Financial Infidelity in Romantic and Blended Family Relationships

In an era where financial transparency is increasingly emphasized, the concept of financial infidelity—concealing, lying about, or secretly manipulating money in a relationship—has emerged as a growing concern in romantic and blended family dynamics. Unlike traditional infidelity, which centers on emotional or physical betrayal, financial infidelity often unfolds silently, rooted in avoidance, secrecy, or control. While romantic partners may strive to build mutual trust, hidden spending, undisclosed debts, and covert financial behaviors can undermine relationship stability, leading to erosion of trust and long-term emotional damage. This issue becomes even more complex in blended families, where step-relations, financial obligations to previous partners, and emotional boundaries intersect with household money decisions. As digital banking, informal financial management, and evolving cultural norms reshape the way couples interact with money, deeper research is urgently needed to understand how financial infidelity develops, varies across cultures, and influences relationship health.

Who Can Use These Topics

This research is ideal for students and professionals pursuing the following courses or strands:

College Programs:

• BS Psychology

• BS Social Work

• BS Family Life and Child Development

• BSBA Financial Management

• BA Sociology

• BS Criminology

Senior High School Strands:

• Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

• Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM)

• General Academic Strand (GAS)

Why This Topic Needs Research

Despite increasing academic interest in romantic financial dynamics, several research gaps remain:

• Limited exploration beyond infidelity models: While financial infidelity has been modeled within blended families, there is limited empirical evidence on how estate planning, caregiving, and joint tax decisions are affected by emotional ties and household complexity (Van Cleve et al., 2024).

• Demographic diversity underexplored: Many studies focus on Western, middle- to high-income, heterosexual couples. There is a lack of representation from lower-income, non-traditional, and collectivist cultures that may define and perceive financial secrecy differently (Mong et al., 2021).

• Cultural variations in financial secrecy: While validated scales like the FI-Scale exist, few studies have investigated how financial infidelity manifests across diverse cultural and relationship forms, such as non-married or cohabiting partners in Asia (Garbinsky et al., 2020).

• Lack of integrative deception models: Emotional secrecy and boundary-setting in finances are often studied separately from broader relational deception. This leaves a gap in understanding how couples define betrayal across relational, cultural, and financial lines (Jeanfreau et al., 2020).

• Understudied snooping behaviors: While snooping is a growing area of interest, few studies assess how financial monitoring plays out in cultures where joint finances are not the norm or where financial independence is culturally prioritized (Joseph, 2024).

• Divorce-related fraud remains under-analyzed: Financial deception during divorce is acknowledged but under-measured. There is little data on common fraud tactics, profiles of perpetrators, and the role of forensic accounting in prevention (Stowell et al., 2024).

• Ambiguity in financial cues: Relationship dynamics surrounding financial discretion, misinterpretation, or indirect observation remain a gray area. It’s unclear when discretion is protective versus deceptive (Olson & Rick, 2022).

Feasibility & Challenges by Target Group

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References

Garbinsky, E. N., Gladstone, J. J., Nikolova, H., & Olson, J. G. (2020). Love, lies, and money: Financial infidelity in romantic relationships. Journal of Consumer Research, 47(1), 1-24.

Jeanfreau, M. M., Holden, C., & Brazeal, M. (2020). Our money, my secrets: Why married individuals commit financial infidelity. Contemporary Family Therapy, 42, 46-54.

Joseph, M. A. (2024). Worth a Look: Motivations and Consequences of Financial Snooping in Romantic Relationships (Doctoral dissertation, Carleton University).

Mong, M. D., Stadthagen-Gonzalez, H., Noguchi, K., & Jeanfreau, M. M. (2021). When your partner cheats: Financial infidelity in committed couples. Journal of Financial Therapy, 12(1), 127.

Olson, J. G., & Rick, S. I. (2022). “You spent how much?” Toward an understanding of how romantic partners respond to each other's financial decisions. Current opinion in psychology, 43, 70-74.

Stowell, N. F., Schmidt, M. K., Katz, I., Segrest, S. L., & Pacini, C. (2024). Unveiling Financial Fraud in Divorce: Types, Taxes, Red Flags, and Investigative Steps. Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, 16(1).

Van Cleve, M., McWhorter Keamo, A., Lutter, S., & Yorgason, J. B. (2024). Financial Infidelity in Blended Families: Determinants and Detriments. Journal of Financial Therapy, 15(2), 2.

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