Why More Couples Are Exploring ‘Financial Growth Clauses’ Before Marriage
Written by
G. Brian Davis
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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A 2025 survey by Headway found that over half (51%) of unmarried people would consider signing “financial growth clauses” before getting married. These clauses would require both people to commit to keep contributing and developing both personally and financially.
While that sounds awfully unromantic, so is financial struggle. The same survey found that 44% of couples admitted that financial problems have already impacted their physical intimacy.
Find out below why “financial growth clauses” are becoming more popular in prenups.
Older Marriages, More To Lose
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the average age for a first marriage has surpassed 30 for men, and 28.6 for women. Compare that to the 1950s, when men and women married in their early twenties.
“More marrying couples have advanced degrees, higher incomes and accumulated wealth, all of which they want to protect,” explained Damian Turco, family attorney with Turco Legal. “Today’s 30-somethings have also experienced wild ups and downs of the market, with a steady sense of financial uncertainty. All this translates to a heightened fear of a marriage ending in divorce and loss of wealth.”
The Dire Need for Open Money Talk
A study by Ally Bank found that less than half (44%) of unmarried Millennials and Gen Z are comfortable talking with their partner about their future career plans. Many (54%) aren’t even comfortable talking about the prospect of buying a home.
Even more worrying, 62% aren’t comfortable talking to their partner about how much debt they carry.
A discussion about a prenup and financial growth clauses would, at the very least, force this uncomfortable but critical conversation. “When couples talk openly about money, they tend to communicate better and trust each other more,” explained Jenny Bradley, divorce attorney with Triangle Smart Divorce.
Sense of Risk Reduction
Signing a financial contract with your spouse-to-be can feel like a security blanket.
Davina Adjani of HelloPrenup noted that these clauses spell out that each person’s income, savings, investments, plus any financial growth, remain separate or assure each partner that neither would owe the other financial support after a breakup. “On the other hand, it could potentially carve out room to create joint assets to grow together financially.”
Even so, prenuptial agreements aren’t as ironclad as many couples think. Divorce attorney Patrick Baghdaserians of Baghdaserians Law Group said these can actually drive up divorce costs. “Nearly every premarital agreement gets challenged, resulting in a bifurcated trial with two trials in one case: the first trial assesses the enforceability of the premarital agreement and the second deals with the aftermath.”
If you aren’t ready to talk about debt, financial plans and priorities and how you’ll share assets, you may not be ready to get married. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a legal contract either. Start with open, vulnerable conversations about money, present and future — and go from there.
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