Financial Transparency and Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

Previous studies suggest that financial distress, financial management, and financial counselling can impact relationship satisfaction among married couples. Utilising a unique Financial Transparency Scale (FTS), we examine the relationship between couples’ financial transparency and their marital satisfaction. We demonstrate that couples who jointly engage in financial partnership activities, such as making joint financial decisions, financial planning, and budgeting, experience a higher level of relationship satisfaction. We additionally find a positive association between a married person’s relationship satisfaction and the degree to which their partner is financially transparent. Our ordinal regression results highlight the importance of financial trust and open financial discussions.