Ah, Valentine's Day. Time to whisper sweet nothings about—money?
Probably not.
According to both Fidelity Investments' Couples Retirement Study and the latest COUNTRY Financial Security Index survey, discussion of money matters can lead, not to sweet connubial bliss, but to marital discord.
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The Fidelity study found that 47 percent of couples argue about money, while the COUNTRY Financial survey puts that figure at 54 percent.
Although 91 percent of respondents to the latter say that doesn't stop them from believing money talk between significant others is important, one out of four in the Fidelity study said their financial arguments are never resolved.
Spending habits can be a major hindrance to romance, with 67 percent of Fidelity respondents citing that as a cause for those arguments—but so can failure to save enough money, which was in second place at 37 percent.
Bills were third on the list, at 33 percent, and although debt came in fourth at 29 percent it occupies a place all its own.
According to the COUNTRY Financial survey, debt is the single biggest concern—with 78 percent of respondents believing that someone who is single and dating should be worried about that date's debt status.
In fact, 38 percent of those respondents would break off a relationship if the debt level was too high.
But that varies from generation to generation.
Millennials, so many of whom are saddled with incredible amounts of student loan debt, appear to have accepted it as a fact of life, with 64 percent preferring to date a college graduate with significant student loan debt than someone who may come debt free but lacks that diploma.
And while 78 percent of the general population is concerned about how much debt their dates may have, only 67 percent of millennials cite that as a concern.
Older folks are definitely not so forgiving; 88 percent of Americans over age 65 believe a significant other's debt should cause concern for someone who is single and dating.
Asked what sort of financial advice they'd give to newlyweds, retirement topped the list for Fidelity participants, 57 percent of whom put "save as early as possible for retirement" at the top of the list.
Forty-one percent said that all financial decisions should be made together, 39 percent said couples should make a budget and stick to it, and 38 percent advocated an emergency fund.
And while 26 percent said not to hide expenditures from one another, that could make it a bit of a challenge to surprise a significant other with a lavish Valentine's present…
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