A planned approach helps families align their finances with their values. Changes in families can cause debt.
Most American couples say the duty is equally shared.
Fifty-five percent of couples say that most of their household financial decisions are made jointly. But among the 44 percent of households reporting that one spouse typically makes the financial decisions, there's some difference of opinion about who's really in charge. Thirty-eight percent of husbands assert that they control the household finances, but just 24 percent of wives agree that their husbands are in charge. If they had to, the vast majority of married people feel capable of making decisions about money on their own. Four percent of couples say they do, though men are twice as likely as women to consult a financial professional to resolve financial disagreements in marriage.