How do you feel about making more money than your spouse or significant other? Do you believe men are intimidated by a woman making more money or is that just an excuse that women use to explain away deeper issues that are driving men away? These are questions very few women had to answer in 1970 because very few women outearned men in that era. But today, the tide has turned and it creates very real feelings and frustrations that can impact your happiness – whether you are married or you want to be. If you are a working woman, there is a chance that you make more than your mate (or future mate).
In the United States today, almost 40 percent of wives earn more money than their husbands. In theory, it shouldn’t matter, right? And for many women, it doesn’t. Perhaps you are a woman who earns more than her husband, and it has never created any challenges in the dynamics of your relationship. I hope that’s the case.
But research and my experience coaching hundreds of women has shown that in many relationships – or even in many women’s desire for a relationship – financial success (or even perceived financial success) can sometimes create frustrating roadblocks. Studies even show that when women are financially dependent on their husbands, they are more loyal. But when men are financially dependent on their wives, they are more likely to cheat. Looking to the future, the financial dynamics of relationships are likely to lean more toward women earning more. What do you think? In 2013, does it impact the relationship when a woman makes more money than her honey? How so? Leave your comments, I want to hear from you!
