Sixth of Britons have secret bank account

One in six Britons have a bank account they keep secret from their partner, with the average person having more than £2,000 stashed away, a survey indicated today.

Around 15% of people have savings they have not told their other half about, and while people typically hold £2,033 in their secret account, one in 20 are hiding more than £10,000, according to the Post Office.

A quarter of secret savers claim the money is their safety net in case their relationship does not work out, while 18% said the cash was none of their partner's business.

A further 20% said they liked having the money as it made them feel more independent, and 10% said they had to keep their savings secret otherwise their partner would spend them.

Men are twice as likely to have a secret savings account as women, with 22% admitting they hid money from their partner, setting aside an average of £2,128 each, while only 11% of women did a similar thing, hiding an average of £1,927.

Doug Strachan, director of financial services at the Post Office, said: "While people have secret savings accounts for many different reasons, it's wise to be open and honest about money with loved ones to avoid strained relationships.

"By discussing significant financial decisions with close family and friends, people are more likely to make well-informed choices and prevent potential money issues spiralling out of control."

:: OnePoll questioned 2,258 people for the Post Office.