Explaining Financial Satisfaction in Marriage: The Role of Financial Stress, Financial Knowledge, and Financial Behavior

Abstract

Using data from the 2018 FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this study examined how financial stress and financial behavior are associated with financial satisfaction among married individuals. As expected, financial stress had a significant and negative impact on financial satisfaction, suggesting that financial stress significantly decreased the level of financial satisfaction among married individuals. Despite its significant impact, financial stress was not the dominant factor in this study; but financial behavior had the most significant impact on financial satisfaction, followed by subjective financial knowledge and higher level of household income. Understanding significant predictors of financial satisfaction among married individuals can provide important insights for marriage and financial counselors, financial educators, as well as marriage and family therapists.