Every month American Consumer Credit Counseling posts a poll question on its homepage. As a nonprofit credit counseling agency, we’re always interested in learning about consumers’ financial habits. For the month of May, ACCC asked…
Have you ever lied to your significant other about finances?
Check out ACCC’s poll results about couples and finances.
Here’s what we found out…
Of the nearly 670 consumers surveyed in the recent ACCC web poll
- 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women said they have avoided telling their spouses about certain spending because of guilt.
- Hiding debt is also an issue: 12 percent of men and 14 percent of women said they have debts their spouse or partner does not know about.
- Close to 20 percent of all men and women surveyed said they’ve kept money secrets of some kind so they wouldn’t worry their spouses with the truth.
- Encouragingly, 50 percent of all men who responded and 40 percent of all women reported that they had never been dishonest about money with their partner or spouse.
- Just 3 percent of men and 4 percent of women said they had spent money but didn’t feel a duty to tell their spouse.
- Just 1 percent of men and 5 percent of women admitted they have hidden money from their partner or spouse so they wouldn’t spend it.
Conclusion:
As far as gender, 10 percent more men claim to have never been dishonest about finances. However, there is no significant difference between the sexes when it comes to their reasons for lying. The largest gap in reason was only 4%, where more women said that they’ve hidden money so their significant other couldn’t spend it.
*BONUS:
This poll has garnered attention from a few major media outlets. See their coverage and analysis at the links below…
- Forbes.com – What Your Spouse Isn’t Telling You
- WCVB TV – How to Catch a (Financially) Cheating Spouse/Partner (slideshow)
- FOX 25 Morning News – Spouses and Dishonesty (Interview with ACCC Outreach Coordinator Matt Paradise)
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
