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The Study On Relationship Between Single Mothers And Debt Is A Complex Issue

The financial status of single mothers is often related to poverty but it is not as simple as it seems. There is no reason to believe that single mothers will always have debt and have to suffer in silence having no one to support or ask for help. The rising trend and number of single mothers have raised concerns of government of different countries to announce debt relief programs and different others that will provide financial assistance to them in running their household and raise their children.

However, in almost all countries all over the world, family structure and poverty are often intertwined and is believed that nearly a third of all households headed by a single mom live in or below the poverty line. On the other hand, study reveals that it is only about six percent of families headed by married couples are officially ranked as poor. Most amazingly it is found that an about 45 percent of children are leading life in poverty who are without a father.

According to recent research, it is also found that intergenerational income mobility in the metropolitan areas is very low where there are a large number of single mothers. This finding has resulted in a fierce public debate over the meaning of the relationship of single mothers with poverty and debt.

The survey reports also say that cities that have a large number of single mother households tend to have a very slow and low upward mobility. In some areas it even has a clear declining trend as the number of single mothers rises. The statistical power and link of this variable between family structure and income inequality or mobility is stunning and even alarming at times.

The controversy in the issue

However, researchers have proceeded with extreme caution to establish this link and has emphasized on all possible factors to arrive at such a bold-faced finding. Still this happens to be the most controversial issues across the globe. The reasons are:

• It is crucial to find a scientific explanation about this figure, the reasons for it and what it means for the future.
• This is also a factor that is correlated and the entire factors and elements considered are hard to define.
• It is also not necessarily an evidence of causation as it does not mean that if and when a single mother is paired with a partner somehow, the inequality will go down all of a sudden.
• Furthermore, the complexity of the channel through which such inequality of standard of living and family structure are related makes it all the more debatable.

These issues are substantiated by several theoretical as well as practical examples by the critics. They argue that cities that usually have a large number of mothers who are alone and single have a less upward mobility. It is even seen for those families where both the parents are in the home. That means the channel is unlikely to have a direct effect or link due to the single mothers on inequality. It also nullifies the common misconception that single mothers always incur multiple debts and need to go through different debt settlement reviews and consult credit counselors to come out of debt but all in vain.

Difficult to make conclusion

No matter how tempting it may look to deduce from the tidy pattern of inequality so depicted by the researchers, it does not scientifically explain the relation. It does not even explain the fact that breakdown of marriages will always cause poverty eventually. Therefore, it is very difficult to perpetuate inequality with single mothers.

• Science and scientific explanation will not take the causal direction here or will depend entirely on ideologies. Conservatives have however used this data to prepare an argument regarding the importance of marriage in lifting children and women out of poverty. This is once again highly debatable as it indirectly implies that there is a shortage of stable husbands and that is the primary source of the issue rather than considering it as one of the side effects.
• On the other hand, liberals and sociologists argue that it is primarily the economic forces that are much larger than families that have decimated the urban communities. It has ideally robbed many males of one of their most significant prerequisites to any stable marriage which is a stable job. This type of approach and thinking fortifies the fact that it is the circumstances that leads to poverty which by itself strain families in turn.

Therefore, the belief that frayed social values results in poverty suggests just the opposite. It typically argues against all of the wrong policy prescriptions. According to this argument, more emphasis is given on incentivizing marriage, teaching family values and convincing the poor people to get married to come out of poverty.

Argument for more economic analysis

Conservatives say that there is an immediate requirement of more economic analysis of the ‘causal chain’ regarding inequality in income and status of single mothers. In the meantime, they look for better explanation considering the explanations that are already available. At the very least, such efforts results in further scrutiny of the underlying conditions that may create a low social mobility for the single mothers.

They also argue that such findings when taken at face value will make people believe easily that the culture of a specific community is the primary issue and causation of such inequality. This inevitably results in blaming the single mothers due to their prevalence in that community. People will even cite that the absence of fathers is the primary cause for children being poor and are deprived of the opportunities to move up in their career in future within the specific community.

Therefore, it is high time to come out of the common misbeliefs and blaming single mothers in the neighborhood for high rates of unemployment, poverty, and incarceration having a huge impact in the economy and debt accumulation. It is unwise and even derogatory to think that a woman will get married only for economic security and have any values for the institution.

Ways In Which People Acquire Debt In Relationship And How To Overcome The Issues

Dealing with financial issues in any relationship is not that simple. Right from deciding who pays for what to the point of whether opening a joint account or not, there might be so many different financial issues for you to negotiate. But one major financial hurdle has to be debt, which people generally don’t talk about much. Debt has become quite a big of a problem in the USA and even if you divorce your partner, you might have to bear the burden of debt on your shoulder.

A recent survey from finder.com of over 2000 adults have found out that a startling number of USA natives accrue debt through romantic relationships. Most of them have even retained debt after relationship has ended. Around 30% of the people surveyed had absorbed debt through relationship, which might translate into 74 million Americans. The total financial amount or debt accrued through relationship is a whopping of $250 billion, which can be averaged out to around $12,000 per person.

Reasons people acquire debt:

Even before you end up solving the relationship based debt issues, you need to be aware of the ways in which people actually acquire Debt on the first place. There are top 5 reasons for that.

1. Marriage with 28% holding:

Marriage was always at the top number that people used for absorbing partners’ or their ex’s debt, with around 28% of people surveyed taking debt that way. Remember that pre-nups may not be the most romantic thing you have come across. However, these numbers will just show how important things might turn out to be. Most of the time marriages do not last that long. However, once you are tied with someone legally, the debt can outlast marriage too.

2. Purchases made in names at 25%:

Around 25% of respondents had partners making purchases in their names. Lending partner a credit or debit card once in while might not seem to be that big of a deal, but the consequences can prove to be huge. Remember to trust them and know what they are actually up to before giving access to any of your money.

3. Purchases made through joint account at 20%:

Creating a joint account with your partner is a big decision as you are held responsible for whatever is going to happen there. Around 20% of those surveyed has ended up with debt mainly because of the partner, misusing their accounts.

4. Going through secret spending at 16%:

Well, you might not know this but financial infidelity is a huge thing. Sometimes, people might keep huge amounts of spending and even reckless financial behavior out from their partner’s knowledge even when it is affecting their credits and even financial security.

5. Going through divorce settlements at 14%:

Most of the time, you think that people fight over money in divorce, but sometimes it can be over debt too. While everything gets split up after divorce, you might end up with debt, which was not even yours on the first place.

Best ways to prevent money from ruining your marriage:

There is no secret that fighting over money puts a hefty strain on relationship. Money issues are also quite troublesome that people who say they are experiences stress in relationship ends up blaming finance as number one reason. But, there are some proven ways in which you can keep money or dent out of your married relationship or even when you are just getting started in any romantic relationships now.

• Avoid setting up for any disaster:

The number one mistake made by couples is spending way too much on wedding. The average wedding cost is not more than $26,000, and if you reside in any metropolitan area, then that will be 3 times more. most of the couples don[‘t have enough cash in hand to spend on wedding, so they end up taking loan for celebrating single occasion. This can result in debt, which often lead to strain in married relationships. So, focusing on the celebration which you can afford is a clever start to a lovely future together.

• Try discussing the demons:

It is always advisable to fully disclose the financial condition with your partner even before tying the knot. No matter how uncomfortable it might be, spilling the truth before any commitment can help. Even if you are in any outstanding debt, don’t forget to mention that. It will prevent any future argue from taking place as you have cleared things out already.

• Be sure to understand partner’s money mindset:

Most of the fights between spouses are not because of money but because of clash of temperaments.it is a huge potential conflict source. One spouse might be too upset on the other for spending too much but this issue might not be just that they cannot afford it, but might be something way deeper than that. So, understanding the partner’s money mindset beforehand is always mandatory.

• Set eyes on same prize:

Things might change in your life. So, it is not that unusual for the people’s financial expectations to shift with passing time. The issue takes place when couples forget to check in with one another for ensuring that they are still in sync. It is often a good reality check for the couples to just sit down once every year, and discuss the financial spectrum, no matter wherever the current standing is. Whether it is associated with the money saved or paying off debt, talking about it with your spouse can help you get a perfect solution in no time.

These are few of the many ways in which you can handle finances and avoid money coming between relationships. If you don’t have debt thoughts in your mind or any kind of financial issue, then you are up for a happy future life with your spouse no doubt. It just takes a bit of commitment from your side to talk about the issues and get those solved together.