The context: Rising costs, growing strain

The cost of living continues to climb in 2025, with higher expenses for shelter, food and debt servicing weighing heavily on Canadians:

• Rent prices have risen 4.8 per cent year over year¹ and mortgage holders renewing in 2025 or 2026 are potentially facing increases of 15-20 per cent.²
• Consumers are paying 4 per cent more year over year for food purchased from stores, with staples such as fresh or frozen beef and coffee contributing to the acceleration.¹
• Household debt-to-income stands at 174.9 per cent,³ leaving families vulnerable despite the 
Bank of Canada’s September 2025 rate cut.
• Headline inflation sits at 2.4 per cent,¹ while families continue to make substitutions and trade-offs in their daily lives.
• Globally, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that year-on-year inflation has increased to 4.1 per cent.⁴

Ultimately, Canada’s hourly wage growth of roughly 3.2–3.3 per cent (as of September 2025) is only modestly outpacing the country’s reported inflation, offering households little relief.5 The message is clear: while inflation may have “stabilized” on paper, for many, the pressure hasn’t eased.

Where advisors can make a difference 

This environment lends renewed urgency to November’s annual Financial Literacy Month (FLM). While banks and institutions often mark this month with generic tips or broad awareness campaigns, advisors can take it a step further, transforming financial stress into literacy-driven engagement.

Families need more than data; they need clarity. They need help connecting macroeconomic pressures 
to their real-world choices, such as their budgets, renewals and cash flow.

For advisors, this is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and deepen relevance in your clients’ financial lives.

How to make this Financial Literacy Month count

Advisors can stand apart by adjusting FLM from being a one-off campaign into a relationship-deepening strategy that builds trust and long-term dividends:

	Make literacy personal a) Host “Family Huddles”: Invite clients and their family members to 30-minute sessions focused on daily trade-offs and long-term stability. b) Build a “Who to call” list: Guide clients in identifying gaps in wills, beneficiaries or renewals. c) Translate the Consumer Price Index (CPI) into real life: Help clients connect inflation figures to real costs they feel everyday–from grocery bills to mortgage renewals and debt repayment timelines.
	Engage the next generation By inviting a client’s children to a session, you can spark age-appropriate conversations that build early financial confidence: a) Children (9–13): Saving vs. spending activities. b) Teens (14–18): Debit vs. credit, fraud awareness. c) Young adults (19–25): Budgeting independence, credit building, starting investments.
	Offer tangible takeaways Give your clients something to walk away with: a) Family money binder: Include account details, beneficiaries, a will checklist, emergency contacts and any other materials you think will add value, all stored in one convenient location. b) One-pagers: Provide simple, visual resources. That could be saving charts for kids, credit guides for teens and debt calculators for adults. c) Follow-up campaigns: Use email recaps to link relevant tools and invite families to book additional one-on-one planning sessions.
	Lead the conversation a) Host FLM seminars/webinars: Structure sessions with 15 minutes of educational background, 30 minutes of breakout discussions and 15 minutes for Q&A. Close with a clear call to action. b) Partner with fund companies to extend reach and enhance credibility. c) Leverage the FinancialConsumer Agency of Canada’s resources, complement your social media posts with official hashtags (#FLM2025, #TalkMoney) and co-branded visuals.

The business case for investing in Financial Literacy Month

Why is it worth it?

1. Client loyalty: When advisors link financial literacy to their clients’ real experiences, they demonstrate relevance that extends beyond investment returns.
2. Continuity: Engaging spouses and next-gen today safeguards future relationships, especially important throughout Canada’s $1-trillion wealth transfer.⁶
3. Competitive edge: Instead of publishing generic tips, advisors can lead with personalized, 
practice-focused insight.

Engaging with FLM is more than just joining a national campaign to elevate the financial health of Canadians; it’s about leveraging the moment to build deeper relationships, improve retention and drive long-term practice management growth.

Call the play, lead the field

This November, don’t just talk about financial literacy. Activate it in your practice.

Every conversation isn’t just about literacy; it’s about strengthening relationships and positioning you and your practice as the go-to trusted advisor and financial quarterback.

 

¹ Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index, September 2025. 
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251021/dq251021a-eng.htm

²Bank of Canada, How will mortgage payments change at renewal? An updated analysis. 
https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2025/07/staff-analytical-note-2025-21

³ Statistics Canada, National balance sheet and financial flow accounts, second quarter 2025. 
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250911/dq250911a-eng.htm

⁴ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD headline inflation stable at 4.1% in August 2025 despite rising food and energy prices, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/insights/statistical-releases/2025/10/consumer-prices-oecd-updated-6-october-2025.html

⁵ Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, September 2025, 
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251010/dq251010a-eng.htm

⁶ Financial Post, Posthaste: Are you ready for the great wealth transfer? Many Canadians aren’t, 
https://financialpost.com/news/posthaste-the-great-wealth-transfer-canadians