<p>Finances are the #2 cause of divorce, yet most couples avoid these conversations early on.</p><p></p><p>🎙️ Today for Money Chill Out podcast, I sit with Alex Edwards to discuss Financial Green &amp; Red Flags in Relationships</p><p></p><p>Here’s what we cover:</p><p>💚 Green flags (alignment &amp; mindset)</p><ul><li>Curiosity &gt; judgment in money conversations</li><li>First-date questions: routines, mentors, goals, debt mindset</li><li>Shared financial goals + open communication</li><li>Monthly/quarterly money check-ins</li><li>Healthy independence (separate accounts where needed)</li></ul><p>🚩 Red flags (watch early)</p><ul><li>Avoiding or hiding credit score (responsibility indicator)</li><li>Indecisiveness or poor financial decision-making</li><li>“Quit your job, I’ll take care of you” → control risk</li><li>One partner controlling all money (financial abuse risk)</li></ul><p>💔 Reality check</p><ul><li>20% of women are in relationships they can’t afford to leave</li><li>25%+ of women in relationships don’t have a separate account</li><li>Financial secrecy / “financial infidelity” (between 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 couples)</li></ul><p>🤝 What healthy couples do differently</p><ul><li>Talk about money early and often</li><li>Align on goals, spending styles, and debt</li><li>Treat finances as teamwork, not control</li><li>Consider prenups as a financial clarity plan, not a breakup plan</li></ul><p></p><p>💡 Ultimately, financial compatibility isn’t about being identical. It’s about building shared systems, honest communication, and aligned goals.</p>