Rachel Cruze: Don't Let These 5 Money Mistakes Hurt Your Marriage
Money can easily cause marital issues due to stress, mistrust and conflicts over how to spend and save it.
In fact, a 2025 WalletHub survey actually found that nearly three-fourths (73%) of Americans considered financial disagreements a greater strain on relationships than those over politics.
If you want to achieve financial goals with your spouse and reduce arguments and dishonesty, it helps to rethink how you're managing money together. In a recent YouTube video, money expert Rachel Cruze shared five money mistakes that hurt your marriage and what to do instead.
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Not Having a Shared Bank Account
Shared bank accounts can be controversial because some people worry about the risks of combining their finances, while others simply prefer to maintain financial independence. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 23% of married couples had no type of joint bank account in 2023.
However, Cruze said a shared account is important for an integrated life in your marriage. Managing an account together improves your connection and makes it easier to achieve mutual goals, such as building wealth. It also requires you to decide together what to do with your money and makes tracking your funds simpler.
Cruze added that there are exceptions for situations when separating money is necessary for your protection. Some examples include if you're married to someone who has an addiction or abuses you.
Hiding Money From Your Spouse
Some spouses become secretive about money and will hide it in various ways out of fear that the other will get upset or argue. In a blog post on financial infidelity, Cruze listed examples such as hiding purchases, cashback rewards, bank accounts or debts.
She said that honesty is key in relationships and recommended assessing the reason behind the secrecy, whether that's an overspending habit or a control issue. You may find the problem goes beyond your finances.
"And that's what I love about, when you are on the same page with money," Cruze said. "Things come up in life and it actually reveals parts of your marriage that maybe you can work on to get a healthier, wholer marriage."
Not Making Major Purchase Decisions Together
A 2025 Western & Southern survey found that 53% of couples argued about spending habits and 32% wished they had brought up this topic earlier.
While relationship issues can arise even from small, frequent purchases, Cruze said that major purchase decisions are especially important to discuss together to ensure alignment. These may include items like cars, home renovation projects, gadgets and appliances.
Cruze recommended setting a rule for purchases over a certain amount, which can vary based on your budget and comfort level. While a low $100 threshold might work for your relationship, another couple might agree to discuss purchases over $500 or $1,000.
Thinking Your Financial Beliefs Are the Only Way
While it's important to have shared values on matters like using debt, giving and saving, Cruze suggested that differences are OK for the smaller stuff. She used the example of how she's more willing to splurge on good hotels than her husband is.
"We're gonna have different ways of viewing life," Cruze said, "but if I just stay in my lane of experiences and what I want, when I spend all the way, I do miss out on another opinion."
If you and your spouse disagree about money, consider Cruze's advice: approach the difference with humility, consider your spouse's perspective and be open to learning from their insights.
Not Aligning Your Financial Goals
Achieving financial goals takes hard work regardless of your marital status and it gets even trickier when you and your spouse aren't on the same page. Success will require awareness of your shared goals and agreement on steps to achieve them, such as budgeting and saving.
Cruze said she and her husband go through periods when they're working toward major goals and then take breaks. She mentioned planning a yearly "dream date" to discuss big goals without worrying about the money required, which she has found fun regardless of the goal's timeline.
Cruze added, "You're naturally going to have the things that you enjoy that your spouse might, but this bigger picture of goals overall, getting together and working, you know, off the same sheet of paper, if you will, it is so, so helpful."
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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