Kevin O'Leary Says It's OK To Share A Credit Card If You're Married—But Your 'Entire' Savings Must Stay Separate In Case Of The 'Unfortunate Event'

Kevin O'Leary has no problem with romance—but he has a big problem with joint bank accounts.

In an interview with Moneywise last month, the "Shark Tank" investor was asked what he thought about financial gurus who encourage married couples to combine everything—savings, credit cards, investments, even financial identity. His response was blunt.

"That's the stupidest idea I ever heard. It's moronic. It's a very stupid thing to do to yourself," O'Leary said. "Anyone who does that is crazy. Don't do that."

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While he didn't name names, the advice was clearly at odds with financial personalities like Dave Ramsey, who has long insisted that financial unity is part of marital unity. In a clip shared on X, Ramsey told a caller, "You combine everything. There is no middle. The preacher didn't say, ‘And now you're a joint venture.' He said, ‘And now you're one.'"

O'Leary's view is the opposite—especially when it comes to protecting women's financial independence.

"A woman should never, ever give up her financial independence," he said. "Never merge it in with their husband's."

Instead, he encourages couples to keep some financial separation—even if they share basic expenses.

"It's OK to share a credit card and each put 2,500 bucks into it a month," he said. "But your entire savings, your credit rating, your own credit card, your own investments, your own savings account, whatever it is, it has to stay in your name."

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And that mindset is clearly catching on—especially with younger couples. O'Leary is an investor in HelloPrenup, a platform helping modern fiancés create prenups online. According to a 2024 HelloPrenup report, 75% of couples using the platform choose to keep their premarital assets separate going into marriage. And while 79% still plan to share a joint bank account, the trend is clear: couples want to protect their individual wealth while also contributing to shared expenses on their own terms.

The platform also reports that 52% of women initiate the prenup process, and most have less than $500,000 in liquid assets—dispelling the idea that prenups are just for the rich. The median net worth of HelloPrenup customers is just $78,000, and the average financial disparity between partners is about $250,000, suggesting that everyday couples—not just billionaires—are thinking ahead.

It may be for good reason. While divorce rates have declined overall, the Institute for Family Studies estimates that around 40% of today's marriages will end in divorce—and notes that "only time will tell" whether that rate improves or simply slows down.

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Back in the interview, O'Leary said it's not about romance—it's about realism.

"It really makes women understand that they need to maintain their own financial identity their entire life," he told Moneywise. "Never give that up. That's just a really bad idea."

For O'Leary, financial independence isn't just about safeguarding your net worth—it's about protecting yourself from what he calls "the unfortunate event"—aka, divorce. Even love, he argues, should come with terms and conditions.

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