News Release

Vancouver – Canadians, even those with investments, have trouble seeing themselves as “investors,” according to a new study commissioned by the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC). 

The survey revealed that less than one third (30 per cent) of Canadians think the term “investor” describes them well. Even among the two-thirds of Canadians who have an investment (any kind of savings beyond a savings account), only 40 per cent identify as investors.

“These results reveal a troubling disconnect between people’s image of themselves and their financial reality,” said Pamela McDonald, the BCSC’s Director of Communications and Education. “Anyone with investments is effectively an investor. If people don’t see themselves that way, there is a good chance they won’t do the things that investors should do, like assessing their tolerance for risk, developing investment goals and sticking to them, and looking at the fees they’re paying.”

The survey of over 2,900 Canadians showed that identifying – or not – as an investor has clear impacts on people’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Canadians investors who see themselves as such are more likely to say that they:

• Understand the risks and benefits of their current investments (88 per cent, compared to 62 per cent who don’t identify as investors)
• Know their investment goals and are on track to meet them (85 per cent, compared to 48 per cent who don’t identify as investors)
• Have a good understanding of fees and charges paid on investments (74 per cent, compared to 42 per cent who don’t identify as investors). 

Gender has a noticeable impact on whether a person’s comfort with the “investor” label: 47 per cent of men who have investments embrace the term, compared to 32 per cent of women with investments.

The size of a person’s portfolio also makes a big difference. Among those with portfolios of less than $50,000, 24 percent say “investor” describes them well. That compares with 50 per cent of those with portfolios between $100,000 and $250,000, and 70 per cent of those with portfolios over $500,000.

Identification as an investor varies by province, with Ontario and the Prairies having the highest percentages of investors who identify as such (42 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively) and the Atlantic provinces having the lowest (32 per cent). British Columbia was in the middle of the pack, with 37 per cent of investors saying “investor” describes them well.

Among investors in B.C., the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley region had the highest percentage of people identifying as investors (41 per cent), while the largely rural region of Interior and Northern B.C. had the lowest percentage (29 per cent).

“One obstacle to adopting an investor mind-set is knowing where to turn for help – in fact, 41 per cent of Canadians in our survey said they aren’t sure where to find independent information about different investments,” McDonald said. “The B.C. Securities Commission’s investor education website, InvestRight.org, is a great place to start. It provides advice, tips and tools to help people understand the importance of investing and how to do it right.”

The online survey was conducted by Innovative Research Group among a representative sample of Canadian and BC respondents from December 7 to December 28, 2018. A total of 2,915 Canadians aged 18 and over completed the survey, which included an oversample of 1,407 British Columbians. The results are weighted to a representative sample of 1,500 at the national level, and the B.C. oversample is weighted to a representative sample of 1,000. Weighting is based on age, gender and region using the latest available Census data to reflect actual demographic composition of the population. Complete methodology and results are available in the highlights report. 

About the British Columbia Securities Commission (www.bcsc.bc.ca)  

The British Columbia Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:  

• A securities market that is fair and warrants public confidence
• A dynamic and competitive securities industry that provides investment opportunities and access to capital

Media Contact:
Brian Kladko
604-899-6713

Public inquiries:
604-899-6854 or 1-800-373-6393 (toll free)
inquiries@bcsc.bc.ca

Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.investright.org