Canadians remain skeptical of financial influencers amid ongoing economic uncertainty

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Despite the rise of financial influencers, known as “finfluencers” offering advice on social media, Canadians continue to place far greater trust in professional guidance when making important money decisions, according to Primerica Canada’s latest Financial Security Monitor™ (FSM™) survey.

The survey finds that 85% of Canadians do not trust financial advice from finfluencers and 71% would not consider turning to them for such guidance.

“When it comes to protecting their financial future, Canadians are making it clear that they still value trusted, professional guidance over advice on social media,” said John A. Adams, CEO of Primerica Canada. “At a time when many families are feeling pressure from rising costs and economic uncertainty, people want credible information and real conversations they can trust.”

Canadians also remain skeptical about using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to manage their personal finances, the survey finds. More than three-quarters (76%) say they are not interested in using platforms like ChatGPT to help with budgeting, saving, investing or retirement planning. An even larger share – 79% — say they would choose human financial advice over AI or finfluencers when making financial decisions.

“Technology can be helpful, but Canadians continue to value the human side of financial guidance,” Adams said. “Financial decisions are personal, emotional and often tied to major life goals. People still want someone they trust helping them navigate those moments.”

Key findings from the 2026 Primerica Canada Financial Security Monitor™ survey:

• Canadians trust professional guidance. Professional financial advisors rank highest in trust for personal financial advice (60%), ahead of family members (49%), bank staff (37%) and friends (32%).
• Inflation and personal health concerns continue to weigh heavily. Nearly six in 10 Canadians (59%) cite inflation as a top concern, while 51% worry about getting sick or injured, and the same percentage are concerned about paying for groceries. Nearly half (49%) fear another major economic recession.
• Canadians remain pessimistic about the future. Six in 10 respondents (60%) say their personal financial situation has worsened over the past 12 months. More than three-quarters (76%) expect their financial situation to either stay the same or worsen over the next year. Canadians also express strongly negative views about the economy nationally (76%) and within their province or territory (78%).
• Canadians want access to trusted financial help. Eighty-one percent say everyone should have access to a professional financial advisor. At the same time, 60% believe there is too much complexity and red tape involved in financial transactions, while nearly half (49%) feel financial advice is too expensive.

“It’s clear that many Canadians continue to feel financial stress tied to rising costs and uncertainty about the future,” Adams said. “That makes access to trusted financial education and guidance more important than ever.”

About Primerica Canada’s Financial Security Monitor™ Survey

Polling was conducted online from April 5-8, 2026. Using Dynamic Online Sampling, Change Research polled 909 adults nationwide in Canada. Post-stratification weights were made on gender, educational attainment, age, and province/territory region to reflect the population of these adults based on the 2021 Canadian Census. Interviewing was done in both English and French. The margin of error is 3.2 percentage points.

About Primerica Canada

Primerica Canada, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and a business unit of Primerica, Inc., is a leading diversified financial services distribution company serving to middle-income households in Canada. Independent licensed representatives, located in every province, provide financial education and products such as term life insurance, mutual funds and annuities to Primerica clients to better prepare them for a more secure financial future. We conduct our core business activities in Canada through two principal entities: Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada and PFSL Investments Canada Ltd. From coast to coast, Canadian families have more than C$157 billion of life insurance coverage through Primerica Canada, and we administered more than C$27 billion in Canadian assets as of December 31, 2025.

About Primerica, Inc.

Primerica, Inc. is a leading diversified financial services distribution company serving middle-income households in the United States and Canada. Our licensed representatives educate families on how to prepare for a more secure financial future and help them achieve their financial goals with our term life insurance and third-party mutual funds, managed accounts, annuities, loans and other financial products. We insured over 5.5 million lives and had approximately 3.1 million client investment accounts as of December 31, 2025. Through our life insurance subsidiaries in North America, in 2025 Primerica was the #3 issuer of term life insurance, which we largely reinsure. Primerica stock is included in the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 1000 stock indices and is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRI”. We are headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

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Source: Primerica, Inc.