A significantly higher proportion of investors are concerned about the rising costs and privatization of health care than they were a year ago, according to the 2006 TD Waterhouse Investor Poll.

Overall, 61% of poll respondents expressed concerns about health care costs compared with 54% last year, and 56% were worried about the privatization of health care versus 50% a year ago.

The poll found that women, residents of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and Canadians with lower household incomes, have greater levels of concern.

“The continuing debate in Canada over health care funding, privatization and two-tiered medicine is clearly having an impact on investor expectations and concerns,” says Patricia Lovett-Reid, senior vp, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. “This is a rational response to Canada’s aging population and growing concerns over how we will meet health care costs.”

When asked if they are confident about having enough money to meet their retirement goals, 36% of all respondents said they are highly confident; that is, they indicated they are “extremely” or “very” confident. Significantly more men are highly confident about retirement goals than women (44% vs. 26%) and more Westerners are highly confident than Easterners:

“Again, there is no surprise in this east-west split in investor confidence,” continues Lovett-Reid. “There has been a clear shift in economic momentum from Central and Atlantic Canada towards the West. The main factors have been the rise in the Canadian dollar and its impact on manufacturing, and, more recently, booming oil prices that have benefitted the resource-rich west.”