The trend: Almost a quarter (23%) of married couples don’t have joint bank accounts as of 2023, per just-released US Census Bureau data. That’s up from 15% in 1996.

Meanwhile, the percentage of couples using both joint and separate accounts grew to 17% in 2023 from 9% in 1996. 

How we got here: The average marital age in the US has increased to 28.4 for women and 30.2 for men in 2023 from 24.8 for women and 27.1 for men in 1996. As a result, couples are often more financially established—and accustomed to independence—when they tie the knot, making it more complex to combine assets and accounts.

Our take: These findings echo the recent trend of friends opening joint accounts for shared experiences. Together they can still ultimately point to banking customers choosing new solutions to fit their financial realities.

Banks can still offer products that meet these changing demands if they give individuals the security, independence, and convenience they want.

For example, hybrid models—where each person maintains their individual balance but can start a shared or joint fund or goal—could let couples maintain individual independence while contributing to a new account.