Caring Connections - Relationships & Money Survey

 The personal-finance company WalletHub today released the results of its 2025 Money & Relationships Survey, which explores the prevalence of financial secrets between partners and the impact of shared accounts on relationships. You can find highlights from the survey and commentary below.

Key Findings:

• Love vs. Money: Nearly 1 in 3 people think their relationship is limiting their financial growth.
   
• Shared Accounts Cause Trouble: 24% of people believe that sharing a financial account leads to more money problems rather than preventing them.
   
• Financial Secrets: More than 1 in 4 Americans have a financial account that their partner doesn’t know about.
   
• Shared Accounts Catch Cheaters: 50% of people believe that sharing financial accounts can help them catch a cheating partner.
   
• More Divisive Than Politics: 73% of Americans believe that financial disagreements are worse for a relationship than political disagreements.
   
• Shared Spending Plans: 94% of Americans believe couples should share a budget.

“It’s a bad sign that more than 1 in 4 people are hiding a bank account from their partner and feeling like their relationship is holding them back financially. Whether it speaks more to the precarious state of the economy or flawed matchmaking is up for debate, but a healthy relationship shouldn’t have you looking over your shoulder or feeling like you’re attached to an anchor. Couples don’t have to share access to every account, but transparency is always the best policy. Part of the problem may be that couples are hesitant to discuss financial issues, fearing that a big fight is around the corner. After all, more than 7 in 10 people say that financial disagreements are worse for a relationship than political disagreements, according to a new WalletHub survey. But honest communication is the key, and that should start with budgeting. Couples who budget together stay together, so it’s no surprise that 94% of Americans believe couples should share a budget.”

- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

 

More From WalletHub

• Best & Worst States for Singles
• Best Places to Get Married
• Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family
• Cities Where People Have the Best Money Management Skills
• Financial Secrets Survey
• Generational Finances Survey