Financial Infidelity and How to Avoid It

Do you feel that you have to hide your spending from your significant other? If it makes you feel guilty when you spend money, it may be a sign of a bigger problem. If you're in a relationship hiding your purchases or lying about how much money you're spending can be a sign of financial infidelity. Financial infidelity is hiding the accurate financial picture of what a couple's finances are in a relationship.

Signs of Financial Infidelity

• Hiding shopping purchases.

• Lending money to others.

• Having hidden bank accounts or credit cards.

• Not informing your partner about your income.

Financial Infidelity Can Ruin a Relationship

It's risky to bring financial infidelity into a relationship because it could lead to deception in other areas of an individual's life. For example, not being truthful about one's spending habits can lead to the need to hide clothes in a closet or lie about when you bought a particular item. The stress of financial infidelity can lead to the destruction of a relationship. This comes when one partner's trust is broken. Trust can be compromised when one person puts their needs or desires ahead of what's in the relationship's best interest.

See my feature in the 9 Secret Habits of People With Credit Scores Above 800.

Overcoming Financial Infidelity

Talk About Financial Security

To move from financial infidelity to speaking more openly about money, individuals must understand their emotions around money. A better understanding of an individual's emotions, value of money, and history with money can help them move past the stressors that make talking about it difficult. In addition, being realistic about one's financial situation and the concept of money can make having the conversation with their partner a little easier. Being honest with oneself is the first step in moving past financial infidelity.

See my feature in Veterans Build Debt-Free Life After the Military to see how planning as a couple can help achieve goals.