Financial problems can affect anyone at any point in time, but in case the problems are severe enough, it can also indicate a number of other situations, which may not be ideal. If you are in doubt regarding your partner’s financial situation, and more importantly, why they are in the situation to begin with, read on as we discuss a few important points in relevance to exactly that.
Aversive Behavior
If someone is in debt, they will likely avoid discussing money; it’s as simple as that. This can be a problem and a very prominent sign of debt if you are living together or married. Sharing expenses and yet refusing to talk about money is an alarming sign that they are most likely not in a good place financially.
Anxious Behavior
Anxiety is not only caused by debt, but in combination with aversive behavior towards monetary topics, it most certainly can be. Look for certain signs as follows:
- Lack of sleep or insomnia
- Oversleeping
- Seeming distant and absent-minded
- Hyperactivity or uncharacteristic inactivity
- Unexplained bouts of crying/sitting with head in hand
- Smoking, drinking, substance abuse, gambling – either boosted old habits or newly developed addictions
Hiding Letters
Traditional mail is still the most common method the IRS will use to call someone in for an audit, and it’s also the initial mode of communication used by banks to send notices. If your partner is hiding letters, especially the official-looking ones, then they are probably hiding evidence of their debt. In this day and age, a love letter is much less likely, so calling up the associated financial institutions might be a good idea!
Asking for Money
If your partner is suddenly asking you for money way too frequently, then it’s definitely a sign that something is not right. If they are asking for large sums of money quite periodically, it couldn’t be more obvious! However, this may also give you the opening you need to know the truth. If they are reliant on you for financial reasons, your questions will need to be answered before anything else. It might be difficult to enforce on someone to whom you are emotionally attached, but it’s a necessary step for the sake of everyone involved.
Living in Fear
If the debtor is a legal one, there’s still a chance that the person can go to jail, or go completely bankrupt. However, if the debt was incurred on account of illegal associations or from organizations of less repute, the fear could be of a more serious nature. In both situations, the fear will get worse with time and nervous breakdowns are not uncommon.
Selling of Property
If your partner is selling off his car, house, and anything else of value, then it’s the most obvious sign of them all. That is not something that anyone would do in their right mind unless they really had serious debts to pay off.
How Can You Know for Sure?
If the debt is owed to a bank or to any legal institution, you can find out about it by simply keeping an eye on the mail. In fact, it is likely that the debt collection department will be calling your partner and/or the house anyway. However, if you are almost sure that debt is bothering your partner, but can’t find any trace of it via conventional means, you may want to check the government records of your partner. You can easily access them at publicrecordsreviews.com and come to know about recorded illegal associations, owed tax and/or about legal actions taken against them via public/private parties.
There is no restriction on checking publicly available government records to find out if your partner was involved in anything illegal, or if he/she is a tax defaulter. Severe debts can at times be a result of criminal associations, or it can also be on account of a debt owed to the state or the IRS. It is advised that you try and talk to your partner first, before checking their government records for more detail. However, if they are not willing to tell you and you cannot find any trace of the debt via the traditional route, government records might just reveal the truth to you.
After you find out either way, the decision you take next is of course yours. However, do take into account the fact that in certain situations, a partner is liable to pay off the debt incurred by the other. A marriage doesn’t necessarily entitle you to a financial debt incurred by your partner of course, but depending on the situation, that can happen. If that is not something that you are ready to do, talking to a lawyer immediately for all possible options is highly recommended.