Discussing Money with the One You Love: How Financial Stress Shapes Couples’ Communication

Dr. Nirajana Mishra, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, shares insights from her research on how financial stress shapes couples’ willingness to talk about money, often not because conflict is actually happening, but because partners anticipate disagreement, negative emotions, or clashes in money attitudes. Drawing on multiple studies, she explains why financial stress is a subjective sense of not being in control (not simply a function of income), how it can amplify existing tensions, and why avoidance carries real financial and relationship costs. The conversation also highlights practical, evidence-based ways to break the cycle: anchoring discussions in shared goals, using collaborative language, and reframing money disagreements as specific, solvable problems rather than perpetual battles rooted in personality differences. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music incorporated in this video is the intellectual property of its respective developer and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Notwithstanding that it is a free-to-use version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy, and Deepak Bhatt do not own, and expressly do not claim, any rights, title, or interest in or to this music. B. Dr. Nirajana Mishra shared key insights from her research, “Discussing Money with the One You Love: How Financial Stress Influences Couples' Financial Communication”, in an engaging conversation on the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted content, so changing any graphics, music, or on-screen appearance of the author or host is not allowed.