# It was revealed which couples most often argue about money

Couples with separate budgets argue about money nearly twice as often as those who share one. Financial conflicts were reported by 80% of couples with separate finances — compared to 44% among those who pooled their incomes. Moreover, every other couple admitted that after switching to a joint budget, arguments about money simply stopped. These findings come from a study by the developer Level Group.

A total of 52% of survey participants reported that after merging their finances, arguments over money ceased, while another 34% began to conflict significantly less often. Only 14% of respondents noticed no changes at all.

However, not everyone is ready to bring up the topic of money with their partner right away. The study showed that 30% of respondents avoided discussing a joint budget even after a year of being in a relationship, and 29% still feel embarrassed to openly discuss financial matters. Only 18% started talking about money from practically the very first days of living together. The same percentage mustered the courage for such a conversation only after a year.

"A separate trigger for financial transparency is a mortgage. Among couples who took out a joint mortgage, 46% said they began discussing money more frequently and in greater detail afterward," said Yulian Ovechkin, Head of the Mortgage Department at Level Group.

As clinical psychologist and schema therapist Kirill Gorshenin notes, a separate budget does not necessarily signal problems in a relationship in and of itself. Partners can quite well maintain financial autonomy — provided it has been agreed upon in advance.

"A far more serious threat is financial secrecy: hidden debts, loans, major expenses, or loss of income that the other person doesn't know about," the specialist warned.

According to the expert, conversations about money often touch not only on spending but also on deep emotional needs. Finances can be perceived as a symbol of care and security — or, conversely, as a tool of power and pressure. That is precisely why phrases like "you spend too much" sometimes conceal an entirely different problem — anxiety about the future or a feeling of insufficient support.