Couples experience conflict about various topics, from work-life balance to sex. Amidst these heated debates, there is one topic that consistently appears as a common ground for disagreement and a powerful emotional trigger: money.[1] It is common knowledge that finances can affect relationships. This is more relevant than ever today as financial stress is at its highest level in nearly a decade.[2] Whether you are dating, married, or cohabiting, financial satisfaction can have an impact on your relationship satisfaction. Dr. Casey Totenhagen and colleagues put this to the test, conducting research where couples recorded how they felt financially (like what do you feel is the level of your financial stress today?) and relationally (like how satisfied, content, and happy are you with your relationship?) every day for two weeks.2 It is no surprise that as financial satisfaction fluctuates, so does relationship satisfaction. To add to this, gender also has an impact! So, what does all this mean for you and your relationship? Let’s get into more specifics!

Figuring out finances can create challenges, and we are here to provide some information that could be helpful for you! In simple terms, the study The Effect of Households’ Student Debt on Life Satisfaction led by Dr. Thomas Korankye[1] shows that having student-loan debt harms how satisfied people feel about their lives. Even though taking on debt is often seen as an investment in the future, it can make people feel less satisfied with their lives until the debt is fully paid off.

In their recent article, Couple-Level Attachment Styles, Finances, and Marital Satisfaction: Mediational Analyses Among Young Adult Newlywed Couples, Dr. Xiaomin Li and colleagues analyzed how relationships, finances, and attachment styles interconnect.[1]

According to personal finance expert Rachel Cruze, “Money and marriage should go hand in hand.” Unfortunately, Cruze has also asserted that money is the number one topic that married couples argue about and the second cause of divorce behind infidelity.[1] With the significant impact of money on marriage, is there any good news for couples experiencing financial stress? Gratefully, yes!

A credit score can be a dreaded 3-digit number that could be the key to either opening our doors or locking us in. Credit scores play a crucial role in all major financial crossroads including, but not limited to, (1) buying a house or a car, (2) taking out student loans, or (3) qualifying for that awesome rewards credit card you want. But can your credit score’s influence leak into other parts of your life? Research by Matthew Saxey, Dr. LeBaron-Black, and others would say yes![1] It turns out that the quality of your credit score may impact your romantic relationship in unexpected ways, including financial self-efficacy and financial deception.

Sex and money aren’t often mentioned in the same breath, even for married couples. Whether because finances aren’t a particularly romantic subject or because physical intimacy doesn’t seem to factor into the weekly budget, the common view seems to be that these two topics are totally separate. However, these topics do have something clearly in common: neither seems to be an easy topic for couples to discuss, especially when partners feel inexperienced or unhappy with their current situation. Two recent research articles reveal further connections between sex and money.

Have you ever made a plan for your day, but things kept popping up, leaving you with a larger to-do list at the end of the day than you started with? Or maybe you tried to budget, but then found you do not have enough money at the end of the month to pay the bills? Life does not always go as planned, and sometimes we find ourselves in situations which challenge us physically and emotionally. While stress hurts in the moment, there are also long-term consequences that come from stressors. Stress greatly impacts mental and physical health outcomes for individuals. There are many different types of stress that people experience, with a range of influence.

Do you ever feel like your voice and input for couple-based decisions counts for less than your partner or goes unheard? Maybe you have had a situation where your significant other took control of the decision-making process altogether and you felt powerless, frustrated, or ready to lash out at them? Maybe you’ve been the one to make a unilateral decision without your partner’s input or against their wishes? If so, maybe you also felt hurt by something your partner said to get back at you? If you can relate to any of these situations, know that you are not alone. There are reasons for these situations and solutions that can help you, your partner, and your relationship improve.

Feminism is a belief in equality, fairness, and respect between the sexes. These ideals extend to many different settings and often involve advocacy for women’s rights.1 The ideals of feminism can be seen when sexes are given the same liberties, opportunities, and privileges. In addition, ideals are seen on an individual level when a person treats all others with dignity and consideration. Although exact equality may not be possible in every case given some physical differences between the sexes, equity and the ideals of feminism can be present in every case, along with their benefits.

Being part of a couple relationship can be sweet...and sometimes sour. Sweet flavors caramelize when we comfort, support, and show love for our partner. Sour flavors ferment when we struggle to solve challenges together, succumb to stress, and feel defeated by depressive mental health symptoms. Making sure one ingredient does not overpower the others is a challenge every couple must face, especially after having a first child. To develop the family relationships that we want to savor, we must not let one ingredient spoil the others. This begs the question, “what spoils our family relationships?” Dr. Curran and colleagues investigated this in a recent study. They asked which of the common challenges (ingredients) that couples/parents face lead to an overwhelming relationship as a whole (spoiled).

If you were asked, “How often are financial matters a problem in your relationship?”, what would you say?

Forgiveness is important in every relationship, whether it be romantic or not. However, can being financially forgiving have a positive impact on romantic relationships? This is what Matthew Saxey and Dr. LeBaron-Black’s team set out to study[1].

Childhood experiences, especially experiences with parents or primary caregivers, have a lasting impact.

Why does financial deception plague 75% of romantic relationships?[1]

In their recent article, “Financial Communication as a Mediator between Financial Values and Marital Outcomes,”[1] leading financial scholars suggest that money itself may not be what predicts divorce.

If you are like most people, you would be happy to never have to hear the word Covid or the phrase unprecedented times ever again.

In a 2018 study, Dr. Jeff Dew, Dr. Ashley LeBaron-Black, and David Allsop found that certain factors are related to couples not only maintaining but improving their marriages during stressful financial situations.

In their recent article, Don’t Believe What You Hear—Money Isn’t the Leading Cause of Divorce, leading marriage scholars suggest that money itself might not be what leads many couples to divorce.