Financial Satisfaction in Blended and Nuclear Families: A Dyadic Perspective

This study examines financial satisfaction among couples in blended and nuclear families using Waves 8-16 of the RAND Health and Retirement Study (2006-2022). Grounded in Becker's interdependent utility theory and informed by Hamilton's kin selection theory, this study integrates these frameworks to examine how differences in biological and relational ties may shape financial satisfaction within couples. Generalized structural equation models with ordered logistic regression were estimated within an actor-partner interdependence framework to examine both direct associations and cross-partner pathways consistent with interdependent utility. Across 16,050 household-wave observations from 7,421 households, respondents in blended families had 18.7% lower odds of being in a higher financial satisfaction category (OR = .813; 95% CI [.716, .923]) than those in otherwise similar nuclear families, with spouses showing a similar pattern. Mediation analyses revealed an asymmetric pathway: blended family status was negatively associated with spouse financial satisfaction, which, in turn, was associated with lower respondent financial satisfaction, whereas the reverse pathway was not statistically significant. These findings highlight how family structure and cross-partner dynamics shape couples' financial satisfaction and underscore the importance of preference alignment and relational context in financial planning for blended families.