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The purpose of this study was to develop the Financial Transparency Scale (FTS) to assess financial transparency, the open and honest disclosure of one's finances, between married partners. A sample of 183 individuals married for less than 5 years, in their first marriage, completed an online survey. Principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted and determined the FTS is comprised of three components: Financial Partnership, Financial Secrecy, and Financial Trust and Disclosure. The FTS was positively correlated with four related scales: the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale, the Shared Goals and Values Scale, the Frequency of Financial Management Scale, and the Communication Patterns Questionnaire-Short Form. An alpha of 0.94 was reported for the FTS. Financial practitioners can use the FTS as a tool to determine the level of financial transparency within a couple relationship, identify areas of concern, and illustrate the importance of open and honest communication about finances.

This study utilized qualitative methods to explore perceptions of graduates from Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards, Inc. Registered Programs regarding experiences that impact Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification completion. Participants (N = 16) were classified into four different groups: Certified, In Progress, With Intentions, and No Intentions. In general, the themes that emerged from within case analyses and across cases related to four areas, including preservice experience, intrinsic motivation, employment, and respect for the CFP marks. The results of this study suggest that financial service firms have a number of opportunities to strengthen the interest in a financial planning career and assist recent graduates in their pursuit of CFP certification with time and financial support of the examination process.

We examined whether shared leisure offers protection against negative associations between financial distress and relationship quality (satisfaction and commitment) for lower‐ and higher‐income couples. We expected husbands' and wives' reports of shared leisure would be protective of the effects of financial distress (Time 2) on relationship satisfaction (Time 3) and commitment (Time 4) for higher‐income couples (but not lower‐income couples). Participants were drawn from a nationally representative, longitudinal study of US newly married couples. The analytic sample included both members of 1382 different‐gender couples with data across the three sampled waves of data collection. Shared leisure was largely protective of the effects of financial distress on husbands' commitment for higher‐income couples. For lower‐income couples, higher shared leisure exacerbated this effect. These effects were only found at extreme levels of household income and shared leisure. When considering if couples who play together stay together, our findings suggest that it can, but it is critical to understand the financial situation of the couple and the resources they may have to support shared leisure activities. Professionals working with couples should consider their financial situation when making recommendation to engage in shared leisure, such as going out for recreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of financial concerns on overall mental health has become a popular topic among researchers and practitioners. In this exploratory study, possible associations of financial anxiety were explored using a sample of 180 college students who sought services at a university peer financial counseling center in a Midwestern state. Of particular interest was the influence of debt on student financial anxiety. To measure financial anxiety, a new scale was developed, the Financial Anxiety Scale (FAS), that can be used as a tool for financial planners, counselors, and educators to identify individuals who are experiencing increased levels of financial distress that may call for a referral to an appropriate professional. Results from two hierarchical regressions indicated that financial satisfaction, student loans, and gender are associated with financial anxiety.

The relationship between an individual's financial behavior and financial satisfaction is well known. Less evidence is available about how these two constructs interplay within couples. This considered, the current paper aims to (a) examine whether individuals' financial satisfaction is influenced by their own financial behavior (actor effect) and their partner's financial behavior (partner effect); (b) examine whether these two effects vary between husbands and wives; and (c) verify how couples' bank account status (i.e., only joint bank accounts, only separate bank accounts, both joint and separate bank accounts) moderate these effects. The current study draws 1,475 heterosexual early married couples from Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences study and modeled dyadic data through an Actor Partner Interdependence Model. Results indicate that actor's financial behavior is associated only with one's own financial satisfaction (actor effect) and not one's partner's financial satisfaction (partner effect). This holds for both wives and husbands. Furthermore, individuals who hold only joint bank account(s) are more likely to have financial behaviors similar to their partner than individuals who hold only separate bank accounts or both joint and separate accounts. Couples who hold only separate accounts are more likely to engage in less positive financial behavior than their counterparts. Implications for relationship therapists and financial professionals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We test whether perceived similarity of partners' financial values is associated with marital satisfaction and stability and whether financial communication mediates these associations. Background: Although many studies have found links between finances and marital satisfaction, marital stability has been understudied. Additionally, many studies have examined the impact of couple financial behaviors on marital outcomes but have failed to account for the role of financial values in shaping those behaviors. Couple and finances theory motivated the study and guided our hypotheses. Method: We used dyadic data from the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences project, a nationally representative sample of newlyweds (N = 1,700 different‐sex couples). We conducted an actor–partner interdependence model to test direct and indirect associations. Results: Partners who perceived similar financial values are better able to communicate with their spouse about money, which in turn predicts marital satisfaction and stability. We found both actor and partner associations and evidence of both full and partial mediation. Conclusion: Our results support previous research demonstrating the importance of shared financial values in understanding relationship outcomes. Additionally, financial communication is a mechanism linking these constructs. Implications: Our findings may inform interventions for increasing marital satisfaction and stability and for improving couple financial communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students and military populations can have many similar yet very different characteristics related to their financial lives. Using social learning theory, this study examined factors that influence financial behavior outcomes of both populations using primary data. Findings indicate past behaviors and some personal factors play a significant role in financial behaviors. The most explanatory concept was that of past behaviors, which revealed those respondents with no credit card debt had better financial behaviors than respondents with credit card debt. Soldiers and college students with higher levels of subjective financial knowledge, higher feelings of self-mastery, and lower financial anxiety reported more positive financial behaviors. These findings underscore that college students and soldiers are struggling with similar financial issues despite differences in their lives. This research has implications for financial planners and service providers to understand a client's past behaviors and personal factors in order to provide better financial advice and recommendations.

Abstract College students and military populations can have many similar yet very different characteristics related to their financial lives. Using social learning theory, this study examined factors that influence financial [...]

Research has traditionally focused on the development of symptoms in those who experienced trauma directly but has overlooked the impact of trauma on victims' families. In recent years, researchers and clinicians have begun to examine how individual exposure to traumatic events affects the spouses or partners, children, and professional helpers of trauma survivors. The current study examines qualitative interview data from 17 individuals, analyzed using a retroductive methodology to identify how intimate relationships are affected when there is a history of trauma exposure. The following primary themes were identified: increased communication, decreased communication, increased cohesion/connection, decreased cohesion/connection, increased understanding, decreased understanding, sexual intimacy problems, symptoms of relationship distress, support from partner, and relationship resources. Areas for future research and clinical implications are identified. Keywords: traumatic stress, trauma exposure, couples, intimate relationships, retroductive qualitative analysis