Money issues continue to cause rifts for most couples: report
Today is a special day for couples, so try not to spoil it -- like you did last year, for instance. You know, the 'don't you think that's an awful lot to pay for a bottle of wine' thing.
Money disagreements as the top reason couples argue, ahead of squabbling about children, chores, work or friends, according to a survey by the American Institute of CPAs.
In another poll, 20% of couples say their relationship problems are due to their current debt situations. And 27% admit that financial stress has left a negative impact on their relationships
One key problem is that couples don't speak the same language, says Candace Bahr, who heads up WIFE.org, the San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and enriching couple's financial lives.
Which is why you probably need the translation guide below.
Do you and your partner speak the same language when it comes to money? Are the discussions getter better or worse?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
| Risk-Taker Says | She/He Means | |
| I guess it’s time for us to refinance the house, honey. | Our neighbor is never going to brag about his 5% rate in front of me again. | |
| Let’s sell our existing stocks and invest in something with more profit potential. | I’m bored and I’m looking for something to do on the computer this weekend. | |
| I can handle it myself. | I would never ask for directions, even if I were so lost I was on the wrong continent. | |
| Let’s take out a home equity loan and buy investment property. | I don’t know anything about real estate, but if they’ll loan me $100,000, I’ll figure something out. | |
| Risk-Avoider Says | She/He Means | |
| I don’t think we can afford that right now. | If I let you spend all of my security money, I’ll wind up a bag lady on a street corner, living in a box and begging for bread. | |
| Let’s do some research before we invest. | I want to analyze every piece of data ever published on that company, and get a guarantee from the CFO that it will do well before I buy it. | |
| Let’s wait to do that until we get married. | I’m putting my financial life on hold until I’m sure that our relationship is going to work out | |
| Let’s take out a home equity loan and buy investment property. |
Let’s borrow exactly enough for the down payment and make sure that we have consistent positive cash flow for the next 10 years before we invest a penny.
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