Financial warning signs to watch out for when in a relationship

When a relationship starts, everything is all rosy and every day seems like Valentine’s Day, until it isn’t. You might be in love with your partner and everything is going as planned but when you cannot agree on your finances, there’s a problem.

Other than the usual culprits, money spawns the greatest risk of breaking a relationship if not properly addressed on the initial stages of a relationship.

Here are some financial trouble warning signs to watch out for when in a relationship:

Never splitting bills

When dating, both of you owe each other nothing. When you go for dates and you always find yourself paying all the bills and your partner is relaxed, this could be a red flag to watch out for.

When your partner is relaxed towards sharing bills, this is how things will be in future. You don’t expect them to change overnight when they are used to being spoilt and taken care of by you.

You will find yourself in a position where you have to take care of all bills in the house while your partner uses their money for luxuries and things that don’t matter in the house. Not unless it is a surprise date you had no idea about, splitting bills is a fundamental part of a blossoming relationship.

Always lies about money

Lying is the basis of failure in any relationship. When you constantly find your partner in a lie when it comes to money, this should be a red flag not only for money but for the whole relationship.

Be wary of people who make promises they cannot keep or those when you meet for dates and they are always having excuses for not being able to pay bills. This time they forgot their wallet next time they hadn’t gone to the ATM.

All these are warning signs of someone who isn’t straight with their money. In future such people could conceal big debts, secret purchases or even accounts. Such lies can lead failure of meeting family budget goals and a strained retirement plan or divorce. When a relationship starts in lies, the future is not very bright.

Refuses to talk about money

When a relationship is starting off, obviously talking about finances would be weird. However, after a few months of dating or even moving in together and your partner still refuses to talk about money, this could be a problem.

When your partner refuses to share their finances with you, this could mean they want to stay in control of their own finances or they don’t want you to know their financial status.

Sometimes this could be driven by fear or embarrassment of how much they earn or they hate taking charge of bills. This can be worsened if they are interested in your money but won’t talk about their own. When your partner is reluctant about talking about their finances, talk to them and have a definitive action otherwise this could be the rest of your life.

Always borrowing money

When you are in a relationship with someone who always seems to be in debt or is always asking you for money. This is a major red flag. Do you find yourself in a position where you hate your end months? In reality end months are fun and you should be happy to be receiving your salary, but for you it is time to help your partner pay up on their ever late unending bills.

A financial crisis that is rare is understandable but when someone constantly lives beyond their means, this is not right. When your partner cannot manage their finances or budget well, you will never be able to save or plan with them and this will derail your finances eventually.

A flashy lifestyle

When your partner is always constantly buying you flashy gifts, dressing in designer outfits and taking you to expensive restaurants and they cannot afford it, this could be a warning sign. A person with a plan should be able to live within their means and be able to plan and see the future.

People who live for the now don’t have future plans and when you have them as partners, this could be a problem for you in future when you put in place serious family goals. Pay attention to how your partner lives if it is not commensurate to their salary, also listen to their talks if it is all about spending and going out or investments and saving.

Follows all investment tips blindly

It would be a good thing to have a partner who wants to save and invest in the future. However, when they are always taking advice on markets and investments blindly, this could be a red flag. If a person has no financial expertise on how to invest and follows friends and unprofessional sources, they are likely to gamble their savings away.

This problem though can be solved by talking to them and seeing financial experts, but if they are stuck on listening and following their queer sources blindly then that’s a warning sign.