It’s no secret that having a difference of opinion when it comes to finances can drive a couple apart. Does talking about money make a relationship stronger or does it just cause more fights? According to a new survey conducted by TD Bank, couples who talk about money at least once a week are happier than couples who only talk about money once a month. The findings, called The Love & Money Study, is the result of answers from more than 1,300 Americans who are either married, engaged or in a relationship. The survey found that younger couples talk about money with their partner more than older couples. Thirty-seven percent started talking about it quite early in the relationship, before they were living together or engaged, and 71 percent say it is very important to talk about money in a relationship. When it comes to sharing money, 51 percent of couples combine everything and think of both incomes as “our money.” Thirty-four percent say they have seperate accounts but combine some, and 15 percent keep everything seperate. LGBT couples have a slightly different view on money than their heterosexual counterparts. When asked how important talking about money and finances is to a happy relationship, 57 percent of survey respondents who identify as LGBT said “very important,” compared with 72 percent of non-LGBT respondents. However, 49 percent of LGBT survey respondents began talking about money with their partner before they started living together or got engaged, compared with only 37 percent of non-LGBT respondents. To see more of the survey’s results, head to mediaroom.tdbank.com/couplesoverview.
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Poll: How money affects millennials’ romantic relationships
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