Money Mismatch:
4 ideas to manage your money and your relationship
More than half of Canadians surveyed say they would break up over a partner's spending habits. Here's why some planning and flexibility can be the foundation of a great money partnership.
FAMILY & relationships
BY moneytalk staff
November 2025
When Lisa met her future husband at age 21, she was shocked by how freely he spent his money. “We were at a bar with friends, and he bought everyone in our group a round,” she recalls. “It made me shudder because I couldn’t even afford to buy myself a drink, let alone all my friends. That was the first indication we had very different philosophies about money.
So, what exactly is a semiconductor?
IMAGE: peter kienetz
Disclaimer
Can't tell a Registered Retirement Savings Plan from a Registered Retirement Income Fund? Swan says we can set goals and guidelines around money, but if our understanding of finances is shaky, there could be problems. Both partners should know what a solid financial plan entails, and what each person's obligations are.
Depending on the nature of your relationship, married or common law, you should know the ramifications of having separate accounts or separately owning assets like homes, cottages and cars as opposed to joint ownership. Swan says you should also know your obligations to each other: For example, in Ontario, you will be regarded as a common-law couple if you have lived together for a year and have a conjugal relationship. If you are unsure of your status, book an appointment with a financial advisor, lawyer or accountant to get the facts and guidance that you need, Swan says.
Is there more to the sector beyond the interest in AI?
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The semiconductor industry has returned to growth largely thanks to the rapidly rising popularity of generative AI. Generative AI can take information in the form of text, audio, video, or computer code and build new content almost instantaneously. As a result, there is growing demand for these advanced computer chips. According to McKinsey, the global market for semiconductors could top US$1 trillion by 2030, up from US$600 billion in 2021.1
AI and machine learning require highly powerful semiconductors called Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which were initially designed to quickly render video game graphics but have evolved to perform complex calculations of large data sets. McKendry points out that “GPUs are very good at the calculations that AI relies upon.”
While semiconductors already power smartphones, laptops, medical devices, appliances, cars, and certain lightbulbs, most of the attention these miniscule chips are getting today is around how they power AI's complex computations. “To an extent, the hardware is sufficiently developed to allow these AI technologies to permeate,” says McKendry. Currently only a few companies supply the steep demand for semiconductors for generative AI purposes and the value of those chips — and the companies that manufacture them — has grown exponentially.
Fast forward 30 years, and the couple still approaches their finances differently. Lisa describes herself as frugal and her husband as a spender. “He’s much more about enjoying life,” she says.
While Lisa and her husband are comfortable with each other’s approach to money, their experience may be the exception rather than the norm. In a recent TD survey, 56% of respondents said they’d break up with someone over bad spending habits.1
Georgia Swan, a Tax and Estate Planner with TD Wealth, says unfortunately extreme differences around money can lead to divorce or at the very least serious issues within a relationship. Money and finances are important but many of us avoid discussing them at the outset or during a relationship, she says.
"Too often, people go into relationships and they haven't really articulated their own financial goals and they don't have an understanding of what each other's financial positions and philosophies are," she says.
Learn together and strengthen your financial foundation
Compromise and adapt as your relationship evolves
Once you find a partner who's in tune with you financially or one you can at least negotiate with, you should both sit down and talk. Figure out how the money will be spent, what’s most important to you and your partner, and the strategies you’ll use to reach your goals. "What do your finances look like? Do you want kids? Are you going to pursue your career? Where do you think you're going to live?" Swan says.
She says the key here is always compromise. It is highly unlikely that both of you will always be exactly on the same page and goals may change for each of you as you go through life together. Talk openly and often. Be ready to change strategies and approaches as you grow together and, above all, she says, don't forget to listen to your partner at all times.
1. "Love or money? Half of Gen Z Canadians want a prenup," TD Bank Group, Feb 11, 2025, accessed Oct 17, 2025, stories.td.com/ca/en/news/2025-02-11-love-or-money-3f-half-of-gen-z-canadians-want-a-prenup-3a-td-sur
SOURCES
"There has to be a certain amount of financial independence but also shared goals and shared finances. Each couple should focus on what works for them," Swan says. "That's the most important thing." For some couples that may mean a shared bank account for day-to-day expenses, which both contribute to according to their respective incomes plus individual accounts. For others, what is right may be just one bank account.
"Don't forget that the makeup of the relationship itself may dictate different points of view." In practice, this can mean not dwelling on the other partner's credit card bill and also taking care not to surprise your partner with excessive spends. So, separate banks accounts may be fine but secret ones may be indicative of financial and other problems.
Swan admits romantic sparks are rarely ignited from conversations about diversification strategies or pre-authorized purchase plans. But she thinks too much energy and planning go into celebrating marriages and not enough planning goes into the actual marriage itself.
"Talking about money is essentially planning your marriage," she says, "When you discuss what's important to your partner, and how to get there, you're also actually planning your financial life."
Find your balance and blend independence and shared goals
People go into relationships, and haven't really articulated their own financial goals and they don't have an under-standing what each other's financial position is.
Tax and Estate Planner,
TD Wealth
Georgia Swan
Principal,
Wealth Planning Office,
TD Wealth
NICOLE EWING
Overall, the family unit's tax bill will be lower as a result, both before and during retirement.
Principal, Wealth Planning Office,
TD Wealth
NICOLE EWING
Tax liability is something people tend to forget about, but it can be quite significant.
Geopolitics is a big one. As global demand for semiconductors heats up, so does the race to develop and manufacture them. A highly competitive landscape means geopolitical tensions can come into play, adding risk to the sector.
For instance, Taiwan is the world’s biggest chip producer, but China has been pouring billions of dollars into its domestic industry as it seeks dominance in the space — adding another layer of complexity to existing tensions between the countries. At the same time, countries like the United States, South Korea and Japan are working to build out their own production capabilities.
Many countries have also ramped up export controls over the last few years to keep rivals at bay. For example, in 2022, the U.S. implemented export restrictions to prevent China’s access to certain high-end chips used for military purposes.3 China has since restricted exports of gallium and germanium (rare metals used in the fabrication of semiconductors) for national security reasons.4
In July 2024, Canada imposed export controls on quantum computing and semiconductor technologies.5 In September, the U.S. followed suit, with the Department of Commerce saying the move ensures “export controls keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies that pose serious threats to our national security when in the wrong hands.”6
Income-based approach
You may not be able to articulate a detailed financial plan, especially if you're just starting out, but you can talk about your money philosophy: free-wheeling or ultra-conservative or is it somewhere in-between? How do you want your life to roll out? Are you living for today or saving for tomorrow? All goals are valid goals, but if your partner has the opposite views, consider it a bright red flag.
Talk openly about money and set the tone for your relationship
"How many people have gotten into a relationship not realizing that the other person is significantly in debt?"
But Swan says it doesn't have to be this way. She offers four ideas on how couples of any age can manage money differences and keep their relationship thriving.