New Purpose Unlimited research reveals Canadians are more financially ambitious than the system they’ve been handed

Inaugural Canadian Momentum Project (CMP) uncovers major experience mismatch; almost 7 in 10 everyday Canadians want active and open wealth creation, but legacy friction holds back investors and advisors.

TORONTO, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Are Canadians the cautious investors that the stereotype would have us believe? Or are they ready to go beyond the default options and play a more active role in creating their own wealth? According to data in the inaugural Canadian Momentum Project (CMP), released today by Purpose Unlimited (Purpose), it’s the latter: Canadians are eager to seize new opportunities. It’s the default system for growing wealth that holds them back.

Developed in partnership with YouGov and PMG Intelligence, the landmark report surveyed nearly 1,500 Canadians and wealth advisors to measure how well investors’ needs are being met and identify friction that’s preventing them from realizing their financial ambitions. This study, the first in an annual series, will establish a baseline for measuring wealth momentum in Canada.

The CMP uncovered a cultural shift among investors: Nearly 70 per cent of everyday Canadians surveyed are eager to take an active part in growing their wealth. Yet 47 per cent feel that acting on promising opportunities is too difficult with their current tools and services.

Canadian advisors feel significant friction from the system, too. Fifty-six per cent of them usually (if not always) face obstacles when they help clients, including administrative burdens, relying on overly technical investment information, or product shelf limitations at their firms.

“For years, Canadians got used to a system that was static: One that protected what they had rather than inspiring them to dream bigger,” said Som Seif, CEO, Purpose. “What the study shows is that we want a more active part in deciding our future. What's missing is a system built to meet that. It should start with the person, give them real tools and agency, and put a capable partner beside them. This is a story about potential waiting to be met.”

The Canadian ambition story: Key insights

• Canadians want clarity about what’s right for them: 67 per cent of everyday Canadians say it’s important to know which wealth opportunities fit their situation. But today, just 37 per cent believe they do.
• Canadians want to act on their conviction: 64 per cent of everyday Canadians would invest and do more with their wealth if the system were clearer, simpler and easier to act on.
• Canadians want to stay curious: 67 per cent of everyday Canadians want to learn about different ways to grow their wealth, with that percentage climbing to 78 per cent for high-net-worth investors.
• Canadians haven’t given up on the long run: Three-quarters of everyday Canadians (75 per cent) want strategies to make their money last longer, and 73 per cent want tools that help them adjust their plans as life evolves.

The advisor experience: Strengths and opportunities 

More than three in five everyday Canadians say long-term planning is important to building their wealth. Advisors agree, and they care about getting the plan right. But planning is hard to do at scale, and once the work moves to portfolio construction, the plan rarely comes with it. The products advisors select aren’t always designed around the plan, so as a client's life evolves, the plan and the portfolio drift apart.

The CMP identifies other areas where advisors are eager to evolve, including:

• A toolkit that keeps up with their clients. 63 per cent say clients regularly require more support than existing tools provide. Meanwhile, advisors’ confidence sits at 87 per cent for traditional investments but falls to 18 per cent for private markets and 12 per cent for digital and emerging assets.
• Leading with fit, not product. What do advisors most want help with? For two out of three, it’s identifying the best fit for individual clients, with 43 per cent saying it’s difficult to create that tailored advice for each client.
• Advisors already believe in the importance of the plan. 89 per cent say financial planning and plan creation are important, and 78 per cent say those needs are being met — the narrowest gap of any dimension measured in the study.

To better support advisors, Purpose is advocating for an industry-wide shift from a product-first model to a person-first model. Such a system prioritizes new tools, including personalized portfolios and AI input, to give advisors greater fluency in unfamiliar products. The survey showed that advisors want and need new tools, as well as more agency to help clients achieve their goals.

Evaluating Canadian ambition

To quantify Canadians’ progress toward playing a more active role in building their wealth, the study devised the Canadian Momentum Score. As detailed in the full report, the Score gauges Canadians’ Readiness and Conviction through Canadians’ reported willingness to embrace new ways of wealth creation and measures this against the friction slowing down their progress. The Score is a number from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating higher momentum.

The survey divided respondents into two groups. Everyday Canadians, from all stages of the investment cycle, were found to have a Score of 68.6: They’re ready to build wealth on their own terms, but are moving slower than they’d like because of the friction they encounter, such as technical and unclear language.

The second group, high-net-worth investors (who have more than $1 million in investable assets), scored slightly lower, at 65.8. They’re confident making investment decisions; their key frictions are speed and access. They can struggle to act before an opportunity window closes. 

Evolving to a wealth system that puts the person first

With all of the above findings in mind, Seif said: "Canada is stepping into an age of building again, and Canadians deserve a financial system built to meet their ambitions. We are committing ourselves to building that future, and we call on industry peers and regulators to join us with the urgency this moment demands."

To download the full CMP research, visit Purpose.ca/Momentum.

About the Canadian Momentum Project (CMP) Methodology
Purpose Unlimited (Purpose) conducted three national research studies in early 2026 to explore the drivers of wealth creation among Canadians. The studies were executed in partnership with YouGov (everyday Canadians and high-net-worth investors) and PMG Intelligence, an Ontario-based market research and data science firm (Canadian advisors). In total, 1,453 respondents were surveyed across three independently sampled audiences: everyday Canadians (n=1,004), high-net-worth investors (n=314), and Canadian advisors (n=135). Everyday Canadian results are weighted by age, gender, and region to reflect the composition of the Canadian adult population. The high-net-worth investor and Canadian advisor samples are purpose-built, non-probability samples designed to represent their respective populations and are not weighted or combined with the general population sample. The everyday Canadian and high-net-worth surveys ran 22 and 21 minutes respectively. The advisor survey was administered online by PMG Intelligence.

The everyday Canadians (n=1,004) segment was open to Canadian residents aged 18+ with no income or asset threshold required to qualify; investable assets were self-reported, while household income was not asked of this segment. Fieldwork ran between February 18th to March 9th, 2026. Statistical significance testing is conducted at a 95% confidence level. Within this survey, we oversampled for Mass Affluent (n=494; Definition: Currently work with a financial advisor or planner and have $50K-$999K in investable assets), Aspiring Investors (n=187; Definition: Wants to start investing but have not yet done so), DIY Investors (n=493; Definition: Either traded stocks, shares or other investments using an online investment platform or opened/have a self-directed brokerage account), and Hybrid Investors (n=326; Definition: Either traded stocks, shares or other investments using an online investment platform OR opened/have a self-directed brokerage account AND currently work with a financial advisor or planner). Oversampled segments are not mutually exclusive as respondents may qualify for more than one.

The high-net-worth investors (n=314) segment required respondents to be currently working with a financial advisor or planner and reporting a minimum of $1,000,000 in investable assets. Fieldwork ran from February 18th to March 9th, 2026. Statistical significance testing is conducted at a 95% confidence level.

Canadian advisor respondents (n=135) were based on active licensing and registration across categories and firm types, including CIRO, MGA, and provincial insurance regulators such as FSRA/FICOM/FCAA, while explicitly excluding advisors contracted to exclusively sell a single investment or insurance company’s products. Fieldwork ran in Spring 2026.

About Purpose
Purpose Unlimited Inc. (Purpose) is a Canadian financial services company built on one belief: Wealth creation belongs to everyone. Purpose seeks to give advisors, investors, and entrepreneurs the tools, clarity and confidence to step into the centre of their own financial future, rather than wait on the sidelines of someone else’s system. Our business spans asset and wealth management and small business financing, including Purpose Investments Inc., Purpose Advisor Solutions Inc., Steadyhand Investment Funds Inc., Harness Investment Management Inc., Driven Financial Technologies Corporation and Foundation Wealth Partners LP.

Media Contact:
Keera Hart
Keera.Hart@earnscliffe.ca
905-580-1257