Financial honesty with your partner can help improve the quality of your relationship.

Why? Because trust and communication form the bedrock of healthy relationships. Keeping secrets of any type and size can shatter faith in your partner. It’s especially true of financial decisions—finding out your spouse has been spending money “behind your back” can cause a rift that may be difficult to repair.

To help avoid trouble and misunderstandings, make it a practice to regularly discuss the family finances with your partner. Set a weekly time to grab coffee and review your budget, your goals, and any changes you need to make moving forward.

It may feel awkward at first. You may learn there are surprise expenses that your partner hasn’t shared until now. That’s perfectly normal! Be sure to create an atmosphere of trust and openness that makes your partner feel comfortable sharing. If they reveal a spending secret, don’t lose your temper. Thank them for their honesty and then work towards a solution for the future!

Once you’ve learned how to navigate open and honest financial conversations, apply your new conversation skills to other topics in your relationship. You might just find that your relationship drastically improves!