Before the coronavirus, Tara Beier and her husband, Dennis, rarely discussed money. They kept separate bank accounts and divided their household responsibilities. Her husband, 42, covered the mortgage on the two properties they own, while Beier, 38, managed and took care of a rental home. It worked fine for their 12 years of marriage.
And then the world shut down, and his job as a producer in the film industry evaporated. Suddenly, the mortgage fell on Beier’s shoulders. A singer-songwriter, she is now responsible for covering mortgage, food, everyday expenses and rent. She doesn’t mind: "I felt like he’s relying on me more as a woman,” said Beier, who lives in Santa Monica, California.
But it has also been a challenge. Beier didn’t really know much about their financial situation, and she had always been reluctant to ask. "I grew up in a family where if you talked about money, it ended up heated or a dangerous situation, or uncomfortable,” she said. "My dad had the financial control.”