Newlyweds won't share cash

Marriage has traditionally been about sharing - but the days of "what's mine is yours" appear well and truly over, according to a report released today.

Researchers found the number of married couples with joint bank accounts has fallen dramatically in recent years.

Dr Carol Burgoyne, who led the University of Exeter research, said: "It seems that while people are marrying because of tradition, when it comes to money they are just not interested in sharing." She told the British Association Festival of Science: "Our group, which consisted of 42 couples about to get married, were only willing to put money to cover bills into a shared account."

Phillip Hodson, a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling, said: "In modern relationships money causes as many problems as sex, so the ability to manage your own money is very important to a lot of people."