To ask - does your partner/husband know how much you earn or what you have in savings?

[MerryPinkCritic]

I’ve been thinking about how open people are with their finances in relationships. Some couples share everything, some keep things separate and some… don’t even ask.

So I’m curious, does your partner know what you earn or how much you’ve saved? Do you think it’s healthy to be totally transparent or is some financial privacy important?

Yes, we know what we earn and how much we have in savings. We have a joint account for food and household type items, and otherwise we just pay certain bills each as we earn different amounts and it works out best that way.

He's more frugal than I am but as long as we are paying in the amount we need to cover our bills and expenses, I don't care what he spends his disposable income on and vice versa.

Yes as we share everything.

He earns twice as much as I do but I've always had more family money to put into savings.

Everything is ours.

I earn 0 so yes, he knows!

Earnings yes. Savings - i keep spreadsheets for both of us but DH is pretty clueless so although he's welcome to look at mine he doesn't often.

I don't know what are savings are. He earns more than me and he manages all.the finances..I can't be bothered with it

We have joint finances and joint savings, so yes we know how much each other earns, and how much we have in savings and also pensions so we can do some future planning.

I'm engaged and we do not currently have a joint bank account. He knows how much I earn and I know how much he earns, but he has no idea about my savings - I came into a large inheritance and have kept that private since we met.

In theory yes to earnings but I wouldn't be surprised if he has forgotten. I know his - it all goes into our joint account anyway but he rarely accesses it.
Savings no. But it's all it's all joint savings, it is just harder to set up a joint account and it's me that mostly sorts the savings.

Why are you keeping secrets? Do you not trust him?

Same here.

Nothing to do with trust, it's not something that I would have disclosed when beginning to date someone for obvious reasons. I have said I have ample savings when we get round to buying a property, but for now there has never been a point where it's been relevant to state how much money I have in my bank.

DH knows exactly a vice versa, joint current account and tactically split savings to avoid tax, balance risk on investments. We have shared goals, neither of us spends much on ourselves, not much flex in the budget, once the kids stop being such a drain that might change.

Yes - we do a financial review every year so we can see what sensible to change for next year eg how much extra to put into pensions etc etc. we’re transparent with each other

No, and I don't know his. 35 years of marriage prove that separate finances work really well. It's not "secret", just independent. It also means that there's rarely any need to discuss money - result!

Yes and access fk my accounts should something happen eg isa and premium bonds

We share everything and have total transparency. That's what marriage means to me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered getting married. But other people can do what suits them of course.

DH is several years older than me and not in the best of health. Not knowing each of our financial positions doesn't make sense in our case.

I'd struggle with the concept of discussing spending £100 of my money, money I've earned and similarly wouldn't expect partner to ask me.

Anything I want to spend my money in I can. I might ask for advice or general chat but no way am I seeking permission what to spend my money on.

Same here. I would hate to ask if I could or couldn’t spent money. We still share finances though.

Probably, but it's not that interesting to him so he won't remember.

Yes to salary as we have a joint current account. No to savings - I guess he could work it out if he wanted to but no he doesn’t know how much is there.

DH barely knows what's in his savings account, I have to remind him about ISAs each year so I doubt he knows what is in mine.

Yes he does know but probably not to the nearest 10k when it comes to savings/pension etc. Not because it's hidden but he's not interested in finances so I manage it all.

We have always had joint accounts since we got married and each have our own accounts but can both see all accounts.

48 years married, everything open, why wouldn't it be?

In theory, yes to both. In practice, I doubt it. We pay equal amounts into a joint account for household stuff, holiday savings and Christmas/birthdays, so he knows what’s in there, but beyond that, despite us discussing savings now and then, I don’t think he’s interested enough to remember.