ACCI Conference 2017

To understand how young adults balance two important milestones of young adulthood (i.e., financial self-sufficiency and romantic relationship commitment), it is crucial to differentiate between two distinct dimensions of a relationship: (a) the interpersonal process of the relationship (e.g., love, warmth, affection), and (b) the management process of the relationship (e.g., social norms, structural barriers, legal status). Whereas the extant literature has focused on the interpersonal processes of relationships and finances, the present study focuses on the management process in relationships to examine how finances influence young adults’ choice to marry, cohabit or live apart from their romantic partner.