The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that despite economic turbulence, Canadian households became even wealthier in the first quarter, with their net worth expanding to a collective $17.6-trillion. The Post's Serah Louis writes that Statistics Canada's latest national balance sheet, released Thursday, revealed household net worth ticked up by 0.8 per cent ($141.2-billion), but slowed from the fourth quarter of 2024 when household wealth increased by 1 per cent. "As expected, the momentum behind last year's net worth gains has faded, and 2025 has started on a softer note," wrote TD Bank economist Maria Solovieva in a note. "Still, we haven't seen an outright decline in financial assets despite trade-related anxiety already visible in the early 2025." Household wealth gains continue to be driven mainly by financial assets, which hit a new record high of $10.92-trillion despite market volatility that was especially heightened in April, when the U.S. launched a global trade war. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.6 per cent by the end of Q1. The S&P/TSX Composite Index inched up 0.8 per cent after a strong performance in the second half of last year, but is down from the 3-per-cent growth reported last quarter.