PriyaPatelThe Ameriprise Retirement Study has shown that while most couples feel positive about their financial relationships, a few cracks start to appear when it comes to aligning on money matters. The study reveals that nearly a third of couples surveyed only ‘somewhat agree’ that they share the same financial goals. It also stated that nearly a quarter of couples ‘agree to disagree’ when it comes to solving financial disagreements, and almost 4 in 10 couples strongly or somewhat agree that they didn’t communicate enough about their finances when they first got together. However, over 9 in 10 couples strongly or somewhat agree they trust each other when it comes to finances.
A successful financial relationship starts with communication and financial goals aligned, according to certified financial planner at VLP Financial Advisors, Daniel Lash. He says regular, open and honest conversations are key. Nina Lloyd, president of Opus Financial Advisors, states that the way couples communicate and make decisions about household finances plays a key role in their quality of life and the level of happiness in their relationships. She also agrees that a financial advisor can play an important part in getting couples on the same page. Robert Pearl, co-founder and wealth advisor at G&P Financial, believes that financial communication is significantly more important to a couple’s satisfaction with their relationship and its long-term viability than their ability to agree financially. He believes that being vulnerable and opening up about true goals and desires is worth the risk.
