Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today \u201cThe truth is closer to $80,000. I switched to conservative during the pandemic and never switched back. She\u2019s planning our retirement around numbers I made up. I don\u2019t know how to tell her without looking like a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n Finance expert and Money Talks guest Natasha Etschmann \u2014 known as TashInvests \u2014<\/a> didn\u2019t sugarcoat it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a hole you\u2019ve dug, Aidan,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always better to be honest. Admit the mistake now \u2014 don\u2019t wait 20 years and make it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The hidden side of money lies<\/p>\n Financial secrecy in relationships is far more common than most people think.<\/p>\n Studies show around one in five couples have hidden financial details from their partner \u2014 from debt and gambling losses to secret savings accounts.<\/p>\n Money shame, experts say, often drives secrecy.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople lie because they feel embarrassed or scared,\u201d says Money Talks host Tim McMillan.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the longer it goes on, the harder it is to come clean.\u201d<\/p>\n Etschmann says there\u2019s only one way forward \u2014 full honesty.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s painful, but it\u2019s better now than when you\u2019re 65 and can\u2019t undo it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cBe transparent, rebuild trust, and start making decisions together.\u201d<\/p>\n Why it happens \u2014 and how to fix it<\/p>\n Vanguard Australia\u2019s Managing Director Daniel Shrimski says financial disengagement is one of the biggest problems facing Australians today.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to talk about money more openly, not less,\u201d he says..<\/p>\n Experts recommend checking your super at least twice a year, consolidating any old accounts and using the ATO\u2019s Super Comparison Tool to see if you\u2019re in the right fund.<\/p>\n You might also like to read:<\/p>\n As for Aidan, Tash says there\u2019s a silver lining.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hard conversation, but it might also be the moment you both start paying attention to your money together,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Because when it comes to your finances \u2014 honesty really is the best investment.<\/p>\n What is the MoneyTalk podcast?<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
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