Financial Stability Important in a Partner or Spouse

Forty-one percent of Americans consider financial stability to be among the traits they find most important in a spouse/partner, ranking only behind personal values (78%) and personality (73%), according to a survey by SunTrust Banks.

In addition, more people value financial stability than looks (21%) or physical fitness (21%).

The SunTrust survey also found that one-third of Americans in a relationship believe they are the saver and their spouse/partner is the spender. In contrast, only 21% claimed they are the spender and their spouse/partner is the saver.

SunTrust is leading the onUp movement to help people achieve financial confidence. Couples can go to onup.com to take a Mental Wealth Quiz, which assesses a person’s financial mindset and offers actionable tips.

“People identify financial stability as an important trait because they know money—and how one manages it—impacts a relationship,” says Brian Ford, financial well-being executive at SunTrust Bank. “People often enter relationships with different monetary goals and views. For example, one may want to save more for retirement and can’t understand why a partner is more focused on short-term experiences. The keys to overcoming financial discord in a relationship are communication and compromise.”

The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of SunTrust from January 10 to 12, 2017, among 2,174 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.