Secret Credit Card Spending And Divorce Linked In New Survey

The Money Issue That Drags Down One In 10 Marriages

Those secret credit card purchases you've been making behind your spouse's back may be doing a lot more damage to your marriage than you realize.

According to a new report by Moneysupermarket.com, one in ten people admit that hidden credit card purchases have played a part in their separation or divorce.

Polling 1,000 men and women, the British price comparison site also found that 36 percent of those who had lied about their spending did so because they knew their other half would be angry, while a further 35 percent said they kept their purchases hidden because they knew their partner would disapprove.

But it wasn't all frivolous purchases the respondents were keeping under wraps. While 50 percent of the people confessed to treating themselves on things like new shoes and clothes using their credit card, the same number claimed they were using their credit card for living expenses, including utility bills, rent, food and gasoline.

Another interesting finding? While women were 60 percent more likely to hide a statement from their partner -- and admitted feeling more guilt for doing so -- it was the men who spent more on average.

This certainly isn't the first time a survey or study has found a link between divorce and financial disagreements. In July 2013, researchers out of Kansas State University found that arguing about money is the top predictor of divorce. And in 2011, a study conducted by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 68 percent of the time, financial infidelity has had a negative impact on relationships, with 16 percent of marriages ending because of it.

Click through the slideshow below for more surprising divorce research.

Couples Who Share Housework Are More Likely To Divorce

The Most Fascinating Divorce Findings Of 2012

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