Keeping Financial Secrets in Marriage

Have you ever lied to your spouse about money? Did you know that keeping financial secrets from your spouse is like cheating?

Family law attorney Steven Mindel says, “More marriages fall apart for financial reasons than for fidelity reasons…marriages are built on trust and anytime you breach the trust of the other party, it damages the relationship. Getting married is like the merging of two enterprises.”

This is a growing problem. A recent poll from the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 2 in 5 Americans admit to lying about or withholding money information from their partner!

Now people who are keeping secrets about their finances usually aren’t trying to hide criminal activity or an affair. They’re just embarrassed.

A spouse may lie to avoid conflict or ignore financial problems. Sometimes truth is not told because one spouse had no confidence in the other.

But, the truth will eventually come out and the results can be painful. Someone is hurt, loses respect and trust for the other and wonders what else may be hidden. The entire marriage relationship may be questioned because trust is lost.

Now, there’s no Bible verse that says a couple has to have joint checking or that the bills have to be paid by one or the other, but the Bible IS clear that we’re not to LIE.

It may take a hard conversation, but I’m challenging you today to sit down and be honest with your spouse about your money.

The writer of Proverbs said, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.”

Trust is a currency of greater value than any amount of money. And, it’s foundational in  marriage.

If you’re not sure how to take the next steps towards unity and honesty with your spouse, try the online MoneyLife Personal Finance Study. You can go through the online course together and learn basic biblical principles about your money that will transform your attitudes, finances, and relationship. Enroll today!