How Much the Average Canadian Has Saved for Retirement by 35

Retirement can feel far away at 35. Then the math gets loud. By this age, many Canadians have a mortgage, kids, daycare costs, student debt, or all four. So the question, “How much should I have saved?” can feel less like planning and more like a guilt trip.

How much to save

Still, the numbers help. Fidelity Canada’s breakdown, using Statistics Canada data, puts median Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) savings for Canadians under 35 at $15,000 and for those aged 35 to 44 at $33,000. Private pension assets sit higher, at $35,000 for under 35 and $100,000 for ages 35 to 44.

That range tells a better story than one scary average. At 35, some Canadians have very little saved. Others have workplace pensions doing heavy lifting in the background. The real question isn’t whether someone hits one perfect number. It’s whether they’ve started building a system.

That’s where Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:GRT.UN) becomes interesting. It won’t suit every investor, yet for a 35-year-old trying to build retirement wealth, it offers a simple idea. Own real estate tied to logistics, warehouses, and industrial properties, then let rent, distributions, and time do the work.

GRT

Granite REIT shows the industrial real estate story still looks durable. Companies need modern space close to transportation routes, customers, and supply chains. E-commerce may not explode every year like it did during the pandemic, but goods still move and businesses still need distribution networks. Granite owns 145 properties across six countries, with 61.5 million square feet and a 98% occupancy rate. That gives it scale without tying the whole story to one city or one tenant.

The latest results also looked steady. In the first quarter of 2026, Granite reported net operating income of $134.2 million, up from $125.7 million a year earlier. Adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) came in at $1.41 per unit, flat from last year. That may not sound thrilling, but flat AFFO during a tougher real estate market can still count as resilience. Granite also reported a 63% AFFO payout ratio, which gives its monthly distribution room to breathe.

For retirement planning, Granite stock recently paid $0.30 per unit each month, or about $3.55 annually yielding about 3.7%. A 35-year-old who reinvests those distributions can turn each payment into more units, more income, and more future compounding. In fact, here’s what that $30,000 could bring in.

COMPANYRECENT PRICENUMBER OF SHARESANNUAL DIVIDENDANNUAL TOTAL PAYOUTFREQUENCYTOTAL INVESTMENTGRT.UN$96.01312$3.55$1,107.60Monthly$29,955.12

Looking ahead

Valuation also helps the case. Granite trades below where it did during the low-rate real estate boom at about 15 times earnings. Investors soured on REITs as borrowing costs rose. That created pressure, but also opportunity. If rates drift lower over time, high-quality REITs could regain attention. Granite’s industrial focus gives it a cleaner growth profile than many office or enclosed-mall landlords.

Still, investors shouldn’t treat Granite like a guaranteed retirement machine. Granite faces currency swings because it owns assets outside Canada, and REITs use high debt. While the monthly distribution looks well covered today, no payout deserves blind faith.

For Canadians at 35, the bigger lesson goes beyond one stock. Retirement savings may look behind, ahead, or somewhere in the messy middle. What counts is momentum. A diversified portfolio should still include more than one REIT, and likely more than one sector. But Granite offers income, real assets, and long-term growth potential in one TSX-listed package.

Bottom line

So, how much does the average Canadian have saved for retirement by 35? Often less than people think, and less than they may need. But 35 also leaves decades for compounding. Granite stock won’t solve retirement alone, no single stock will. But it could help turn a late start into a stronger, steadier one for patient investors.

The post How Much the Average Canadian Has Saved for Retirement by 35 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Granite Real Estate Investment Trust. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.