It seems that money matters are not exactly on par with candy and roses when it comes to bringing the opposite sexes closer together.
A survey recently released by PNC Advisors shows that affluent men and women have very distinct ideas about money, investing and financial planning. And when it comes to controlling the purse strings, men apparently are holding onto the traditional view: A majority of them feel they are in charge.
The survey of affluent couples found that while 70% of women say they shared financial decision-making with their spouse, fewer than half of the men felt the same way.
Men were four times as likely as women to say they made all the financial decisions, with 53% of men saying they made all the financial decisions. Only 13% of women answered that way.
"Talking about money on Valentine's Day may seem about as romantic as finding broccoli in your box of chocolates, but it's the best gift couples can give to each other," says Joan Gulley, chief executive of PNC Advisors. "On many fronts, men and women don't see eye-to-eye about financial goals, investment strategies and financial decision-making, and these discrepancies accentuate the potential for contentious differences between the sexes."
The survey found a streak of independence among women. Seven of 10 affluent women surveyed said they can make it on their own financially without the help of others, and 80% felt they had "a lot of control" over their financial future.
Men are more likely to hold stocks than women, with men having an average of 50% of stocks in their portfolios, compared to 37% for women. Perhaps as a result, men were also three times as likely as women to say their net worth had declined over the past five years-17% of men compared to 6% of women.