September 30, 2018 – By Bill Hardekopf
According to a new study from Policygenius, one in five people in a relationship think their partner is bad with money. Moreover, people with financially irresponsible partners were 11 times more likely to break up than those with sound financial practices.
Money secrets, otherwise known as financial infidelity, is a proven deal breaker for relationships. Last year, one survey found that 31% of couples considered financial infidelity worse than physical infidelity. Policegenius found 20% of people in a relationship will spend $500 without telling their partner, and 12-13% have a secret checking account, savings account, and/or credit card account.
On the flip side, 19% of respondents said they would not spend any money at all without telling their partner. An additional 37% said their untold spending caps at $100; any amount above that warrants a discussion.
While 70% of participants knew their partner’s income, only half knew their monthly spending habits or credit score. As for managing the household finances, 43% said they manage money together, while the remainder either manage it separately or have one person taking control of the funds.
The vast majority of couples (70%) said money does not influence their relationship, but money problems are the second leading cause of divorce in America. At a minimum, couples should be open about large purchases they plan to make, especially if it involves a debt. Research from American Consumer Credit Counseling found 55% of women and 37% of men would leave their partner if they discovered a large sum of hidden debt.
