With Valentine’s Day approaching, most couples say they don’t often make investing decisions without their partner’s input

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley today announced results from the most recent wave of StreetWise, the E*TRADE quarterly tracking study of experienced investors. As Valentine’s Day nears, the study looked at how couples manage their finances together:

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• A partner’s help is valued. Over three out of four investors with a partner (78%) said their significant other is helpful when it comes to financial decision-making.
• Few fly solo when it comes to investing. Nearly half of investors in a relationship (48%) said they rarely or never make investing decisions without their partner, and about a quarter (22%) said they only sometimes act without their partner’s input.
• But if they do, the trust is there. Nearly two in three investors in a relationship (64%) said they feel comfortable having their partner make investing decisions without their input.
• And the lines of communication are open. Two in three coupled investors (66%) said they always or frequently discuss their portfolio and investing with their partner.

“Some may think it’s a no brainer that couples rely on each other when it comes to investing, but all too often money can be a taboo topic and serious cause of stress for couples,” said Mike Loewengart, Managing Director of Investment Strategy at E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. “With volatility on the rise and the Fed shifting gears, now could be a good time for couples to reassess their combined risk tolerances and goals. Staying the course during the market’s ebbs and flows often proves to be a winning strategy, but it doesn’t hurt to reevaluate as life events can alter long-term plans.”

Mr. Loewengart offered additional considerations for couples planning for the financial future:

• Set a “date” for talking about money. It may sound like an unusual date night, but setting aside time to discuss shared goals and perspectives on money may help strengthen your bond—and help sidestep arguments or surprises down the road. Having an honest, open back-and-forth dialogue about the often-sensitive topic of how you handle money can help identify shared goals, create a unified plan, and outline tangible steps to create the lifestyle and the future you want. Agreeing on savings goals is the first step to turn them into reality—whether it’s planning a big vacation, paying for a wedding or child’s college, or even retirement.
• Expect the unexpected. While having a long-term financial plan is important, a lot of times there will be a bump in the road. Building an emergency fund—a good rule of thumb is having three to six months of living expenses saved away—can help you stay on course during these unforeseen events.
• Drown out the noise. Through bouts of volatility, it is important to stick to your plan and make sound decisions. Corrections in the market are natural and happen from time to time, but history has shown that investors are better suited when staying invested with a well-diversified portfolio and avoiding rash decisions.

E*TRADE aims to enhance the financial independence of traders and investors through a powerful digital offering and professional guidance. To learn more about E*TRADE’s trading and investing platforms and tools, visit etrade.com.

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About the Survey

This wave of the survey was conducted from January 3 to January 11 of 2022 among an online US sample of 901 self-directed active investors who manage at least $10,000 in an online brokerage account. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.20 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It was fielded and administered by Dynata. The panel is broken into thirds of active (trade more than once a week), swing (trade less than once a week but more than once a month), and passive (trade less than once a month). The panel is 60% male and 40% female, with an even distribution across online brokerages, geographic regions, and age bands. The non-single data set comprises 311 investors.

About E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley and Important Notices

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley provides financial services to retail customers. Securities products and services offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC, Member SIPC. Investment advisory services offered by E*TRADE Capital Management, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Commodity futures and options on futures products and services offered by E*TRADE Futures LLC, Member NFA. Banking products and services are offered by Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Member FDIC. All are separate but affiliated subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley. More information is available at www.etrade.com.

The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE, and the E*TRADE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. ETFC-G

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© 2022 E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. All rights reserved.

E*TRADE engages Dynata to program, field, and tabulate the study. Dynata provides digital research data and has locations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please go to www.dynata.com.

Referenced Data

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220210005932/en/