Financial Infidelity May Be Best in Some Circumstances

Many estate planning advisors will suggest that you be completely honest with your spouse in financial matters, but one estate planning consultant suggests three situations where financial infidelity may be the best idea.

1. You have a solid relationship but you just don’t see eye to eye on some “finer” things in life: If you can communicate about everything with one another, it might be ok to give each other the liberty to consume items without input from the other partner. If you choose to do this, make sure that you have a really strong bond and that you’re working toward the same broad goal that you both envision for your family’s financial future.

2. Rocky Relationship: If you’re going through a prolonged difficult patch in your marriage, then 100% honesty may not always be the best policy. In every event though, a child’s long-term security should be provided for.

3. You have your own grown-up kids: When one spouse has grown kids from a previous relationship, the adult children from that earlier marriage should have some financial privacy. If that child has a private request for some financial help, your individual bond with your child should be free from interference of your current spouse.

See Jacoba Urist, 3 Times You Should Commit Financial Infidelity This Year, Huffington Post, Jan. 7, 2012.