2013 not a banner year for many Canadians: poll
by The Canadian Press
Online poll found that overall, 57 per cent of Canadians felt they were not any better off financially than they were a year ago
TORONTO—Sun Life Financial says 2013 wasn’t a great year financially for most Canadians.
An Ipsos Reid survey conducted in November for Sun Life found that, overall, 57 per cent of Canadians felt they were not any better off financially than they were a year ago.
Those feelings were even stronger among women and those aged 55 and older, with 61 per cent of both groups saying their financial position had not improved year-over-year.
On the flip side, 38 per cent of those surveyed did say their finances had improved compared with a year ago.
Albertans were most likely to say they felt better off, at 47 per cent, followed by those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, at 45 per cent, and Atlantic Canadians at 43 per cent.
Quebecers were least likely, with 63 per cent saying their financial position was no better than a year ago.
As it is, the survey found only 36 per cent of Canadians contribute to an RRSP, although that number rose to 50 per cent among those who felt their financial situation had improved.
The Ipsos Reid survey interviewed 1,239 Canadians online between Nov. 25 and Nov. 29. Online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
