Understand what “financial stalking” looks like and how to respond if you are a victim.
Financial stalking is the notion that one person continually checks on what the other is doing with their money and how they are spending it.
Some of this activity is covert, but in other cases, the partner who is stalking continually expresses displeasure with how the money is spent with the one who is stalked.
According to a recent study on finder.com,
Almost half of the American adults (47.7%) have monitored the financial activity of someone they know, such as checking their credit card statements or Venmo activity. And, roughly 53.7 million men (50.7%) and 52.3 million women (49.3%) admit to financial stalking.
Here a few signs to help you identify what financial stalking looks like:
- When someone tries to control your access to money, either by insisting they have access to your bank account or obtaining passwords and reviewing your activity
- Someone showing more than normal interest in your retirement funds, beneficiaries, etc.
- Read my full article in Psychology Today for more signs now. →
How you can respond:
- Talk to a trusted family member, friend, therapist, coach, and/or attorney about this type of behavior; At the same time, you may feel ashamed or embarrassed about finding yourself in this situation. It is essential to take the first step and identify the problem.
- Be honest with yourself—is this relationship a partnership, or is it a dictatorship? Is it time to start a new chapter where you have more control of your life?
- Keep careful records of every violation, as you will likely need documentation of this behavior at a later date.
For more information about if you have legal options, and what steps you can take, read my full article recently published in Psychology Today.