One in five men hides savings account from partner

There are others,who keep it hidden for safety in case the relationship does not work out.

OnePoll conducted the survey for the Post Office in the week starting March 22 and questioned 2,258 people online.

It found women appeared less likely to squirrel cash away – only one in ten admitted to a private account.

“It comes as no surprise that more men have a savings account unknown to partners,and more men make major financial decisions without their partners,” Times Online quoted Donna Dawson,a psychologist specialising in personality,behaviour and relationships,as saying.

“Both on a biological and societal level,men perceive such concepts as ”success”,”dominance”,”ambition” and ”money” to be bound up together,leading men to view money as the tangible proof of their personal and work success.

“The more money that is stashed or negotiated,the higher a man deems his self-image and social standing to be.

“Therefore,any action that a man takes to protect his money by keeping some of it apart from the shared pot or attempting to increase it through secret financial transactions will be seen as a practical form of self-defence,for which he will feel no shame or guilt,” she added.

According to the study,a man’s clandestine savings account contained an average of just over 2,000 pounds.

The men in the study said that a covert account made them feel more independent and they were also able to spend money guilt free.

More than a fifth of male respondents said that they were concerned partners might not approve of their investments.

Only 7 per cent of men and women who held secret accounts said that the money had been set aside to buy a present for a partner.

One in six reported making significant financial decisions without consulting their partner.

Fifteen per cent said that they had taken out a secret credit card,while one in ten admitted to an undisclosed unsecured loan.