Marriages with a house and car reduce the risk of divorce, reveals study in the US; this is the explanation
Have you ever heard that money doesn't buy happiness, but it helps? Well, in marriage, it seems that the numbers in the bank savings account have a lot to say about how long a couple's 'I do' might last...
TL;DR
- Couples with higher net worth in the U.S. tend to divorce less frequently.
- The effect of wealth on marital stability is stronger when couples transition from having few resources to possessing some financial backing.
- Visible assets like houses and cars are strongly linked to a lower risk of separation, even more so than simply increasing the value of an already owned home.
- While general unsecured debt did not show a statistically significant relationship with increased divorce when controlling for total wealth, having negative net worth (debt) does increase divorce risk.
- Achieving a modest level of financial security, like having $40,000 in net worth, provides a significant protective effect against divorce, comparable to other protective factors like marrying later in life.
- Wealth acts as both a buffer against stress and a symbol of social success, anchoring relationships.
- The study suggests a potential cycle where wealth stabilizes marriages, and stable marriages accumulate more wealth, leading to economic and family stratification.