Statistics About Financial Infidelity

A couple sitting on a couch having a stressful argument.

Nearly half of Americans admit to lying about money to their partners — yet most don’t consider it a dealbreaker. Is financial infidelity the most overlooked form of betrayal?

Americans may not consider financial infidelity to be as serious as physical or emotional cheating, but it can still have significant and potentially relationship-ending consequences. That’s why we surveyed America about this surprisingly common issue — to better understand why financial infidelity happens, the kinds of secrets people keep, and their impact on both finances and relationships.

Key Findings

Men are twice as likely as women to hide major purchases from their partners — and 1 in 5 men admit to secretly spending over $1,000.
Social media is fueling secret spending. 1 in 5 Americans admit they’ve lied about a purchase influenced by Instagram or TikTok.
Half of Americans admit to hiding receipts from their partner — but for 1 in 3, secret spending is a weekly habit.
Millennials are the most financially dishonest generation; 72% admit to lying about money to a partner.
Younger generations are the most secretive — Gen Z is more likely than any other group to keep separate bank accounts from their partner.
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans avoid talking about money with their partner, setting the stage for financial infidelity.

How Many Americans Are Financially Unfaithful?

One in two Americans admit to committing financial infidelity, whether that’s lying about a transaction or hiding a secret account.

So the question isn’t whether people keep financial secrets from their loved ones, but rather, what kinds of secrets do they keep?

Hidden purchases: 59%;
Lied about how much they spent: 54%;
Avoided financial discussions: 27%;
Gave money to someone else: 27%;
Kept a secret bank account or credit card: 26%;
Lied about their debt: 25%;
Kept bonuses, raises, or windfalls a secret: 17%;
Spent money on gambling or risky investments: 15%.

However, these practices vary by generation. For instance, 67% of Gen Xers hide purchases from their partner, but only 52% of Gen Zers do the same. And while 4% of baby boomers have secretly gambled or made risky investments, a whopping 21% of millennials have done so too.

Despite generational differences, some financial habits remain surprisingly consistent. Nearly equal shares of Gen X (59%), Gen Z (58%), and millennials (58%) admit to lying about the cost of a purchase. The only outlier? Baby boomers, with a lower 38% engaging in the same practice.

Financial Infidelity Is a Concern, But Not a Major One

For 74% of Americans, being financially unfaithful isn’t nearly as serious as lying about other things, like cheating. However, 1 in 5 Americans believe it’s just as bad as physical infidelity.

In a few instances, money-related lies and secrets actually overlap with cheating. For instance, nearly half of Americans (47%) consider buying a gift for someone like an ex or a coworker to be financial infidelity, while another 36% say it depends on the gift’s value.

Despite all this, some acts of financial infidelity don’t seem to pose a problem. For instance, 84% of people think it’s OK to hide a savings account from a partner, depending on the circumstances.

All that to say, Americans’ feelings about financial infidelity aren’t clear-cut and depend heavily on both the specific behavior and the amount of money involved.

Americans are uncertain about how they’d react to financial deception from a partner: Only 11% would feel indifferent, while 19% would feel betrayed. A quarter (25%) would be understanding, and the largest share — 44% — would feel conflicted.

Americans are also divided on forgiveness when it comes to financial infidelity. 54% say it would depend on the circumstances and the severity of the betrayal, even if their partner came clean.

Americans Agree: Financial Infidelity Is Becoming More Common

There’s one thing Americans do agree on: financial infidelity is on the rise. Six in ten (60%) believe it’s becoming more common, while only 5% think it’s less prevalent than before.

This opinion varies significantly from generation to generation. Only 45% of baby boomers have the perception that it’s more common nowadays. That number rises to 60% for Gen X, and 67% for both millennials and Gen Z.

Baby boomers may believe — or have learned from their own experiences — that financial infidelity has always been an issue, while younger generations might consider the financial aspect of relationships to be more complex now than it was before.

When it comes to age, who do people perceive as the biggest culprits when it comes to financial infidelity?

19-24: 10%;
25-34: 40%;
34-44: 30%;
45-54: 12%;
55+: 9%.

From this you can see that baby boomers are significantly more likely to believe their own age group engages in financial infidelity, despite other generations having a very different view.

24% of baby boomers perceive people over the age of 55 to be most likely to engage in financial infidelity. However, only 8% of Gen Xers and 1% of millennials feel the same, and no one in Gen Z holds this opinion.

Gen Z experiences something similar. 36% have the perception that most financial infidelity occurs in their age group (19-24). But only 10% of millennials, 7% of Gen X, and 6% of baby boomers agree.

It could be that both older and younger demographics experience financial infidelity more frequently, making it seem more common in their generation.

Generational differences in financial management may also influence views on financial infidelity. Here’s how couples handle their money across generations:

Baby boomers: 19% keep entirely separate accounts, while 25% maintain both joint and individual accounts.
Gen X: 27% manage finances separately, and 32% use a mix of joint and individual accounts.
Millennials: 36% keep finances separate, while 31% opt for a combination of joint and individual accounts.
Gen Z: 39% have totally separate accounts and 27% have a mixture.

Younger generations don’t rely on partners for their financial stability as much as older ones do. While younger couples keep their finances separate more often, they still need to combine resources to achieve long-term goals like home ownership, raising a family, or saving for retirement.

An overwhelming 86% of Americans believe financial infidelity can harm those goals.

So while people agree financial infidelity doesn’t have the same emotional impact as physical infidelity, it can impact trust as couples plan for their financial future.

Most Americans Have Something To Hide From Their Partner

57% of Americans admit to hiding financial activity from their partners.

That said, Americans offer different levels of financial transparency in their relationships. And it’s much easier to keep financial activities private without transparency.

Only 16% of people are totally transparent about their finances.
55% are mostly transparent but keep some money details to themselves.
20% are somewhat transparent, sharing limited information.
9% don’t discuss finances or share information with their significant other.

However, this lack of information sharing may not be on purpose. The financial arrangements of many couples naturally allow for some privacy. Overall, 29% of partners maintain separate bank accounts, with an additional 30% having a mix of joint and private accounts. Only 22% have all joint accounts.

Whether due to independent finances or financial infidelity, almost everyone makes purchases without telling their partner. Here’s how often they do it:

Daily: 11%;
Weekly: 20%;
Monthly: 45%.

Couples may not think that sharing financial information on a regular basis is necessary. But generally, discussions about money have to happen from time to time. Here’s how couples handle such conversations:

12% rarely or never talk about money.
46% have open, constructive conversations about finances at least once a month.
21% discuss money occasionally or frequently, but these conversations tend to be tense, stressful, or argumentative.

A fear of conflict or a desire to avoid confrontation in the relationship could be a motivating factor in financial infidelity — especially for couples who struggle to discuss finances.

But What, Exactly, Are They Hiding?

66% of Americans have hidden a purchase of $500 or less, making them more likely to hide smaller purchases than bigger ones.

However, men and women take a different approach when it comes to the types of financial secrets they keep. 20% of men admitted to making secret purchases between $500 and $1,000, while 19% spent more than $1,000 without telling their partner. In contrast, only 12% of women made secret purchases in the $500–$1,000 range, and just 9% spent over $1,000 in secret.

Additionally, there are also generational differences. 80% of baby boomers admit to hiding purchases of $500 or less, compared to 63% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials.

However, 18% of Gen Z have made secret purchases of $1,000 or more, significantly higher than 7% of baby boomers, 8% of Gen X, and 9% of millennials.

The larger secret purchases align with the fact that Gen Z couples are more likely to have separate bank accounts. After all, it’s far easier to hide any kind of purchase with an account that partners aren’t able to see or access.

How Common Are Financial Infidelity and Other Dishonest Financial Behaviors?

While 57% of people admit to financial infidelity with a romantic partner, another 37% confess to hiding purchases or lying about expenses to a family member, such as a parent. Lying to close friends about money isn’t as common (4%), but can still count as financial infidelity.

Most financial infidelity occurs in romantic relationships. A majority of people in relationships (65%) admit to lying about money at least once. Here’s what they typically lie about:

A purchase: 33%;
Debt: 16%;
Income, savings, or windfalls: 16%.

Only 35% of Americans claim they’ve never lied to their partner about money. However, even this figure varies by generation:

Baby boomers: 46%;
Gen X: 32%;
Millennials: 28%;
Gen Z: 41%.

Interestingly, this suggests that baby boomers and Gen Z are the most financially transparent generations, while millennials are the least.

Further, people are more honest with their parents than their partners, with 44% never lying to their folks about money.

17% of people admit to lying about debt or loans.
20% confess to lying about income or savings.
7% say they lie about how they spent financial gifts or assistance from parents.

1 in 10 people claim they’re guilty of all of the above.

This is another area with significant generational differences, with some age groups much more likely to lie to their parents than others. Here’s how honest each generation is when it comes to finances, including debt, income, savings, and financial support:

Baby boomers: 72%;
Gen X: 44%;
Millennials: 29%;
Gen Z: 29%.

Once again, baby boomers are overwhelmingly the most financially honest of all generations. And though Gen Z may be as honest with their romantic partners as baby boomers, they’re the least honest generation when it comes to their parents.

America Puts Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

Americans say they’re less concerned about financial lies than other forms of infidelity. But does that stance change when it hits close to home? Among the 54% who have uncovered a loved one’s financial secrets, the reality may be different.

23% said the lie or secret caused temporary tension.
20% said the impact was minimal.
7% said the experience brought them closer to their partner or family member.
Only 4% ended their relationship due to the incident.

The temporary tension from these financial secrets could be due to the small amounts involved in most instances. Here’s the highest amount Americans admit to secretly spending:

Under $100: 30%;
$100-$500: 36%;
$500-$1,000: 16%;
$1,000-$2,500: 10%;
$2,500-$5,000: 4%;
$5,000 or more: 4%.

Though lies about minor purchases may be forgivable, debt or a lack of income is another matter. After all, these issues can potentially impact your long-term financial planning and plans, like buying a home or saving for retirement.

Perhaps this is why many try to solve financial issues without involving their loved ones. Though 52% of Americans have never gotten another job to deal with financial issues, plenty of others:

19% don’t currently work a second job, but they’ve considered it.
18% have had a secret side hustle in the past but currently don’t.
11% currently have a side hustle. And though their partner knows about the extra work, they don’t know that the goal of the job is to pay off debts.

Again, there are stark generational differences.

Only 3% of boomers have a secret side hustle, while 78% never have.
10% of Gen X have a second job to secretly relieve debt, with 50% never doing so.
14% of millennials have a side hustle, but 39% have never considered this step.
15% of Gen Z work another job in secret, though 36% have never done so.

A desire to take care of secret debts before they start complicating a relationship could play a role in the generational differences in side hustles. After all, younger people may still be working toward significant financial milestones, like buying a house or working on paying down student loan debt. These are issues baby boomers are far less likely to face.

However, these figures also align with the generational makeup of gig workers. Younger people, including millennials and Gen Z, are far more likely to work on side hustles than baby boomers.

Hidden financial activities require a bank account or credit card that is also kept secret. 20% of Americans have a secret account their partner doesn’t know about, while another 15% know someone who does.

That said, age matters here too. Here’s how many people from each generation have a secret account:

Baby boomers: 10%;
Gen X: 21%
Millennials: 23%;
Gen Z: 26%.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, baby boomers are significantly less likely to have an account hidden from their partner. Though the remaining generations are fairly consistent, Gen Z is ultimately the generation most likely to keep this kind of secret.

Social media is fueling secret spending — Americans admit platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook tempt them into financial infidelity:

67% claim their spending habits remain un-influenced by social media.
13% admit to making social media-influenced purchases, though without any relationship consequences.
10% say spending due to social media’s influence has caused tension with their partner.
10% have made purchases due to social media influence and hidden them from their partner entirely.

In the age of social media, secret spending is on the rise — one in five people admit to making purchases influenced by social platforms that either strain their relationship or lead to financial infidelity. But what exactly are they buying that they don’t want their partner to know about?

Experiences (dining, events): 32%;
Luxury goods or branded items: 27%;
Subscriptions or memberships: 27%;
Home decor or lifestyle upgrades: 25%;
Travel or vacations: 16%;
Adult content: 13%.

As you can see, most of these purchases were for non-essential items, which might cause tension for any couples struggling financially. Beyond that, these kinds of purchases could easily lead to questions from partners, bring accusations of money wasting, or even indicate physical or emotional infidelity.

Why Are So Many People Financially Unfaithful?

For most, the cause of financial infidelity is more complex than simply trying to emulate the lifestyles they see on social media. Here’s why Americans are dishonest about finances:

Avoiding difficult conversations about money: 21%;
Maintaining control over finances: 19%;
Fear of judgment: 18%:
Worry about harming the relationship: 14%;
Belief that it’s no one else’s business: 13%;
Embarrassment about the amount of debt: 8%.

Further, layoffs and reduced hours have plagued 57% of Americans — and have inspired them to keep financial secrets. Though 20% have been transparent with their partners about job challenges, 27% have temporarily hidden financial information while resolving the problem. An additional 10%, however, have actively hidden things instead.

Why take such steps when struggling financially? Well, it depends — there are a few reasons people avoid discussing finances with their partners:

To avoid conflict or arguments: 43%;
To maintain control over financial decisions: 12%;
To avoid embarrassment or judgment: 11%.

The goal is most often to avoid uncomfortable discussions or feelings in the relationship rather than to manipulate a partner or spend their money.

Two-thirds of Americans Believe Open Communication Is the Antidote to Financial Infidelity

At the end of the day, most Americans have a clear idea about how to best prevent financial infidelity:

Open and honest communication: 67%;
Setting clear boundaries and goals: 54%;
Regular check-ins and meetings: 37%;
Education on financial literacy: 28%;
Using financial tracking tools or apps: 25%;
Seeking financial counseling: 22%.

It’s no surprise that communication is the top choice here. After all, even couples with separate bank accounts have to make plans for common financial goals, such as property purchases, retirement, vehicles, or investments. Making clear plans — like setting up annuities or retirement accounts and using the proper tools to clearly define savings goals — can help make financial plans more concrete.

Financial infidelity is common and can complicate relationships. However, communication, well-planned goals, and clear boundaries can help Americans address and overcome issues that cause them to keep financial secrets from their loved ones.

Methodology

For this survey, we gathered answers from 1,000 people across the country. They came from 49 states and represented four different generations: baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z.

50% of initial respondents indicated they had committed financial infidelity. For the purposes of this survey, we only moved forward with those who had done so.

Our questions covered both actions, such as concealing purchases from a partner, and opinions, such as feelings on the seriousness of financial infidelity. We explored the motivations for financial infidelity, including the reasons why someone would lie about or hide financial information from a loved one.

To get a complete picture of financial infidelity, we asked our questions to people with different relationship statuses. 42% were married, 17% unmarried but in committed relationships, 17% single and not dating, 10% single and casually dating, 10% divorced, and 4% windowed. This diversity of relationships helped us get a more complete picture of financial infidelity.

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