Apparently nothing kills love like money.

“Arguments about money is by far the top predictor of divorce,”said Sony Britt, a researcher at Kansas State University inManhattan. ”It's not children, sex, in-laws or anything else.It's money – for both men and women.”

Britt conducted a study using longitudinal data from more than4,500 couples as part of the National Survey of Families andHouseholds. The study, “Examining the Relationship BetweenFinancial Issues and Divorce,” has been published in FamilyRelations, an interdisciplinary journal of applied familystudies.

“In the study, we controlled for income, debt and net worth,”said Britt, assistant professor of family studies and humanservices and program director of personal financial planning atKSU. ”Results revealed it didn't matter how much you made orhow much you were worth. Arguments about money are the toppredictor for divorce because it happens at all levels.”

Anotherstudy by TD Ameritrade released earlier this year also foundthat money is the most common reason that couples fight.

Britt's research found that it takes longer to recover frommoney arguments than any other kind of argument and such argumentsare more intense. Couples often use harsher language with eachother, and the argument lasts longer.

“You can measure people's money arguments when they are veryfirst married,” Britt said. “It doesn't matter how long ago it was,but when they were first together and already arguing about money,there is a good chance they are going to have poor relationshipsatisfaction.”

By continuing to have financial arguments, couples decreasetheir relationship satisfaction, Britt said. Even if divorce is nota possibility because of low income, the low relationshipsatisfaction could make matters worse. Aside from a negative effecton children, increased stress leads to a further decrease infinancial planning that could help better the situation.

“We, as financial planners, can help clients reduce their stressthrough education,” Britt said. “This is important because peoplewho are stressed are very short-term focused. They don't plan forthe future. If you can reduce stress, you can increaseplanning.”

Britt advises new couples to seek a financial planner as part ofpremarital counseling, pull each other's credit reports and talkthrough how to handle finances fairly for both individuals.