Gen Z, millennials say money talks should happen before the relationship gets serious, study finds

cnbc.com:

While most Americans say couples should talk about money honestly before living together, Gen Z and millennials believe the conversation should happen way sooner.

Nearly a third, 32%, of Gen Z adults and 40% of millennials say an honestconversation about your finances and long-term goals should happen before a relationship gets serious, according to the 2023 Planning & Progress study by Northwestern Mutual.

The study is based on 2,740 online interviews among U.S. adults conducted Feb.17 to March 2.

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These two generations have experienced several bouts of market and economic turmoil during their formative years, from the Great Recession of 2007-09 to the Covid-19 pandemic.

«Millennials and Gen Z [are] living through a lot of different events, perhaps very, very quickly. It's making it a really important conversation for them,» said certified financial planner Kyle Menke, founder and CEO of St. Petersburg, Florida-based Menke Financial, a Northwestern Mutual-affiliated firm. 

Being open and honest with your partner should be central in the language of love, experts say, and that includes talking about money.

Across all generations, 72% of Americans believe couples should talk about their finances before living together, Northwestern Mutual found.

«Money, while certainly not the most important thing in life, has a significant impact on a lot of different areas,» Menke said.

For instance, your prospective partner may spend and manage their money completely different from you, said CFP Sophia Bera Daigle, the