Financial wellbeing: Lasting benefits for people and organizations

Published on December 8, 2025

Did you know that 42% of Canadians cite financial concerns as their main source of stress?¹

This has direct repercussions for both individuals and organizations, including impacts on mental health, productivity and talent retention. I also observe that people often remain passive about saving and retirement, typically due to limited financial knowledge or tailored advice.

In my view, employers who provide financial education and personalized support through their group retirement savings plans can help their teams take charge of their financial health and improve quality of life.

Our white paper Financial wellbeing: Lasting benefits for people and organizations addresses these issues and explores key data, recommendations and proven solutions for integrating financial health into a total wellbeing strategy.

A strategic issue

As economic uncertainty persists, financial health is becoming a strategic issue for Canadian businesses. The data speaks for itself: nearly half (46%) of those experiencing financial stress spend an average of 3.5 hours per week managing it at work.² Over a year, this can amount to up to four weeks of lost productivity.

This impacts health, absenteeism and organizational performance. I therefore believe it is essential to consider financial wellbeing as a key pillar of organizational performance and global health.

Passivity toward saving

Many people remain passive about their financial health: they contribute to their group retirement savings plan, hope for the best and wait for retirement without actively managing it.

I believe this passivity stems mainly from limited financial literacy, group plan complexity and the absence of personalized advice. In 2023, 64% of employed Canadians did not fully understand their group retirement savings plan.³

In 2025, 36% of Canadian adults do not know how to access reliable financial advice, and 41% do not know how to improve their situation.⁴ This can prevent people from making the most of their group plan, leading to uninformed decisions, greater stress and inadequate retirement preparation.

The group plan, driver of financial literacy

Financial literacy empowers people to achieve autonomy and make informed decisions. We believe that organizations investing in financial education enable their teams to maximize their chances of reaching their financial goals.

Employers have a key role to play: they can support employees in managing savings and retirement, and 79% recognize the importance of integrating financial education into group plans⁵ :

• To maximize impact, I recommend integrating financial education into staff communications and offering workshops, interactive tools and personalized advice.
• An education team that offers guidance and information can help alleviate financial stress and foster talent retention and loyalty.

The benefits of personalized financial advice

I believe that financial advice specialists help people make sound choices, reduce stress and aim for lasting financial health.⁶

Personalized financial advice can help people improve their quality of life, boost their confidence and increase job satisfaction.⁷

In 2025, 74% of employed people worry about not saving enough, while 66% are concerned about their financial wellbeing.⁸ I believe that sound advice can turn a complex situation (such as buying a home or preparing for retirement) into a realistic and motivating plan.

Winning solutions

Integrating financial health into a total wellbeing strategy—alongside mental, physical and social health—is no longer optional: it is essential for any organization aiming for sustainability and excellence.

I believe that investing in financial health is a strategic decision with several advantages:

• Increasing productivity
• Reducing absenteeism and health costs
• Strengthening engagement and motivation
• Enhancing employer brand perception

I’ve observed that understanding and effectively using the group retirement savings plan also strengthens loyalty and engagement with the employer. In my view, the evidence is clear: financial wellbeing can reduce stress, increase satisfaction and loyalty, and lower staff turnover.

My recommendations

An approach focused on financial wellbeing, supported by greater financial literacy and personalized guidance, can turn passivity into engagement and optimize organizational performance.

Supporting financial literacy, investing in personalized solutions and measuring the impact of such initiatives on people’s engagement with their financial health make financial wellbeing a strategic advantage for organizations.

¹ Financial Stress Index | FP Canada 2025

² Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Infographic: calculating the cost of employee.

³ Retirement and Savings Institute, HEC Montréal: The State of Canadians’ Knowledge of Their Retirement Income System

⁴ Financial Stress Index | FP Canada 2025.

⁵ Benefits Canada : 2025 Employee Savings Summit

⁶ iA Financial Group: Financial advice: a key pillar of total wellbeing

⁷ Financial Planning Standards Board, 2023 : Value of Financial Planning Consumer Study, Global Report

⁸ Bloomberg : Personal finances: Canadian workers saving more but stress at work