Financial problems can have many adverse effects on our lives. In addition to leaving us broke and struggling to make ends meet, they can result in problems at work due to stress, health problems, and a reduced quality of life. In addition, your financial situation can have a profound effect on your relationship with a partner, especially if you are not honest with one another about the state of your finances.

While there are credit repair services that can help those with damaged credit, for many people it may be too little too late. Some have managed to get themselves into huge levels of debt and rather than taking action have simply buried their head in the sand. This results in the financial problem getting worse and worse, taking its toll on relationships because of the strain and in some cases the secrecy.

Being honest about finances

For a couple that is married or living together, being secretive about finances is one of the key things that can drive a wedge between you. As partners, you both have a right to know what the household financial situation is but if one person is keeping secrets about their debts and financial problems, the other may be blissfully unaware until it is much too late.

Secrecy over finances can cause the person who is keeping the secret to be under a lot of strain. This will come across in the way you act and speak with your partner, your mood, and even when it comes to intimacy because your focus will be on financial problems. Your partner may have no idea at all about the financial problems and therefore will have no clue as to why you are acting the way you are. He or she may feel like you have lost interest in them, that you are seeing someone else, or that there is some other major issue.

Even if your partner does eventually find out about the financial situation, the fact that it has been kept secret for so long will naturally make them angry and hurt. Again, this will then drive a wedge between the two of you and will result in lack of trust. Given that trust is vital in any relationship, this could be the start of a downward spiral in some cases.

Making sure that you are honest with your partner about your debts and financial problems could make all the difference. You may feel ashamed or embarrassed about admitting the situation but at the end of the day you can guarantee that your partner would prefer to know rather than being kept in the dark. This then gives you the opportunity to work together in a bid to try and solve the problem and come up with suitable solutions rather than you having all of the strain and stress on your shoulders. Even if your partner is initially upset, at the end of the day they will appreciate the trust and honesty that has come from you.