Fifteen per cent of Britons over the age of 40 and living with their partner choose to keep some or all of their savings hidden from their other halves, according to recent research.
Prudential conducted a survey into couples' attitudes to financial planning, and found that around 4.5 million people over the age of 40 who are either married or cohabiting hide savings worth an average of £1,037 from their spouse or partner – a secret stash of approximately £4.6 billion.
Around 10% choose to hide money because their don't trust their partner's financial decision making, but around 25% do so to give themselves a financial cushion in the event that they get divorced, or separate from their partner.
More women than men admit to hiding funds (18% compared to 12%) but men on average hide a greater amount (£1,072 for men compared to £1,002 for women).
