This study focused on how African American couples in happy marriages talked about finances in their couple relationships. Qualitative methodology was used for this study, and the data came from transcribed interviews with participants. Thirty-seven couples who identified their marriages as being strong, happy, or highly satisfying, volunteered to be interviewed for this study. All individual participants (74 total) talked about finances in their marriages, and all interviews were used for the purpose of this study. Their descriptions were coded and analyzed to explore the way that they talked about money issues in their marriages. The research questions focused on how couples talked about financial stress and how they talked about financial decisions in their relationships. An unanticipated finding was how they talked about transcending finances in their marriages. The findings can contribute to future research and financial education for African American couples.

This study explores the desire to marry, marriageable mate criteria, and marital choices/options as they pertain to college-educated, African American women within today’s society. A purposive, nationally based sample (N = 95) of never married, college-educated, African American women (i.e., 18 to 40 years of age) was gathered via an online survey accessed by an emailed link. A mixed methods approach was utilized within the survey design, followed by data analyses (i.e., frequencies, two-way analyses) interpreted through a theoretical framework of social exchange. Areas discussed include life goals of marriage, cohabitation, and career; romantic barriers; the perceived availability of marriageable men; and desired traits for a marriageable mate. Partner traits assessed ranged from being character based (e.g., respectful, spiritual, swag, never incarcerated), and were broadened to include educational, financial, and ethnic preferences for a potential partner. Findings showed that respondents possessed a strong desire to marry, the greatest hindrance to entering a relationship was the lack of mates, and many were interested in looking for a potential partner outside of their own ethnicity. Findings were not statistically significant; however, the insight gained further informs this understudied area of research while having broad socio-cultural implications for families and communities.