Money in Couples: A Systematic Literature Review on Intrahousehold Financial Management

Abstract

Research on intrahousehold financial management has continued to gain momentum. The purpose of the present research is to provide a panoramic view of this domain under one roof by comprehending the intrahousehold financial management (IFM) processes, which include income organization, money management systems, financial management role involvement, and control over finances within romantic relationships. This systematic literature review adopted the PRISMA protocol to identify 87 research papers published from 1987 to June 2024, acquired from the Scopus database. The bibliometric analysis is used to identify publication trends and major publication outlets. Further, the integrated theories, contexts, and methods—antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (TCM-ADO) framework is used to locate TCM in IFM research. This review reveals 47 different antecedents classified based on four broad categories: demographic and socio-economic characteristics, psychological characteristics, personality and relationship processes; decisions; and outcomes of IFM such as relationship processes (e.g., relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and marital intent) and individual well-being (e.g., satisfaction with finances, consumption share, equality, and autonomy). Notably, the research also highlights inconsistencies leading to non-consensus in findings, with possible explanations and areas overlooked. These limitations underscore the need for researchers to adopt multidimensional approaches to assimilate the nuances of IFM further. To overcome identified literature gaps, the review demonstrates future research directions corresponding to the dimensions of the TCM-ADO framework. Besides, the present research aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and can help financial counselors, relationship therapists, and policymakers promote well-being (SDG-3) and gender equality (SDG-10).