Search

We examined whether shared leisure offers protection against negative associations between financial distress and relationship quality (satisfaction and commitment) for lower‐ and higher‐income couples. We expected husbands' and wives' reports of shared leisure would be protective of the effects of financial distress (Time 2) on relationship satisfaction (Time 3) and commitment (Time 4) for higher‐income couples (but not lower‐income couples). Participants were drawn from a nationally representative, longitudinal study of US newly married couples. The analytic sample included both members of 1382 different‐gender couples with data across the three sampled waves of data collection. Shared leisure was largely protective of the effects of financial distress on husbands' commitment for higher‐income couples. For lower‐income couples, higher shared leisure exacerbated this effect. These effects were only found at extreme levels of household income and shared leisure. When considering if couples who play together stay together, our findings suggest that it can, but it is critical to understand the financial situation of the couple and the resources they may have to support shared leisure activities. Professionals working with couples should consider their financial situation when making recommendation to engage in shared leisure, such as going out for recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between an individual's financial behavior and financial satisfaction is well known. Less evidence is available about how these two constructs interplay within couples. This considered, the current paper aims to (a) examine whether individuals' financial satisfaction is influenced by their own financial behavior (actor effect) and their partner's financial behavior (partner effect); (b) examine whether these two effects vary between husbands and wives; and (c) verify how couples' bank account status (i.e., only joint bank accounts, only separate bank accounts, both joint and separate bank accounts) moderate these effects. The current study draws 1,475 heterosexual early married couples from Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences study and modeled dyadic data through an Actor Partner Interdependence Model. Results indicate that actor's financial behavior is associated only with one's own financial satisfaction (actor effect) and not one's partner's financial satisfaction (partner effect). This holds for both wives and husbands. Furthermore, individuals who hold only joint bank account(s) are more likely to have financial behaviors similar to their partner than individuals who hold only separate bank accounts or both joint and separate accounts. Couples who hold only separate accounts are more likely to engage in less positive financial behavior than their counterparts. Implications for relationship therapists and financial professionals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial anxiety appears to have a significant effect on the lives of many Americans (APA Stress in America™, paying with our health, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 2015) and a source of client distress among mental health clinicians, financial professionals, and financial therapists. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) has been utilized in number disciplines as a way to help professionals interact with clients to create change and improve well-being. This study utilized a version of SFBT that applies its principles and techniques to financially related issues called Solution-Focused Financial Therapy (SFFT; Archuleta et al. in J Financial Ther 6(1):1–16, 2015a; in Financial therapy: theory, research, & practice, Springer, New York, 2015b). More specifically, SFFT was applied to a financial goal setting session. Using quasi-experimental methods, the purpose of this study was to discover whether or not financial anxiety levels were reduced after clients participated in a brief SFFT goal setting session. Results indicate that a SFFT approach to goal setting can reduce financial anxiety for the short-term. Implications for research and mental health, financial, and financial therapy practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]