Living Together, Banking Apart — Are Separate Accounts Damaging Your Marriage?
The unseen risk of keeping your finances separate in marriage.
Thinking about keeping your money separate in a relationship? Sit down. We need to talk.
More than ten years ago, I decided not to share finances with the man who’s now my husband.
My story is a saga of control issues, financial independence, and a growing chasm between us. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s a raw look into how money can silently shape the dynamics of love and partnership.
The breakdown: My partner liked to monitor every dime I spent, which led me to demand financial independence.
Not empowering — trust me. Quite the opposite.
It led to isolation, unspoken tensions, and the realization that we were more like roommates than soulmates, connected only by our son and the roof over our heads.
The thought of divorce is lingering in the background, evidence of the strain that financial independence can put on a marriage.
Ultimately, it’s not just about the money; it’s about what the money represents — trust, support, shared dreams, or the lack thereof.
