Canadians under 35 are debt-stressed — and buy now, pay later ubiquity isn't helping

Mark Kalinowski has been a credit counsellor for nearly 14 years, helping people of all generations manage their debt. But this year, more than a quarter of the clients he saw in his Calgary office were under the age of 35.

"They'll come in and sometimes they'll cry, sometimes they'll be angry, they'll be very, very frustrated because they don't know why their life's on hold," said Kalinowski.

The Credit Counselling Society — the debt management non-profit where Kalinowski works — served more 18-to-34-year-olds in 2025 than at any other point in its history, its spokesperson told CBC News.

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