Forget chores, in-laws, or the thermostat — the biggest threat to your relationship might be your bank account. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who are married or living with a partner say money is a top relationship stressor, including 34% who say it is their number one source of stress, according to a new CFP Board report released October 5 and announced via GlobeNewswire.
The findings, from the report To Have and to Hold: Couples Navigating Money and Commitment, were unveiled at CFP Board's Connections Conference 2026 in Las Vegas. No group is immune: the finding holds across gender, race, income level, education, and size of investments. Finances greatly outpace other relationship stressors, including health (46%), work-life balance (36%), household chores (35%), job stress and insecurity (33%), intimacy (30%), and parenting (27%). Yet many couples avoid the topic entirely — 46% say money is the most uncomfortable subject to discuss with their partner.
"Money is rarely just about money," said CFP Board CEO K. Dane Snowden. "It's where some of the biggest questions in a relationship come up: What do we value? What tradeoffs are we willing to make? Couples don't need to agree on every dollar, but open conversations and a clear financial plan can help turn hard choices into decisions they own together."
The survey also reveals just how deeply money is woven into modern commitment. Three in five (60%) Americans in a committed relationship say combining finances is more intimate than moving in together, and 59% say it is a deal breaker for their partner to have bad financial habits. More than half (54%) believe they could not truly love someone whose money habits they distrust, and 49% would not commit to someone with different money habits. The takeaway for couples: the money talk may be uncomfortable, but avoiding it could cost more than dollars.
Photo: Weston Brophy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons