Are you financially bullying your spouse?

Many couples fight over money, but some feel the financial friction goes as far as bullying.

Credit monitoring firm Credit Karma says 10 percent of U.S. adults it surveyed consider their spouse or partner a financial bully. The rate is almost 20 percent among those under 35 and among couples with children.

Among those who say they’re financially bullied by their mate, their top complaints are:

  • Makes me feel guilty about my shopping habits (37 percent)
  • Limits my monthly spending (34 percent)
  • Makes me show receipts for all purchases (20 percent)
  • Gives me an allowance (18 percent)
  • Keeps me from having credit cards (17 percent)
  • Doesn’t let me go shopping by myself (11 percent)

Among those under 35, men were nearly four times as likely to say they’re financially bullied by their partner. And men in all age groups were nearly twice as likely as women to admit to lying to their spouses about their spending habits.

Credit Karma says the saddest finding was that 22 percent of married 18-to-34-year-olds said they would get a divorce if money were no object.

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