Have you ever lied to your partner about money?
According to a recent study, roughly one in five couples have deceived their partners when it comes to money. Are you among them?
Eighteen per cent of Canadians admit they've kept a secret from their partner about how much money they have spent, saved or have hidden. Thirteen per cent of females admit to secret spending, for instance, compared to only six per cent of males.
In another study, close to 20 per cent of all men and women admit the reason they hide their spending habits is because the truth would worry their partner or cause friction in their relationship.
That's nice of them, except that not being upfront about money has a lot more to do with power and control than hurt feelings.
It's all about trust and communication, of course. In some instances though, it's also a question of you not paying enough attention to someone else's foibles.
Here are a few ways to help identify whether your spouse might be in a spending crisis and what you might do about it.
* Hiding the mail: Does your partner insist on getting the mail and when he or she does, do you notice there’s not a lot of it? Many spouses with spending problems retrieve the mail and hide the bills. Or they may have all the financial info sent to their email account
* New items in the home: Have you noticed new jewelry, electronics, clothing or anything else unusual that you didn’t discuss buying with your partner? If so, he or she could be buying on impulse. Check credit card statements and bank statements; if these items can’t be found broach the subject with your significant other.
* Paying the bills: If your spouse insists on paying the bills and doesn’t share financial information with you that could mean something is wrong. Offer to help pay the bills and make a point to sit down and look over the statements while they're being paid.
Is your money relationship on the up and up? Has it always been this way? Are there any situations when it's justified to lie about money to your spouse?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: John | Sep 25, 2021 10:17:48 PM
I would never do this, nor would my wife. There is no justification whatsoever to lie about money to your spouse.
Posted by: Bob | Sep 26, 2021 8:40:30 PM
No
Posted by: Bob | Sep 29, 2021 8:23:39 AM
Yes! She has frozen my accounts and snoops not asks to look at our financials. I use to pay all her bills and mine and housing for the family, but as soon as I lost my job and now earn 50% of what I did and havre asked for her help to split and pay bills she has decided a divorce is in order??
So after living in my home for 25 years and her the last seven, she wants half of all assets and insists all bills are mine.
So I proceed with the divorce and have to remortgage my home for another 100g's to pay her off.
She gets the kids and I also have to pay child support 1000$ a month.
I now live in an unfurnished home(she got it all to furnish her new home)
I live on 1200$ a month now as I thought I was going to retire and be in my paid off home.
Don't get married!
Posted by: CanadaLoanSearch | Oct 1, 2021 8:04:13 AM
My husband has been financially cheating our entire marriage but didn’t find out until my car was repossessed because he couldn’t hide that. We’re on the verge of a 2nd bankruptcy and definitely losing our home. I was mortified and so embarrassed but I tried to forgive him because of the kids and he said he change (what a joke). A little over a year ago, I discovered he was opening credit cards in my name so I went to see an attorney and started the divorce process.
Posted by: Kubbs | Oct 1, 2021 8:03:03 PM
A little white lie might be part of life some times
Posted by: Kubbs | Oct 1, 2021 8:06:45 PM
Sometimes a little white lie is a part of life.
Posted by: Merline Johnson | Nov 5, 2021 4:11:27 PM
Too bad for the gentleman who had the re-mortgage his house to pay off his wife, because she asked for the divorce, since he could not carry the load after he lost his job and was earning less.
Sounds like a horrible wife. It stings more since she only lived in his house for 7 years - WOW.