Glossary · Couples finance
Financial Infidelity
/fəˈnæn.ʃəl ɪn.fəˈdel.ə.ti/ · noun
Definition
Hiding money decisions (accounts, debts, purchases, or income) from a partner who has a reasonable expectation of knowing.
Financial infidelity covers a spectrum: a secret credit card, an undisclosed account, a misrepresented purchase, lying about income. The threshold isn't the dollar amount. It's the deception.
The National Endowment for Financial Education has estimated roughly 40% of US adults in committed relationships admit to some form of financial infidelity.
Why this matters
The damage from financial infidelity is almost always larger than the damage from whatever was hidden. Once trust breaks, no budget repairs it.
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