By: Francis Financial

February 17, 2021

Francis Financial President and CEO Stacy Francis was featured in an article in Psychology Today titled Financial Abuse: What It Is, What to Do if You’re a Victim. The article, written by matrimonial and family law attorney Lisa Zeiderman, explains what financial abuse is and what forms it can take, along with advice from Francis on what to do if you recognize that you’re in a financially abusive relationship.

Zeiderman lists being excluded from financial decisions, having information withheld from you about finances, and not having direct access to money as potential signs that you may be a victim of financial abuse. She goes on to examine how financial victimization can keep women in a cycle of abuse and lists more red flags of a toxic financial situation.

Many women are afraid to leave their partners because they aren’t in a position to understand if they can financially. Stacy Francis adds that women who are in a financially abusive relationship can seek empowerment through financial literacy. “The goal of the abuser is to manipulate, intimidate, and threaten the victim through finances,” she says. “Getting one’s finances in order…can help the victim understand the severity of the situation, how to get help, and ways in which they can achieve financial independence.”

Read the full article here

Learn more about the divorce financial planning process and how Francis Financial can help you manage your finances through other difficult life changes or contact a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.