Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Relationships and Sexual Health

What really affects financial satisfaction in early marriages? New study offers insights

by Eric W. Dolan
October 14, 2023
in Relationships and Sexual Health, Social Psychology
(Photo credit: Adobe Stock)

(Photo credit: Adobe Stock)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

A new study has found that an individual’s financial satisfaction is primarily influenced by their own financial behavior, not their romantic partner’s, regardless of whether they have joint or separate bank accounts. But couples in early marriage who had joint bank accounts showed more aligned financial behaviors. The study was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

“I have been studying financial well-being and financial satisfaction of young people since 2015, as I believe the financial domain of our life should not be a taboo; we should accept the idea that money have an impact on our level of happiness and we have to study this influence to understand how better manage this life domain,” said study author Angela Sorgente, an assistant professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan.

“After many years studying this topic at the individual level (e.g., how my financial behavior influence my financial satisfaction), I was wondering how much a partner’s behavior in the financial domain can affect my own financial satisfaction and whether this influence changes according to the kind of bank account status the couple owns (joint bank account, separate bank accounts, both).

“Being an early married young adult myself, I was particularly interest in moving from the individual to the relational level of the study of financial satisfaction.”

For this study, researchers analyzed data from the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study, a U.S. nationally representative survey of newly married couples.

The sample included 1,475 couples who had been married for less than five years. The researchers aimed to understand the interdependence of financial behavior and financial satisfaction within these early-stage marriages. To achieve this, they employed a statistical approach called the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM).

In simple terms, the APIM allows scientists to explore how an individual’s actions (actor effect) and their partner’s actions (partner effect) relate to their own and their partner’s satisfaction. By using this method, the researchers could analyze how each partner’s financial behavior affected their own financial satisfaction and that of their spouse.

The researchers found that an individual’s financial behavior significantly influenced their own financial satisfaction. In other words, when a person exhibited healthy financial behavior, such as responsible budgeting and saving, they reported higher financial satisfaction. This effect held true for both husbands and wives.

Surprisingly, the study revealed that a partner’s financial behavior did not significantly predict an individual’s financial satisfaction. This means that even if one partner displayed good financial behavior, it did not necessarily lead to greater financial satisfaction for the other partner.

However, there was a significant association between spouses’ financial behavior and their financial satisfaction. Essentially, if one partner was financially responsible, the other partner was also likely to be financially responsible. This suggests that while partner behavior may not directly impact satisfaction, couples tend to align their financial behaviors.

The researchers also found that couples with joint bank accounts tended to have financial behaviors that were more similar to each other. In essence, when couples managed their finances together, they were more likely to align their financial behaviors. Conversely, couples with only separate bank accounts exhibited less healthy financial behaviors, which might be attributed to less financial alignment.

“My study’s results suggest that a partner’s financial behavior does not affect one’s own financial satisfaction, regardless the kind of bank account status of the couple,” Sorgente told PsyPost. “This means that people should not blame their partner if they are experiencing decreased financial satisfaction. People should instead recognize that they are the main responsible for one’s financial satisfaction.”

“At the same time, findings from this study support the notion that joint bank account(s) status reaps positive outcomes. In particular, we found that partners who had joint bank account(s) had more similar financial behaviors with each other. In other words, among couples who have joint bank account(s), wives who reported high levels of healthy financial behavior are more likely married with husbands reporting high levels of healthy financial behavior and vice versa.”

However, it’s important to recognize that the study’s findings do not imply that joint bank accounts are the best or only way for couples to manage their finances. Couples should consider their financial compatibility.

“We are not saying that holding joint bank account is the solution! Couples who choose to have joint accounts are in more alignment with what to do with their money,” Sorgente explained.

“If a couple has differing ways in which they behave with their money and causes distress in the marriage, they should not necessarily hold joint accounts. Rather, the findings suggest that if couples are in alignment with how to manage money they may want to consider holding joint accounts.”

Every study has its limitations, and this one is no exception. The researchers used cross-sectional data, which means they collected data at a single point in time. Longitudinal data, collected over time, might provide a clearer understanding of how financial behavior and satisfaction evolve within relationships. Additionally, the study focused on early-stage marriages, so the findings may not be generalized to longer-married couples.

The study, “Yours, mine, or ours: Does bank account status in early marriage affect financial behavior and financial satisfaction?“, was authored by Angela Sorgente, Margherita Lanz, Semira Tagliabue, Melissa J Wilmarth, Kristy L Archuleta, Jeremy Yorgason, and Spencer James.

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Neighborhood disorder linked to increased pregnancy testosterone levels
Attachment Styles

Attachment anxiety mediates effects of childhood abuse on parental confidence

June 18, 2025

Mothers who were maltreated as children are more likely to develop anxious romantic attachment styles, which in turn are linked to lower parenting satisfaction and efficacy, according to a study.

Read moreDetails
Troubling study shows “politics can trump truth” to a surprising degree, regardless of education or analytical ability
Donald Trump

Racial insecurity helped shield Trump from Republican backlash after Capitol riot, study suggests

June 18, 2025

Despite widespread condemnation of the January 6th attack, many white Republicans remained loyal to Trump—especially those who perceived anti-white discrimination. A new study shows how racial status threat can protect political leaders from the consequences of norm violations.

Read moreDetails
Some dark personality traits may help buffer against depression, new psychology research suggests
COVID-19

COVID-19 coverage linked to rise in anti-Asian sentiment, especially among Trump supporters

June 17, 2025

Americans became less favorable toward Asians as COVID-19 spread and news coverage intensified, according to a new study. The drop was strongest among Trump supporters, highlighting how political rhetoric and fear shaped public opinion during the pandemic.

Read moreDetails
Some dark personality traits may help buffer against depression, new psychology research suggests
Dark Triad

Some dark personality traits may help buffer against depression, new psychology research suggests

June 17, 2025

Dark traits like narcissism and psychopathy are often associated with dysfunction, but new findings reveal that certain facets—especially Machiavellian agency—might help people manage stress and depression more effectively through adaptive coping strategies.

Read moreDetails
Dark personality traits and specific humor styles are linked to online trolling, study finds
Artificial Intelligence

Memes can serve as strong indicators of coming mass violence

June 15, 2025

A new study finds that surges in visual propaganda—like memes and doctored images—often precede political violence. By combining AI with expert analysis, researchers tracked manipulated content leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, revealing early warning signs of instability.

Read moreDetails
Evolutionary scholars worry political trends are impeding progress in evolutionary psychology, according to new study
Social Psychology

Scientists uncover surprisingly consistent pattern of scholarly curiosity throughout history

June 15, 2025

A sweeping new study of thousands of historical scholars suggests that human curiosity may follow a universal blueprint. Across centuries and civilizations, intellectual interests appear to cluster in surprisingly consistent ways—hinting at deep patterns in how we seek knowledge.

Read moreDetails
New study on despair and voter turnout has troubling implications
Hypersexuality

Problematic porn use remains stable over time and is strongly linked to mental distress, study finds

June 14, 2025

A yearlong study of more than 4,000 U.S. adults found that problematic pornography use tends to persist over time and is strongly associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, suggesting a lasting link between porn dysregulation and psychological distress.

Read moreDetails
Poor sleep may shrink brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, study suggests
Political Psychology

Christian nationalists tend to imagine God as benevolent, angry over sins, and engaged

June 14, 2025

Christians who believe God is benevolent, engaged, and angered by sin are more likely to support religious nationalism, according to a new study. This worldview was also associated with conspiracy mentality and xenophobic attitudes.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Attachment anxiety mediates effects of childhood abuse on parental confidence

Scientists demonstrate superior cognitive benefits of outdoor vs indoor physical activity

Racial insecurity helped shield Trump from Republican backlash after Capitol riot, study suggests

Frequent pornography use linked to altered brain connectivity and impaired cognitive performance

Childhood trauma linked to changes in brain structure and connectivity, study finds

Psilocybin-assisted therapy linked to reduced depression in people with bipolar disorder, small study finds

COVID-19 coverage linked to rise in anti-Asian sentiment, especially among Trump supporters

Some dark personality traits may help buffer against depression, new psychology research suggests

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy