contributes to households’ financial resilience, based on the Institute’s peer-reviewed Financial Health and Resilience Index model. This builds on our analytics of the peer-reviewed Financial Health and Resilience Index model over several years, with this a key index indicator.

While the Canada Mean Financial Health and Resilience Score, measuring households’ financial health and resilience at the national level, is 53.34 as of February 2026, households that report they are planning ahead financially have significantly improved financial resilience outcomes compared to households that are not planning ahead financially. As of February 2026, 52% of households that report they are planning ahead financially for upcoming or unexpected expenses or to save for their long-term goals. These same households are ‘Approaching Resilience’ and have a mean financial health and resilience score of 65.9 as of February 2026, with this more than double the mean financial health and resilience score of households that report they are not planning ahead financially (31.9). The delta between the two segments is a highly significant 34 Index points based on the February 2026 Financial Health and Resilience Index model.

2. Working with a financial planner contributes to improved financial resilience outcomes across all household income demographics

There is a clear association between households working with a financial planner and improved financial resilience outcomes for Canadians across all household income demographics, based on the February 2026 Index analytics. This builds on the Institute’s independent, robust February 2023 Index analytics ‘Financial Planner as a Pathway to Improved Financial Resilience’ Report, published in July 2023 and made possible thanks to the support of FP Canada™ and the Institute of Financial Planning (formerly IQPF). 

The delta between the mean financial health and resilience score for households working with a financial planner compared to not working with one has increased from 11.5 Index points in February 2023 to 13.3 Index points in February 2026. Households working with a financial planner score higher across seven of the nine Index indicators. The liquid savings buffer indicator; the level of confidence in one’s ability to meet their short terms savings goals indicator and the financial stress over current and future financial obligations indicator are also higher for households working with a financial planner in February 2026 compared to three years ago.

3. Households living with low-incomes working with a financial planner have improved financial resilience outcomes: with this even more the case compared to three years ago

Households with a total household income under $49,999 and working with a financial planner have a mean financial health and resilience score of 53.0 as of February 2026 compared to 38.8 for households of a similar income not working with a financial planner. The delta between the mean financial health and resilience score of Canadians living with low incomes that are working with a financial planner and those with low incomes that not working with a financial planner has increased in the past three years from 9.7 Index points to 14.2 Index points.

This data indicates that there may potentially be a greater benefit or ‘lift’ for Canadians’ financial resilience for people living with low incomes compared to previously, that may potentially receive support in accessing support from a financial planner in some way. This could be provided through, for example, a tax credit for affordable financial planning support or through other enablers or supports.

4. Not only working with a financial planner, but creating and adjusting a financial plan over the past twelve months contributes to improved household financial resilience outcomes

Households that are not only working with a financial planner, but that have also created or updated their financial plan over the past 12 months have improved financial resilience outcomes compared to those working with a financial planner. This builds on similar analytics conducted by the Institute in our ‘Financial Planning as a Pathway’ report.While the mean financial health and resilience score of households working with a financial planner is 62.5 as of February 2026, households working with a financial planner that have also updated their financial plan in the past 12 months have a mean financial health and resilience score of 64.7. This is 8 Index points higher than those with those working with a financial planner that have not created or updated their financial plan as of February 2026 (56.7).

The Institute’s Index analytics validate that helping Canadians overall to create and update even a simple financial plan is positive in terms of helping to drive positive financial resilience outcomes.

5. Households working with a financial planner have higher levels of financial well-being and overall personal well-being

Households overall working with a financial planner have higher levels of financial well-being and overall personal well-being. This is based on the Institute’s open-source, subjective Financial Well-Being Index Model and Toolkit, linked to an overall personal well-being score, with this released in the fall of 2025 for financial well-being focused organizations and leaders in Canada and globally.Additionally, Canadian households that report they have created or updated their financial plan over the past 12 months also report slightly higher levels of financial well-being and overall personal well-being compared to those who have not done this.

This data and report are being provided to Policymakers, our partner FP Canada, financial services and wealth providers and the wider ecosystem to help drive positive change, in line with our non-profits vision and impact goals to help improve financial resilience, health and well-being for all.

About Financial Resilience Institute and the Financial Health and Resilience Index Model

Financial Resilience Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the financial resilience and well-being of Canadians and global citizens. It is a leading independent authority on financial resilience and financial well-being in Canada in globally.

The Institute’s peer-reviewed Financial Health and Resilience Index model measures household financial resilience, defined as a household’s ability to get through financial hardship, stressors and shocks as a result of unplanned life events.’ The financial resilience of Canadians is measured at the national, provincial, segment and individual household level across nine behavioural, sentiment and resilience indicators, with tracking three times a year since February 2023 and tracking building on the Index baseline since February 2020 (pre-pandemic).

February 2026 represents the Institute’s sixteenth Index release, based on the national Financial Well-Being Study, conducted with a sample size of 5429 adult Canadians from a representative sample of the population. This includes a sample size of 1793 households that report they are currently working with a financial planner.

In February 2026, survey respondents were asked if their household is working with a financial planner to help them plan ahead financially, with the Financial Resilience Institute conducting all analytics against its Financial Health and Resilience Index model.

Our independent reports published since 2017 confirm that financial vulnerability is a mainstream issue, spanning all household income demographics. Having a high salary does not translate to high financial resilience.

For further information or to request an interview regarding the Financial Resilience Institute’s latest findings, please contact:

Eloise Duncan, CEO and Founder: eloise@finresilienceinstitute.org

Seymour Financial Resilience Index® is a registered trademark used under license by FP Canada and the Financial Resilience Society. © 2026 Financial Resilience Society. All rights reserved.