Cohabiting Well, but Losing Net Worth
July 25, 2018The Topic: Cohabiting Well, but Losing Net WorthThe News Story: You Must Talk About These Five Things Before Moving In Together.The New Research: Cohabitation—the Long-Term Financial Damage The News Story: You Must Talk About These Five Things Before Moving In Together “Living with a romantic partner without marriage – cohabitation – has become increasingly common,” opens a story from Psychology Today. In fact, the story continues matter-of-factly, cohabitation in the U.S. has become a “normative step” on the way to marriage. The story authors advise their readers of five topics that must be discussed before moving in together: commitment, children, birth control, splitting the chores, and dividing the bills. “Communication is key,” they close. Many cohabiters find themselves drifting into the arrangement without having a clear idea of where they are headed. “Some hard conversations now can truly help couples set the stage for more successful relationships once they are sharing a home.” What this story leaves out, however, is a far bigger picture: cohabiters of all types have less financial security than their never-cohabited, married peers. It seems that no matter how much communication is involved, some realities—the superiority of marriage and instability of cohabitation—simply cannot be changed. (Source: Sharon Sassler and Amanda Miller, “Want a Healthy Relationship? You must talk about these five things before moving in together,” Psychology Today, July 18, 2018) The New Research: Cohabitation—the Long-Term Financial Damage Despite mounting evidence concerning the ill effects of cohabitation, more and more young people are turning to this living arrangement as a precursor to—or substitute for—traditional marriage. But a new study out of the field of financial planning reveals yet another danger to the practice of cohabitation—significantly lessened financial wealth. Hig
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