Erin Lowry, Columnist

Don’t Let Your Love Story End With Financial Infidelity

It’s a betrayal that often starts out small, but can sometimes grow to be just as unforgivable as an extramarital affair.

February 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM UTC

By Erin Lowry

Erin Lowry is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering personal finance. She is the author of the three-part “Broke Millennial” series.

I love you. But I love my money more.
Illustration: Taylor Tyson/Bloomberg; Jamie Grill via Getty Images and Mathieu Stern via Unsplash

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As we enter Valentine’s Day weekend, financial infidelity isn’t exactly a topic that exudes romance. But lovebirds who don’t make the discussion a foundational piece of their relationship risk adding avoidable strain on their union.

For couples unfamiliar with the term, financial infidelity is the act of lying to a partner about money habits or behaviors. According to a 2021 National Endowment for Financial Education poll, 43% of US adults admitted to committing at least one form of financial deception.