Overview

• Moneyfarm reports 44% of Britons view joint bank accounts as outdated and 43% see them as a means of controlling women’s finances.
• Only one in eight couples fully merge their money, with the strongest resistance among under‑30s in committed relationships.
• Nearly half admit to secret savings averaging £19,600, and one in ten say they regularly hide receipts from a partner.
• Two in five acknowledge making major financial decisions without consulting their partner, citing independence (32%), privacy (29%), overspending by a partner (20%) and debt or poor credit (13%).
• Moneyfarm’s Chris Rudden warns that secrecy undermines trust, as some media frame the trend as a threat to a product used by millions despite the findings reflecting attitudes rather than confirmed account closures.