31% Of Americans Cheat On Their Spouses--About Finances

See Is Your Partner Cheating On You Financially? 31% Admit Money Deception. It seems selfish to cheat. If there is any circumstance in which people might not follow their own self-interest, it would be with their significant other. Yet many people admit to doing it.

A related post from last Sept. was Should You Break Up With Your Fiancé If They Have Too Much Debt?

This cheating undermines trust in the relationship. One woman says she does not tell her current husband about the child support she gets from her first husband that she puts in a secret bank account.

Here are some excerpts:

"Among both offenders and victims, the leading money crimes were hiding cash, minor purchases and bills. Meanwhile, a significant number of people admitted hiding major purchases, keeping secret bank accounts and lying about their debt or earnings.

“A third of the population admits to not being honest with their spouse,” says NEFE chief executive Ted Beck. “That is a big number. These indiscretions cause significant damage to the relationship.”"

"Among couples impacted by financial infidelity, 67% said the deception led to an argument and 42% said it caused less trust in the relationship. Perhaps most alarming, 16% of these respondents said the money lie led to a divorce and 11% said it led to a separation."

"According to the survey, over half of all financial cheaters admitted hiding cash (58%) or minor purchases (54%). NEFE’s Beck says this is particularly concerning, as small lies often compound over time to become increasingly larger and more harmful deceptions. Of the offenders, 30% have hidden a bill, 16% have hidden a major purchase, 15% had a secret bank account, 11% lied about their debts and another 11% lied about the amount of money they earned."