Financial abuse is a common form of intimate partner violence. Financial abuse can involve restricting access to household income and benefits, withholding financial information, monitoring spending, excluding a partner from important financial decisions, and building up debt in their name. Financial abuse has many impacts on women, including long-term impacts on their economic security.
Financial services are in a good position to help identify and respond to financial abuse. This brief describes promising practices of financial services in preventing and responding to financial abuse and explores existing practices in different jurisdictions.