Finances play a crucial role in adult romantic relationships,[i] and researchers had previously found that financial health and marital health were inter-connected.[ii] In their recent article, Money to Marriage, or Marriage to Money? Examining the Directionality Between Financial Processes and Marital Processes Among Newlywed Couples,[iii] Matthew Saxey, Dr. Ashley LeBaron-Black, and their colleagues examined whether financial processes (such as financial behaviors and financial communication) predicted marital processes (such as marital satisfaction) or whether marital processes predicted financial processes in newlywed U.S. couples. In other words, money to marriage, or marriage to money? Finally, a chicken-and-egg situation we can find out the answer to!
Their research discovered that how happy husbands are in their marriage really affects how well they talk about money with their spouse. Meanwhile, the way wives handle money has a greater impact on how they communicate about finances. These findings help us understand how money and marital happiness are connected. At least for husbands, the chicken-and-egg answer seems to be those marital processes impact financial processes; have a happy marriage first, and good communication about money will be easier. For wives, financial processes impact each other; have healthy financial habits, and good communication about money will be easier. These findings highlight the importance of considering both aspects—money and marriage—to help couples succeed.
Takeaways
Developing communication skills for both husbands and wives
Gender-specific patterns emerged in the findings, with husbands’ marital satisfaction predicting improved financial communication and wives’ financial behaviors predicting improved financial communication. Enhancing financial communication requires work, work that focuses both on husbands’ marital satisfaction and on wives’ financial behaviors. To help partners improve their relationship, clinicians should assist them in enhancing communication—including discussions about difficult topics like finances—naturally leading to improved marital satisfaction.[iv] Couples can also work toward better financial communication by prioritizing marital satisfaction and understanding how their financial behaviors can influence their communication. There is a reciprocal relationship between financial processes and marital dynamics.[v]
The essential link between finances and healthy relationships
The essential connection between finances and healthy relationships extends beyond just managing financial challenges—it also includes fostering trust, teamwork, and shared goals. Couples who discuss their financial goals openly and make joint decisions about spending and saving are more likely to feel united and satisfied in their relationship. To strengthen this connection, couples can establish regular financial check-ins, set clear financial goals together, and create a budget that reflects shared priorities. Additionally, practicing transparency about debts, savings, and financial habits builds trust and helps avoid future conflict, reinforcing both financial stability and marital satisfaction.
References:
[i] Gajos, J. M., Totenhagen, C. J., & Wilmarth, M. J. (2022). The association between financial strain and volatility in daily relationship uncertainty: A dyadic investigation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(5), 1412–1433. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F02654075211056896
[ii] Hill, E. J., Allsop, D. B., LeBaron, A. B., & Bean, R. A. (2017). How do money, sex, and stress influence marital instability? Journal of Financial Therapy, 8(1), 21–42.
https://doi.org/10. 4148/1944-9771.1135
[iii] Saxey, M. T., LeBaron-Black, A. B., Dew, J. P., Yorgason, J. B., James, S. L., & Holmes, E. K. (2023). Money to marriage, or marriage to money? Examining the directionality between financial processes and marital processes among newlywed couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(8), 2445–2465. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221149967
[iv] LeBaron-Black, A. B., Saxey, M. T., Totenhagen, C. J., Wheeler, B. E., Archuleta, K. L., Yorgason, J. B., & James, S. L. (2023). Financial communication as a mediator between financial values and marital outcomes. Family Relations, 72(4), 1974-1992. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12786
[v] Archuleta, K. L., & Burr, E. A. (2015). Systemic financial therapy. In B. T. Klontz, S. L. Britt, & K. L. Archuleta (Eds.), Financial therapy: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 217–234). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08269-1_13