Objective
To explore the conditions under which couples use different money management systems.
Background
Both joint and individualized money management systems are associated more with gender egalitarian values than with the traditional “breadwinner” system. However, prior research has not fully examined the differences between these systems in terms of power relation attributes amongst couples, such as couples’ relative income, age difference, and the associations with gender egalitarian values.
Method
The International Social Survey Program “Family and Changing Gender Roles” 2012 module (N = 2,520) was used to estimate multinomial logistic regression models predicting the likelihood of using different money management systems.
Results
The probability of using individualized or joint money management systems was much higher than traditional system for those who have more gender egalitarian beliefs. This probability was significantly higher for the individualized system. For a couple with income homogamy, the probability of using either the joint or the individualized system was higher. For relationships in which the males were older or earned significantly more money than their partners, the likelihood of using nontraditional systems (joint/individualized) was lower.
Conclusion
Couples who appeared relatively more traditional on characteristics such as individual gender role attitudes, relative income, and age difference are also more likely to use more traditional strategy. The individualized system, which is a newer method couples use to manage their money, is the most closely associated with gender egalitarian values.
Implications
Policymakers who focus on poverty and income inequalities should avoid treating the household as a single unit but rather take into consideration within‐household inequalities and gender differences. Furthermore, couple education and couple therapy–oriented policies can incorporate sessions about household money management into counselling programs for couples.