Glossary · Couples finance
Alignment Score
/əˈlīn.mənt skôr/ · noun
Definition
A relationship-finance metric that tracks how in-sync two partners are about money over time.
DuetWallet's Alignment Score is calculated from completed Money Dates, envelope spending agreement, shared goal progress, and communication frequency. Higher scores indicate more financial intimacy and fewer money-conflict signals.
The construct is modeled loosely on the Gottman Institute's Sound Relationship House framework, applied specifically to shared finances. It's not a clinical instrument. It's a coupling between observed behavior and a single legible number, designed to make alignment feel measurable rather than vague.
How DuetWallet uses this
The score updates after every Money Date. We weight components at 35% Money Date completion rate, 30% envelope agreement, 20% shared goal progress, 15% communication frequency.
Example in practice
After 8 weeks of Money Dates, Sarah and James saw their Alignment Score climb from 62 to 84. The biggest jump came when they finally agreed on what counts as 'Ours' vs 'Yours'. Their envelope agreement went from 70% to 95%.
Why this matters
Most relationship-finance signals are invisible. Couples don't notice the drift until there's a fight. The Alignment Score makes the drift visible early, when it's still cheap to fix.
Related glossary terms
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