Your marriage is sacred, and you vowed to love your spouse through the good times as well as the bad. While you knew that every marriage weathers a few storms, you might not have ever imagined that you would be staring at such a major deception. Unfortunately, things that one person wants to keep hidden are often revealed, and your partner's decision to hide a bank account represents a breach of trust in your relationship. Now that the truth is out, you can take these steps to begin the process of safeguarding your marriage from financial infidelity.

Encourage Your Partner to Come Completely Clean

The first thing you need to do is find out if there is anything else that you do not know about so that you can prevent this experience from happening again. For instance, your partner could have other accounts such as loans or credit cards that you should also be aware of if they affect your financial standing. Let your spouse know that you are there to support them, but that you need to understand why they are hiding their financial transactions. If they hesitate to talk about the subject, then suggest a meeting with a marriage counselor who can serve as a neutral source of support as you work through your marital challenges.

Develop a Plan to Address the Reasons Behind the Deception

Financial infidelity is sometimes the symptom of a bigger issue that must be addressed for your marriage to move forward. For instance, your spouse may have a compulsive shopping habit, and the hidden account provided them with a way to hide their behavior. Alternatively, your spouse may have difficulty trusting someone else with their money. While it may be painful to discover the underlying reasons why your spouse hid the account, a Christian counselor can help you both create a plan that helps correct the reasons why the financial infidelity happened.

Agree on a Budget to Rebuild Your Financial Future Together

Once you address the reasons for the secret bank account together, you can then rebuild a relationship based on honesty by creating a financial plan for the future. Make sure to agree upon which accounts will stay open as well as how to handle financial decisions that arise. For instance, you may create a set amount of money for purchases that warrants a discussion between the two of you so that there are not any more surprises.

You should always be able to trust your spouse to be honest about their actions, especially when it comes to your finances. While it is naturally upsetting to find out that they have hidden an account, you can view this as an opportunity to demonstrate love to your spouse and make your marriage stronger.

For more information, contact a company like Tim Robbins Counseling today.