Survey: Majority of Middle-Income Canadians Not Interested in Using AI for Financial Advice

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 8, 2025--

Middle-income Canadians are signaling a strong preference for human financial guidance over artificial intelligence, according to the latest data from Primerica Canada’s Financial Security Monitor™ (FSM™) survey.

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Primerica Canada Financial Security Monitor™ (2025)  - Middle-income Canadians who worked with a financial professional demonstrated more skill and confidence across five basic financial tasks.

Despite the rapid growth of digital tools, the survey found 68% are not interested in using AI tools for personal financial tasks such as budgeting, saving, investing or retirement planning. This reluctance runs deeper than mere preference — it reflects broader trust concerns and apprehension that AI adoption aimed at providing financial guidance could have a negative impact on them.

“Middle-income Canadians are facing increasing financial pressure, and many are saving less as a result,” said John A. Adams, CEO of Primerica Canada. “The fact that most of these households prefer human advice over AI shows just how much they value trusted, personal guidance in challenging times.”

The survey also highlights broader anxiety around the economy, with inflation remaining the top financial concern for Canadians at all income levels. The majority (87%) of middle-income households worry about paying more for everyday essentials, and nearly three-quarters (71%) fear they won’t have enough money to retire when they want to.

At the same time, only 16% of middle-income Canadians are actively engaged in all five core financial preparedness behaviors, which include saving for the future and safeguarding their families through life insurance.

“The results demonstrate that access to trusted financial advice is more important than ever and securing it should be within reach of everyone,” Adams said. “No matter their income level, families can benefit from working with a licensed financial professional. Personalized guidance can help them build long-term financial habits, improve confidence and stay on track toward their goals.”

Key Findings from Primerica Canada’s Financial Security Monitor™ Survey

About Primerica Canada’s Financial Security Monitor™ (FSM™) Survey

Since 2020, the Canadian Financial Security Monitor™ survey has polled middle-income households across Canada to gain a clear picture of their financial situation. Using Dynamic Online Sampling, Change Research polled 909 adults nationwide in Canada, from July 10-15, 2025. Post-stratification weights were made on gender, age and province/territory region to reflect the population of these adults based on the 2016 Canadian Census. Polling was done in both English and French. The margin of error is +/-3.4 percentage points.

About Primerica Canada

Primerica Canada, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and a business unit of Primerica, Inc., is a leading provider of financial products and services to middle-income households in Canada. Independent licensed representatives, located in every province, provide financial education and products such as term life insurance, mutual funds and annuities to Primerica clients to better prepare them for a more secure financial future. We conduct our core business activities in Canada through two principal entities: Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada and PFSL Investments Canada Ltd. From coast to coast, Canadian families have more than $151 billion of life insurance coverage through Primerica Canada, and we administered more than $23 billion in Canadian assets as of December 31, 2024.

About Primerica, Inc.

Primerica, Inc., headquartered in Duluth, GA, is a leading provider of financial products and services to middle-income households in North America. Independent licensed representatives educate Primerica clients about how to better prepare for a more secure financial future by assessing their needs and providing appropriate solutions through term life insurance, which we underwrite, and mutual funds, annuities and other financial products, which we distribute primarily on behalf of third parties. We insured over 5.5 million lives and had approximately 3.0 million client investment accounts on December 31, 2024. Primerica, through its insurance company subsidiaries, was the #3 issuer of Term Life insurance coverage in the United States and Canada in 2024. Primerica stock is included in the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 1000 stock indices and is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRI”. For more information, visit www.primerica.com.

Primerica Canada Financial Security Monitor™ (2025) - Middle-income Canadians who worked with a financial professional demonstrated more skill and confidence across five basic financial tasks.

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)