There are many kinds of secrets that can ruin a marriage.

I am going to talk about financial secrets in part one of this series.

Keeping financial secrets can be a sign of or cause significant problems within a marriage, according to author and radio host, Dave Ramsey.

Although keeping smaller items a secret is not the same as having your spouse accumulate a $50,000 credit card debt, it still signifies a lack of communication and cooperation in a marriage.

If one spouse feels as if they don’t have control of their financial life, they often spend money specifically to “rebel”. Often this is how financial secrets begin.

Financial secrets can happen in many ways. Often a spouse in a blended family will try and protect their child from the new “not-so-nice” stepmother or stepfather by handing out money. A spouse can also keep financial secrets by giving money to a child without telling their partner.

Discovering why you are keeping financial secrets from your spouse is the most critical issue in solving the problem. Discussing your secret with your spouse is important. Only honesty will help you clear you mind, and then the healing process can 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. The next big step is to admit your mistake to your partner. Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide whether or not to reveal your secret, but being able to admit it to yourself will be liberating and cause healing to begin. Dig deeply into yourself to find the answers and you will not be disappointed. Revealing oneself shines the light on the truth. This in turn leads to living a life of happiness and peace.