Photo by:  elle_rigby

There are many kinds of secrets that can ruin a marriage. In the next few blog postings we're going to discuss some of them.

Today, I'm going to talk about financial secrets between a couple.

According to author and radio host, Dave Ramsey , many people keep financial secrets and those secrets can be a sign of or cause problems within a marriage. Smaller items don't compare to finding out your spouse has accumulated a $50,000 credit card debt,but it does signify a lack of communication and cooperation in a marriage.

It seems that often financial secrets in a marriage occur because one partner feels that they have no control of their finances and they spend money specifically to "rebel".

Another type of common financial secret is when one spouse gives money to the kids without informing the other spouse. It's more likely to happen in blended families, "when a divorced parent wants to 'protect' his or her own child from the new 'evil stepmother' or stepfather, and part of the way he or she does that is by handing out money".

Getting to the bottom of the reason why the financial secret exists is critical to begin solving the problem. It's also important to discuss the mistake with your partner. Being honest will clear the air and allow the healing process to begin. If you're not ready to reveal your secret to your partner, revealing it online anonymously is at least a start. You must be able to own up to it yourself in order to come to terms with the issue.