Joint Accounts
Could My Partner’s Privileged Background Doom Our Relationship?
He grew up rich and doesn’t have to work. I barely have any savings.
Dear Joint Accounts,
My partner and I come from very different backgrounds. He grew up with significant privilege, and on our first date, he told me that he didn’t need to work because his parents, who are deceased, left enough money for him to cover his kids’ education and invest the rest for a passive income. I, on the other hand, grew up in a working-class family with parents who were extremely financially irresponsible. They’re on food stamps, and I send them money every month for their basic expenses.
I’m in a better financial place than they are, but I still have no savings, a fact that I’m too embarrassed to share with my partner. Is the difference between our financial situations a deal breaker? How do I make sure it doesn’t drive a wedge between us?
Sincerely,
Financially Shamed
Dear Financially Shamed:
Good news: You’re far from alone. It’s almost impossible to find a couple where both people have the same financial situations and backgrounds. We all have different experiences with money growing up, and the way we…
