Only 12% of over-50s share all their cash with their spouse, survey finds

Only one in eight married people aged over 50 share all their money with their spouse in a joint account, a survey has found.

Just 12% of married couples in this age group pool all of their money together in a joint account, Saga Savings said.

The study found that three quarters (74%) of couples have some kind of joint account, with two thirds (67%) of them saying it made it easier to manage their finances.

But while many people did have a joint account, two thirds (66%) of couples said they shared less than half of their money with their partner.

Among couples without a joint account, the most common reason for not sharing money was that they found it easier to manage their own finances, the survey of 5,000 couples over 50 found.

Nearly nine in 10 (89%) couples who share the majority of their money felt the cash was equally theirs.

Seven in 10 (72%) of those sharing the majority of their cash felt it was an important part of a trusting relationship.

And nearly half (45%) who share the majority of their cash said it helped them to discuss their finances openly.

Jeff Bromage, managing director at Saga Personal Finance, said: “Taking the step of opening your first joint account is often a significant moment in a relationship, our research shows that how you manage such joint accounts over a lifetime is just as important.

“The majority of married couples we spoke to share our belief that pooling your money is part of having a trusting relationship and an essential part of managing their finances.”