Gen Z Is Doing Something Before Marriage That Most Americans Never Did

While one in four Americans say they’ve ended a relationship over money problems, America’s youngest adults appear to be charting a different course for managing finances in a committed relationship. Almost half of married Gen Zers (48%) say they created a formal financial plan before saying “I do,” double the average for all generations.

“It is important to talk about expectations for major milestones,” Johanna Peetz, a professor of psychology at Carleton University whose research focuses on money and relationships, told Investopedia. “It might also be helpful to talk about past experiences or how each partner’s family has arranged and handled such milestones.”

For many Gen Z couples, that isn’t just abstract advice—it’s something they’re putting into practice.

Why Gen Z Is Planning Ahead

David Tenerelli, a certified financial planner at Values Added Financial Planning, says the financial pragmatism of today’s young adults didn’t develop in a vacuum—it’s a direct response to the economic chaos that has defined their formative years.

“Some systemic headwinds include the recent spike in housing prices, the higher relative cost of college, and the destabilizing shocks to the global economy resulting from the 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19,” he said. “Some of the personal headwinds include the proliferation of social media and the resulting widespread status orientation, overconsumption, and mental health challenges, or the desire to, in their young adult years, emulate their parents’ affluent lifestyles, which may have taken decades to achieve.”

Peetz noted that what we grow up seeing forms our relationship to money. “Family background informs how we think about money even if we’re not necessarily aware of how our beliefs are shaped by family socialization,” she said.

Interestingly, two thirds of Gen Zers surveyed say they’re more financially dependent on their spouses in some way (66%), compared with just about half of millennials (53%), Gen Xers (51%), and Baby Boomers (49%). That more of them want to have a formal plan in place when tying the knot makes sense, since they’re going to need each other even more than previous cohorts.

The survey data shows Gen Z’s financial conversations are covering crucial territory. They’re addressing debt discussions, spending habits, and long-term goals before marriage becomes legally and financially binding.

“Any behavior practiced over time becomes a habit,” Peetz said. By establishing financial communication patterns early, Gen Z couples may be setting themselves up for continued openness about money throughout their marriages.

Of course, not every financial discussion is easy, and “talking about money might create conflict when two partners disagree,” Peetz said. “But making communication a habit might ensure that these conflicts are likely to be about small solvable issues rather than turn into long-standing entrenched disagreements.”

Peetz can point to her colleagues’ and her own research as evidence for this. One of her recent studies shows that couples who fully combine their finances communicate significantly more about money decisions than those who keep accounts separate. This increased communication pays dividends: “Talking more about small financial issues might prevent those from turning into larger issues,” she said.

The reverse was also true: When people hide more financial information, this tends to create a “mutuality of secretive financial behaviors,” a 2025 study by Peetz and Morgan Joseph found.

The Bottom Line

While Gen Z faces specific financial challenges—from student loans to a competitive housing market—they’re approaching marriage with a level of financial preparation that previous generations largely lacked. Their willingness to have difficult money conversations before walking down the aisle suggests they understand something many couples learn too late: love can’t conquer financial incompatibility, but honest planning might.