He said you may need to ‘come clean’ about your financial situation
Martin Lewis shared some tips on his BBC podcast(Image: ITV)
Martin Lewis has highlighted what can be a major issue when it comes to household finances. He urged couples in particular against keeping financial secrets from one another.
On a recent episode of his BBC podcast, Mr Lewis invited listeners to share their experiences of the biggest money secret they had ever kept from someone. One contributor revealed how they had splashed out on a costly olive tree at Chelsea Flower Show around 10 years ago, yet told their husband they had won the plant in a raffle.
Mr Lewis used this tale as a springboard to highlight the dangers of concealing financial details from your partner. He warned: “Hidden debts are a really big problem. You need to come clean about your debt, because any joint problems, it can affect the credit score of the other person as well, if you’ve got any joint accounts.”
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Financial support organisation Money Wellness recently published its 2026 Debt Advice Insights report. The group assisted more than 100,000 people during the first three months of 2026, with a fifth of enquiries coming from those who are married or in a civil partnership.
The team observed a notable surge in the number of people seeking help over the Easter bank holiday 2026, compared to the previous year. This represented a 13.3 per cent rise, with 12,706 people reaching out for assistance.
Huge pressure
Sebrina McCullough, director of external relations at Money Wellness, said: “The figures over Easter show just how much pressure households are under. Rising bills in April, along with higher petrol and grocery prices, have left many people worrying about how they’ll make ends meet.
“Our advisers are seeing people reach breaking point, and demand for free, professional support continues to grow. If energy prices continue to rise and inflation and interest rates increase further, we could see even more households struggling in the months ahead. For thousands of financially vulnerable families, this could point to a very difficult winter ahead.”
The organisation offers several recommendations for those grappling with debt. One piece of advice is to keep a close eye on your financial situation. Money Wellness provides a budgeting calculator to help you assess your income against your essential expenditure, such as rent or mortgage payments, food shopping, and travel expenses.
Building on this, the group also suggests prioritising essential household bills first, before tackling high-interest debts, including credit cards or payday loans.