The majority of couples have joint bank and investment accounts, but a recent survey by MagnifyMoney found one in five regrets deciding to merge their accounts with their spouse or partner instead of keeping them separate.
“We found that a lot of the regrets were coming from income differences. So, those who earn more money than their partner were much more likely to regret combining finances,” Brianna Wright at MagnifyMoney told WTOP.
“I think those regrets could stem from differences in spending habits and expectations going into the financial merge,” she said.
The survey also found four in 10 are concerned that their spouse or partner spends too much, and 60% get angry when their spouse or partner makes a major purchase without first discussing it.
Women are almost twice as likely to say they are not satisfied with the way finances are managed in their relationship.
Unmarried couples living together are more likely to have argued about money within the past month than married couples, despite being less likely to have shared financial accounts.
For couples who have not lived together very long, MagnifyMoney said it is a good idea to wait awhile before merging money.
“Ideally, you would certainly be committed to each other, be saving for things together and have shared financial goals,” Wright said.
“You would not want to merge your finances with someone when both partners weren’t intending it to be a long-term or permanent thing.”
Money is the main reason cited for one in five breakups and divorces.
MagifyMoney’s online survey included about 1,100 Americans who are either married or living with their partner. It was conducted between July 26 and July 30.
