Financial Issues and Relationship Outcomes Among Cohabiting Individuals

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Family Relations

Volume

60

Publication Date

2011

First Page

178

Last Page

190

Abstract

Few studies have examined how financial relationship issues are associated with cohabiting individuals' risk of union dissolution or marriage. Competing-risks Cox regressions using the cohabiting data in the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 483) found that financial disagreements predicted union dissolution, whereas disagreements about housework, spending time together, sex, and parents did not. Perceived unfairness in finances also predicted union dissolution. Although perceived housework unfairness also positively predicted dissolution, this effect was moderated by gender. Interestingly, neither financial issues nor the other normative problems predicted the likelihood of marriage. These findings suggest that the relationship problems associated with financial issues are particularly salient to cohabiting individuals' decision to end their unions.

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