2019 Conference

Financial well-being, Financial inclusion, Actor-Partner effect, Intrahousehold, Dyadic Analysis

Financial decisions made within the household have perhaps the most significant impact on the quality of the relationship and the well-being of household members.  Existing literature documents the effects of financial strains on family relationships, especially on the relationship between husband and wife. Little work, however, has connected a given spouse’s inclusion in the intra-household economy and the power dynamics it creates to economic outcomes, such as financial well-being, for the individual spouses. This dyadic study examines how intrahousehold financial inclusion (i.e., being involved in the acquisition, management, and/or control of money within the marriage) impacts financial well-being and relationship quality. Using the Actor-Partner Independence Model, we find that financial well-being scores increase when both spouses have a sense of shared power. If one or both spouses have a sense of individual power, financial well-being scores decrease. These findings did not differ by gender of the actor or partner spouse. Our findings suggest that a given spouse’s financial well-being is influenced not only by their inclusion in intrahousehold financial decisions but also by their spouse’s.