After years of soaring home prices, there was hope that rising interest rates would lead to lower prices in 2023 and give young Canadians an entry point into the market . And while they did go down, higher mortgage rates have left housing as unaffordable as ever. For those without family help or oversized paycheques, buying a home is just not financially realistic. We’re dedicating the last episode of this season of Stress Test to exploring why people are giving up on homeownership and how they see their financial future.

Student debt is a growing problem in Canada - one that’s set to get worse in the coming years. And although tuition has crept higher, it’s the soaring cost of rent and everyday living that's causing the trouble. So what should students consider before making decisions for their post-secondary lives? Paul Kershaw, founder of Generation Squeeze and a professor at the University of British Columbia, describes how expensive student life has become - and how students are coping. We also hear from a 33-year-old who graduated 10 years ago with $40,000 in student debt, which she’s still paying off. Plus, The Globe’s personal finance reporter Erica Alini shares how rent in both large and small cities is changing the Canadian student experience.