A new survey has confirmed what every Canadian already feels in their gut: life under Mark Carney is getting harder, not easier.

Harris & Partners, a Licensed Insolvency Trustee firm, polled more than 1,200 Canadians about their finances. The results are brutal:

• 78.7% admit they’ve had to dip into savings more frequently than before

• 84.5% say they worry more about money now than they did in 2020

“These are not marginal changes. They point to a real erosion of the financial safety net,” said Joshua Harris, CEO of Harris & Partners. “When nearly four in five people are drawing down savings more often, it means emergency funds are being used for everyday costs. That is not sustainable for households or for the wider economy.”

In Carney’s Canada, savings aren’t for rainy days anymore — they’re being drained to cover rent, groceries, childcare, gas, and utilities. Families are eating through their emergency funds just to survive the month. 

The survey also shows that more than four in five Canadians are more anxious about money today than they were five years ago. That constant stress isn’t just about numbers on a balance sheet — it’s wrecking lives.

“Financial stress does not stay in a spreadsheet,” Harris said. “It shows up as burnout, loss of focus, and strain at home. People feel they are always one bill away from trouble.”

Harris & Partners says Canadians should prioritize bills, avoid high-interest debt traps, and reach out early for help.