Researchers at Indiana State University have found that pooling financial resources after marriage is associated with a stronger marriage. The research was published in the journal Journal of Consumer Research.
The study included 230 engaged or recently married couples. On average, participants met five years before they were married. Before the wedding, everyone had separate bank accounts. The participants were then divided into two groups: the first was asked to open a joint family account, and the second was asked to sign out of their individual bank account.
Two years later, the most satisfied marriages were reported by couples with a joint budget. They also struggled less for money and managed money more effectively.
Only 10% had children during the study. Having children did not affect the probability of divorce.
About 20% of couples were divorced at the end of the study, and many had separate accounts from the group. Scientists suggest that individual accounts maintain a sense of independence, which makes it easier to decide on divorce.