Money is not only rands and cents – it is also a currency of emotions, which is why money conversations are so hard.

In this podcast, Maya and Andrea have a candid discussion with relationship therapist Connie Valkin about how to have these difficult and emotionally charged money conversations within a relationship or a wider household.

Money means many different things. It encompasses power dynamics in a relationship, it can symbolise success and status. For some people it reflects care and for others it represents safety. Receiving gifts is one of the five love languages.

When two people in a relationship have a very different emotional connection to money, money conversations can become loaded and challenging.

In this conversation, Connie explains why, if you can talk about everything except money, you may not be “financially married”; why trying to find a 50/50 balance in a relationship is not the right approach; and what it may tell us about our relationship if we can’t talk about money.

If you are finding it hard to initiate money conversations within your household, consider listening to this podcast with your family, and use it as a catalyst for opening the door to those necessary, yet uncomfortable, discussions.

If you are on the brink of marriage, this discussion offers insights into those vital conversations you should be having now, before you walk down the aisle, about establishing clear expectations and defining the financial parameters of your relationship from the start.

These conversations are relevant to anyone in a relationship, especially when there are children involved. We want to understand how to navigate this space so that it feels fair – from a financial, physical, and emotional perspective.

This is the fourth and final podcast in our four-part series in partnership with NinetyOne. Listen to our previous conversations where we spoke to a prominent family lawyer about marriage contracts and unpaid work, a financial planner about creating financial independence as the main caregiver, and a fiduciary expert about protecting our families if something happens to us or our partner.