The evolution of wealth over the life cycle

Canadians accumulate wealth to deal with unforeseen circumstances, fund their children's education, invest in business opportunities and fund their retirement, among other reasons. Wealth is therefore a key indicator of household financial well-being. However, the financial and housing markets in which households invest have changed substantially. This study develops a synthetic cohort approach to examine the effect of these changes on the wealth accumulation of successive generations of Canadians' with a particular focus on younger households.