Money can make romantic relationships tricky, but research has found that couples who pool their finances are generally happier than those who don’t.
The evidence points to feelings of increased financial togetherness and shared goals.
“I think it just was one of those things where you know, that every couple has to decide on this important question, which is like we get together and we decide, how are we gonna pool our finances,” said Joe Gladstone, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Not only do couples who pool their finances have significantly higher relationship satisfaction, according to researchers, but they're also more likely to stay together.
This research is especially true for low-income couples.
The research noted arguments for women keeping separate accounts to remain financially independent or that keeping a separate account could limit arguments about money.
“Lots of women would talk about their male partners having gambling problems or things like that,” Gladstone said.”So I don't want to make it sound like there's only one way to organize your life because clearly, people have like complicated lives, they might find themselves in relationships with someone who's not someone who you want to fully merge your credit scores and merge your finances with.”
