MIAMI--Money may be a bigger relationship hazard than politics, and plenty of Americans are keeping at least some of it secret from their partners.
More than one in four Americans — 26% — have a financial account their partner does not know about, according to WalletHub’s 2026 Money & Relationships Survey. At the same time, 72% said financial disagreements are worse for a relationship than political disagreements, compared with 28% who chose political differences.
Americans are also divided over just how closely couples should intertwine their finances. While 84% believe couples should share a budget, 32% said sharing a financial account actually creates more money problems. Among couples, 47% share some accounts, 32% share all of them and 21% keep their accounts entirely separate.
Financial know-how also appears to matter in the dating market. Eighty percent of respondents called poor financial literacy a turn-off, while 70% said their partner is a good financial role model. One-quarter said their relationship is limiting their financial growth, and 64% believe being in a relationship is more expensive than being single.
And despite the traditional notion that discussing a prenup can put a chill on romance, 75% of Americans said prenuptial agreements are actually good for relationships.