Pooling finances and relationship satisfaction
- PMID: 35286120
- DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000388
Pooling finances and relationship satisfaction
Abstract
When couples decide to share their lives, they are simultaneously faced with the decision of how (or whether) to pool their finances. Does the way in which couples keep their money affect happiness in their relationship? Drawing on Interdependence Theory, we demonstrate across six studies (N = 38,534)-including both primary and secondary data-that couples who pool all of their money (compared to couples who keep all or some of their money separate) experience greater relationship satisfaction and are less likely to break up. Though joining bank accounts can benefit all couples, the effect is particularly strong among couples with scarce financial resources (i.e., those with low household income or who report feeling financially distressed). These findings replicate using experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal data sets, as well as in both individualistic and collectivist cultures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Similar articles
-
Financial resources impact the relationship between meaning and happiness.Emotion. 2023 Mar;23(2):504-511. doi: 10.1037/emo0001090. Epub 2022 Apr 7. Emotion. 2023. PMID: 35389735
-
Online programs improve relationship functioning for distressed low-income couples: Results from a nationwide randomized controlled trial.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2020 Apr;88(4):283-294. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000479. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2020. PMID: 32134290 Clinical Trial.
-
Couples' communication quality differs by topic.J Fam Psychol. 2023 Sep;37(6):909-919. doi: 10.1037/fam0001111. Epub 2023 May 18. J Fam Psychol. 2023. PMID: 37199946
-
The secret to happiness: Feeling good or feeling right?J Exp Psychol Gen. 2017 Oct;146(10):1448-1459. doi: 10.1037/xge0000303. Epub 2017 Aug 14. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2017. PMID: 28805442
-
Mechanisms of improvements and maintenance in online relationship programs for distressed low-income couples.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2020 Dec;88(12):1091-1104. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000616. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2020. PMID: 33370133 Clinical Trial.
Cited by
-
Does variety in hedonic spending improve happiness? Testing alternative causal mechanisms between hedonic variety and subjective well-being.BMC Psychol. 2024 Feb 26;12(1):98. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01599-8. BMC Psychol. 2024. PMID: 38409041 Free PMC article.
-
When couples fight about money, what do they fight about?J Soc Pers Relat. 2023 Nov;40(11):3723-3751. doi: 10.1177/02654075231187897. Epub 2023 Jul 5. J Soc Pers Relat. 2023. PMID: 37969245 Free PMC article.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources