You already understand how hard bank card debt can hit your funds. But have you ever ever considered how unpaid balances could affect your personal life? In response to a survey of America’s divorcees, bank card debt can spell trouble for a relationship — and even play a big role in why couples split up.

Recent survey data shows that a surprising one in three divorced Americans blame bank card debt as a consider their decision to separate from their spouse. What’s more, these same divorcees often find themselves in rather more debt after splitting up.

Bank card debt and hidden spending linked with divorce

Over 1 in 3 divorced Americans say that bank card debt played a component of their decision to separate from their spouse, in accordance with a recent survey of 526 divorcees by credit counseling company Debt.com. Of people who blame bank card debt as a primary factor for his or her divorce, 7 in 10 say that their ex-spouse hid the bank card debt from them.

Broader disagreements over spending have also caused significant rifts in marriages. About 13% of all respondents say disagreements over shopping habits contributed to their frayed marriages, while 23% blame spending on restaurants and bars, and a whopping 57% blame arguments over large expenses like cars and furniture.

Hiding expenses or debt from spouses will not be a modern thing; it’s a habit called “financial infidelity,” and it’s generally defined as choosing not to disclose financial information to your partner despite the fact that it directly affects them.

The stakes of monetary infidelity have gotten increasingly higher annually, too, because the common debt burden grows. Inside the last yr alone, the usual American’s bank card balance increased by 8.2%. “Bank card debt and uncontrolled spending can pose big relationship challenges for married couples,” said Debt.com chairman Howard Dvorkin in the company’s press release. “Those challenges are made tougher when one or each parties in the marriage are hiding spending and debt.”

The financial strain can carry on well after divorce as well, with many respondents saying they are literally tasked with relieving that debt alone. Some 37% of divorced Americans say that after their marriage ended, they assumed sole responsibility over a debt that was previously shared by each partners.

And the financial trouble doesn’t stop there for a variety of; 38% say they’ve taken on a minimum of $10,000 in additional debt for this reason of their divorce. Over 4 in 10 say they lost a minimum of 50 points from their credit standing since divorcing, and only 14% report seeing their scores go up afterward. Nonetheless, only about one quarter of parents said they ever considered separation, quite than divorce, as a cost-cutting measure.

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