Although lots of couples find it very difficult to talk about money — leading to lots of situations where one spouse or another is shocked to discover lots of credit card debt or other issues on the part of the other — millennials aren’t like that.

According to a survey by TD Bank on "Love and Money," millennials in relationships not only talk more about money with each other, their relationships are happier for it. A whopping 74 percent of millennial respondents said they discuss money weekly — and another 19 percent saying they do so at least once a month.

What’s really interesting is that quite a few of them started the money discussions even before dating actually began, with 48 percent of millennials who have used an online dating service saying they discussed finances with prospective dates before actually meeting — compared with 36 percent across all generations.

Among unhappy respondents, 46 percent said their biggest mistake was waiting too long to talk about money in a relationship. And they’re not bashful about terminating a relationship over money issues: 26 percent said they were less likely to date someone loaded with student debt, 1 out of 10 said they’d consider breaking up if they learned their partner kept financial secrets and 44 percent said credit card debt would put the kibosh on a dating relationship.

Among happy respondents, 60 percent said they paid for their date, while 16 percent said their date paid for them. And when it comes to signs of financial independence, 46 percent of respondents said homeownership was the sign, while 27 percent instead chose owing minimal credit card debt.

While millennials are talking about money, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re sharing it. While 68 percent do have at least one shared bank account, they’re not so ready to jump in together on credit card accounts, with 60 percent saying they keep some separate or don’t share any at all. That compares with 55 percent of GenXers and 48 percent of boomers who aren’t sharing.

Instant Insights /

Millennial couples happier with money talk, survey says

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