Financial stress is one of the main instigators of marital discord. Many of the factors that go into the situation, like a change in job status or additions to the family, come out of nowhere. However, there is one active financial situation that can be controlled that is in a rising number of divorce complaints — secret credit card spending done by spouses.
A recent report from the British site Moneysupermarket.com found that one in ten people have admitted that hidden credit card purchases have played a part in their separation or divorce. As to why they believed it played a role, 36 percent of the thousand people interviewed for the survey had lied about their spending because they knew their other half would be angry. Another 35 percent said they kept their purchases hidden because they knew their partner would disapprove.
There was also a split on what the secret purchases were. Half of those polled confessed to using their credit cards to treat themselves on things like new shoes and clothes. The same number claimed they were using their credit card for living expenses, including utility bills, rent, food and gasoline.
Of course, the idea of money affecting marriages isn't anything new. Kansas State University researchers found that arguing about money is the top predictor of divorce in 2013. Two years earlier, a National Endowment for Financial Education study found that 68 percent of the time, financial infidelity has had a negative impact on relationships, with 16 percent of marriages ending because of it.
For more:
Secret Credit Card Spending And Divorce Linked In New Survey (Huffington Post)